Rooney Names South Africa As ‘Worst’ World Cup

Former England striker Wayne Rooney has called South Africa the “worst” World Cup.

The 2010 World Cup was the sole edition to be hosted on African soil, and played out amid the unique vuvuzela sounds from the crowds.

But Rooney’s England, managed by Fabio Capello, endured a dismal competition. He has now reflected on it as the worst World Cup while debating how this summer’s tournament in the U.S., Canada and Mexico will play out.

“You are not getting worse than South Africa,” Rooney said on The Overlap.

“That tournament never felt like a World Cup.

“We were travelling to the U.S. game, the first game. It was pitch black, there were no fans. Normally at a World Cup there are fans everywhere, you feel the atmosphere. It was dead, there was nothing.

“It just didn’t feel like a World Cup at all.”

England drew with the U.S. in their first match in 2010 before a tepid goalless draw with Algeria.

They beat Slovenia 1-0, thanks to a Jermain Defoe winner, to qualify from the group stage in second-place behind the U.S.A.

But in the round of 16 they were thrashed 4-1 by Germany. Rooney didn’t score in the tournament.

The hopes of the African teams notoriously ended as Ghana lost to Uruguay in the quarterfinals.