Oh, man! I know a lot of Americans don’t dig soccer the way that rest of the world does, but I can’t tell you how excited I am for the World Cup. Anyway, for those of you uninterested in the sport, there are a couple of good stories circulating about the games that could pique your interest. Take the Ivory Coast, for instance. According to ESPN, “the Ivory Coast’s first-ever World Cup qualification was the catalyst for a temporary cease-fire in the country’s ongoing civil war.” It’s pretty amazing that while soccer seems to drive other countries’ fans to violence, the sport has somehow made the Ivory Coasts’ stop.

Another interesting off-the-field story to watch will be Iran. Iran’s president, Ahmadinejad has repeatedly been calling for Israel’s destruction and publicly questioned whether or not the Holocaust took place. And with the games in Germany, it’s no wonder European Parliament members have sought a travel ban on the Ahmadinejad. His presence could spark violent protests from exiled Iranians.

Of course, there’s plenty of on the field action to keep you amused too… You can check out Jen Cheng’s article at ESPN for a quick roundup of the teams. 1.5 billion people will be watching the first match around the globe today, and it’s only playing here on ESPN2!