South Africa's soccer spectacular is getting grander and grander with the imminent arrival of Hollywood A-listers, British royalty and Grammy-winning performers - and has fuelled speculation of trysts and engagements.
Heiress and reality TV star Paris Hilton is expected to come to South Africa during the World Cup to spend time with soccer stud Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been romantically linked to both her and Kim Kardashian.
E-online reports that the couple were unable to reconcile their schedules for the Cannes Film Festival, which Hilton attended, and their plans to get together in Spain fell apart, but they plan to hang out soon, in "exotic" Africa.
Princes William and Harry will be in Cape Town to watch England play Algeria on June 18, and the UK media is suggesting a royal engagement could be on the cards. Chelsy Davy, Prince Harry's Zimbabwean-born girlfriend, has told friends she will be hosting parties after all the big games and she is hoping Harry and William will also join her, the Daily Mail reports.
Harry, 25, will already be in southern Africa as part of a week-long official tour with William, 27, from June 14. They will go to Botswana to the Tusk Conservation Charity and Lesotho to see the work of Harry's charity, Sentebale.
Davy has reportedly invited William's girlfriend, Kate Middleton, to Cape Town. If Middleton is in South Africa at the same time as William it will fuel speculation they are about to announce an engagement.
It's been confirmed that R Kelly will perform the official World Cup anthem at the Fifa opening ceremony on June 11. He will sing Sign of a Victory at the Soccer City Stadium with the Soweto Spiritual Singers. "I feel blessed that Sign of a Victory was selected to be part of the World Cup. It brings the world together and inspires us to be and do the best we can, it's this uplifting feeling I tried to capture in the song," said Kelly.
Alicia Keys, Shakira, the Black Eyed Peas and John Legend will perform at the World Cup kickoff concert at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, on June 10.
The concert will also feature Hugh Masekela, Freshlyground and the Soweto Gospel Choir, along with Somali-born hip-hop artist K'Naan, SA folk singer Vusi Mahlasela and Malian artists Amadou and Mariam. SA rock bands BLK JKS and The Parlotones will also perform.
It's expected that the international music stars will also make a stop in Cape Town - few can resist the charms of the city with the mountain.
Several Oscar-winning actors will also be in the country during the World Cup.
Halle Berry will arrive in Cape Town next month to star in the film Dark Tide, a story about a former marine biologist who takes tourists out on fishing boats - until things go disastrously wrong.
Charlize Theron has already announced that she has her tickets, and will be heading home for the tournament.
Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson and Oscar nominee Terrence Howard will be here from May 31 to shoot the film Winnie.
Hudson will play Winnie Mandela, and Howard, Oscar-nominated for his role in Hustle and Flow, will play Nelson Mandela in the film which has come under fire from Winnie Madikizela-Mandela for the way she is portrayed in the script.
Other international celebs who will be in Cape Town in coming weeks include rocker Bryan Adams, TV psychic and ghost whisperer John Edwards, crooner Legend and Michael Buble. They will all be performing at GrandWest Casino, confirmed a spokesman for the casino.
While US President Barack Obama is unlikely to attend any World Cup matches, US Vice-President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, will represent the US at opening ceremonies, and see the US team's first game, against England, on June 12.
The Bidens will be in Africa to visit Egypt, Kenya and SA in June, the White House said on Thursday.
Eddie van der Walt, a South African paparazzo based in the UK, said the only thing bigger than the soccer was the Wags, (wives and girlfriends of soccer players) and many of the UK's paparazzi would descend on the country to capture their antics.
The top-tier celebrity wives would attract the most attention, and pictures of Victoria Beckham could cover a paparazzo's World Cup expenses.
Van der Walt said celebrities often tipped them off about their whereabouts. The relationship between celebs and the paparazzi is "not as hostile" as it is portrayed by some in the media.
In some cases celebrities even get a cut from the profit made out of the photographs.
"It works well. They pretend to hate us and we pretend to care," he said.
Additional reports: Sapa-AFP, Daily Mail