From a Pompey perspective, I'd like to see some of our current players do well (before they leave), and I'd also like to see some of our former players achieve some success (mainly because a few of them are playing for England!)
Lassana Diarra arguably would have been the biggest name associated with Portsmouth if he had been playing. However, he has been ruled out of the tournament with a stomach injury.
Despite that, Pompey are still represented by some recognisable names past and present. Here are all of them:
CURRENT POMPEY PLAYERS
David James (England)
Jamo could well end up starting against the USA on June 12th after Fabio Capello handed him the England number 1 shirt. It was believed that Robert Green would be first choice but this revelation may mean that Pompey will have an England player in the starting XI in South Africa.
Aaron Mokoena (South Africa)
"The Axe" became the first player ever to reach 100 caps for South Africa after appearing in a 5-0 win against Guatemala. However, the Bafana Bafana captain has admitted in the news today that he will quit Pompey once the World Cup is over as he wants to play in the Premier League.
That's a shame really, because Mokoena had won the fans over after being labelled as a boo boy, having proven himself to be a decent centre back.
Kevin-Prince Boateng (Ghana)
Boateng managed to avoid being cut from the preliminary squad to join his new nation after switching from Germany. The spotlight will be on him if he plays against his former nation after injuring Michael Ballack in the FA Cup Final, causing a row between the pair.
He is almost certainly going to join Avram Grant at West Ham but unfortunately he is going to be remembered by Pompey fans as the one who had his penalty saved in the FA Cup Final.
Nadir Belhadj (Algeria)
Belhadj probably won't be a Pompey player by the time the World Cup begins, but it will still be interesting to see how he handles himself on the biggest stage of them all.
Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria)
As at club level, King Kanu isn't expected to get much game time in South Africa but he can always be called upon to change a game. His experience will be vital to the rest of the squad and I'm sure that everyone at Pompey will wish him and the Super Eagles well.
John Utaka (Nigeria)
Nigeria cannot have that much strength in depth as Utaka somehow managed to make Lars Lagerback's final squad. If he does play at all, expect one moment of brilliance followed by much frustration. I still believe John was Harry Redknapp's worst signing, and I'll be surprised if Pompey can recoup even half of the £8.1 million paid for him.
FORMER POMPEY PLAYERS
Theofanis Gekas (Greece - Hertha Berlin)
Remember Gekas? You'd be hard pressed to. After all, he only got a few minutes' worth of football in a Pompey shirt.
Gekas was the top scorer in the UEFA section of World Cup qualifying with 10 goals but on the other hand, he struggled to score in the Bundesliga last season and was relegated with Hertha Berlin.
Konstantinos Chalkias (Greece - PAOK)
Yes, that's right! One of Pompey's most hapless 'keepers in modern history (and we've had a few) is going to the World Cup! "Cost Us" probably won't play as he is likely to be Otto Rehaggel's third choice but I'll still never forget him spanking Arjan De Zeeuw after he scored an own goal against Aston Villa.
Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Nigeria - Everton)
I still believe that the Yak was Pompey's best striker in Pompey's Premier League era despite his perceived laziness. His goal-to-game ratio speaks for itself but after so much injury trouble, it is difficult to see him making an impact for his national side.
Glen Johnson (England - Liverpool)
I have plenty of respect for Johnson after he grew up from a toilet seat thief into a top quality player. He has performed well for Liverpool when he hasn't been injured but has had mixed showings for England, despite establishing himself as Capello's first choice right back.
Jermain Defoe (England - Tottenham)
I will have to cheer through gritted teeth if Defoe scores as he is not well liked by Pompey fans. Scoring may be a problem for him though, as his lack of goals towards the end of last season suggests. I'd have taken Darren Bent instead of Defoe, but I'm biased.
Peter Crouch (England - Tottenham)
Unlike Defoe who disrespected the club during his last few months at Pompey, Peter has always been more gracious towards us and I can't justify disliking him. I think he should start ahead of Heskey simply because he brings more goals to the team and a real aerial threat.
Hassan Yebda (Algeria - Benfica)
Yebda has now returned to Benfica but never really shone in a Pompey shirt, did he? He was a "steady Eddie" type, consistently average and didn't really do anything of note after scoring Pompey's winning goal at Molineux earlier in the season. Watch him score the winner against England now I've said that...
Sulley Muntari (Ghana - Inter Milan)
I miss Sulley Muntari for his cracking long range strikes and his reckless challenges. After leaving Pompey, Muntari joined Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan and played his part in the team winning a historic treble last season. He is one of Ghana's main men, but what are the odds on him being shown a red card during the tournament?
Quincy Owusu-Abeyie (Ghana - Al-Sadd)
Quincy will simply be remembered here as the man that triggered "Demolition Derby II" after his sweet curling shot beat Kelvin Davis and found the bottom corner of the net. He isn't expected to play much for his national side, but he'll have our backing if he does make an appearance.
Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Japan - Jubilo Iwata)
I was a little surprised to see that Yoshi is only 34 years of age, it seems like he has been around forever! The man couldn't catch a cold, but he is a true gentleman and I still remember his performance against Brazil in the 2006 World Cup with some fondness.
Aruna Dindane (Ivory Coast - Lekhwiya)
I'm surprised that Dindane actually moved to Qatar when there were seemingly better offers on the table. I think he'll be remembered here as the man who couldn't play because of a contract dispute and nothing more. He's unpredictable though, and could make an impact in South Africa if Sven gives him a chance.
Pedro Mendes (Portugal - Sporting Lisbon)
In my view, Pedro is still a cult hero at Fratton Park. He's one of my favourite players to have worn the Pompey shirt and I hope he gets some time to shine and maybe score one of his trademark thunderbolts, so long as it isn't against England of course!