JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Blowing a vuvuzela takes a bit of instruction –- you have to purse your lips together and blow a raspberry into the plastic trumpet.

Robyn Curnow tries out a vuvuzela at Brazil vs. Italy.

The noise that comes out can startle you after your first toot, it sounds like an elephant trumpeting or a foghorn. Soon it become addictive, though, and you have to limit your vuvuzela usage if you don’t want to lose friends, family or your hearing.

I first tried to blow a vuvuzela two weeks ago, at the start of the Confederations Cup which has been held in South Africa ahead of next year’s World Cup. I failed miserably. I blew and I blew and nothing happened, just a few insipid little parps. But at the Brazil vs. Italy game, I got the hang of the vuvuzela and quickly joined the crowd in a jaunty one-note tune. Baaaah! Baaah! Baaah!

It is a sound so irritating and so obnoxious that it’s best to stick with the maxim “if you can’t beat ‘em, join em.” Not blowing a vuvuzela at a South African football game not only makes you feel a bit left out but it also makes you resent the noise everyone else it making.

I can understand why some footballers and fans hate the sound. In stadiums and even watching on television, the constant buzz of the vuvuzelas can be distracting. But with the World Cup one year ahead, everyone just better get used to the inevitable din of the vuvuzelas.

Complaining about the noise they make won’t make a difference –- mostly because no one will be able to hear you above the incessant ringing in their ears.

BARCELONA, Spain (CNN) – For many fans here in Barcelona, the celebration started after the first goal, by Samuel Eto’o, in the Champions League final against Manchester United. Others, older and having seen more disappointments from their beloved Barcelona over the years, were more cautious. They didn’t become jubilant until Messi scored the second goal in the second half.

Barcelona fans celebrate in the streets of the Spanish city.

By that time, from our position with the thousands of Barca fans watching the game on a big screen in the old port area, it was sheer pandemonium – a field of red and blue Barcelona stripes, sparklers and fireworks, thousands of well lubricated (it wasn’t the local coffee, I don’t think) fans singing the Barca hymn.

Doing one liveshot after another for CNN, I could barely hear the questions from colleagues in the studios. But we were able to transmit the sheer joy of the historic moment – Barcelona getting its third trophy this year - the Spanish league and the Spanish King’s Cup and finally the sweetest of all, the Champions League.

And all of it for a first-year coach, Josep “Pep” Guardiola, just 38, a former Barca player whom one leading Barcelona newspaper on Thursday said was “touching heaven.”

After the game we headed toward the central Plaza de Catalunya, along with almost every other man, woman, child and house pet in town. Others came in from across the region of Catalunya, some six million people in northeast Spain who consider this team part of their identity.

They celebrated on foot and in cars. And on top of cars and hanging out of cars, and on top of fountains, and waving banners and singing the Barca hymn.

Until about 3 am local time, it looked like the happy cops weren’t even trying. Although over the course of the night, we learned there were more than 100 arrests for various disturbances and more than a hundred injured.

As we drove back to the hotel after 4 am, having sent our final TV story by broadband, we saw various trash containers burning, a strange way to celebrate such a momentous victory.

On Thursday, we are at the fabled Camp Nou stadium. The team arrives from Rome around 6 pm local time, then boards open air buses for a three-hour victory lap around central Barcelona, finally due to arrive at the stadium which will be filled. Hundreds of thousands of people expected to continue the party across Barcelona for a second straight day.

At the stadium, there’ll be a presentation of the players and the cup, and the ceremony will be sure to include, yes, the Barca hymn. It’s a catchy tune, and I might just learn it by the time we’re finished here.

When you see Barcelona resorting to “route one” football you realize how much the Champions League means to Europe’s top clubs.  In the dying minutes of the semi-final, second leg, at Stamford Bridge, Barca pushed their tall center-back Gerard Pique up to center forward. Praised all season for their football aesthetic, even these Catalan artists were willing to win ugly.

Andres Iniesta celebrates his late goal for Barcelona.

I had the privilege of going to all four semi-final matches and they were disappointing games until the sensational, late finish in west London on Wednesday night. Sitting next to my CNN colleague Pedro Pinto, we turned to each other, open mouthed with shock as Andres Iniesta’s goal went in. Spanish media and radio commentators to our right celebrated as wildly as the Barcelona players.

It led to some nasty confrontations with Chelsea supporters who became instantly bitter and angry at the cruel way in which their team had been denied a trip to the final in Rome. On the pitch, at the final whistle, Didier Drogba displayed the same bile to the Norwegian referee. The media use the same entrance as some of Chelsea’s VIP fans and I watched as government ministers, celebrities and ex players stormed out of the ground in dismay at the way the Blues had been upstaged deep into stoppage time.

Who on earth will those fans cheer for in the final? They won’t want Manchester United or Barcelona to win. If you’re dating a Chelsea supporter keep the evening of Wednesday May 27th free. You could be going out for dinner.

For me, it’s been a hectic but satisfying nine days – starting with my first trip to the Camp Nou. I’ve reported from some of the world’s most famous stadiums but nothing I had been told about Barcelona’s ground prepared me for the noise. The Camp Nou has a capacity of around 95,000 but the volume isn’t down to the numbers but the way the fans whistle in ear-splitting unison, especially when they disagree with the referee.

There was a lot of that during the first leg against Chelsea. With no time to explore Las Ramblas or any other Barcelona sights, it was straight off to Manchester and a mad dash to make the kick-off at Old Trafford after a late, connecting flight from Heathrow. Again, the atmosphere was booming. United’s supporters are accustomed to these historic European occasions now and they support a team who take them in their stride. Although Arsenal only lost the first leg one-nil they were seriously outclassed over the two games.

I include myself among Arsene Wenger’s many admirers but football is about winning as much as style – just ask Barcelona – and the Frenchman must realize that some experience is needed to strengthen the creative backbone of his talented, youthful squad. During the second leg at the impressive Emirates stadium, Manchester United fans soon began chanting, “We’re going to Rome and that’s a fact. We’re going to Rome and that’s a fact.” It was a gleeful song which filled the silence left by the desolation of Arsenal’s followers, many of whom had started filing out of the ground as early as the first half.

At least Chelsea v Barcelona was far more of a contest. Blues boss Guus Hiddink seemed to have won the tactical battle with Pep Guardiola for the second week running. Chelsea looked the only winners when Eric Abidal was sent off. “Adios, adios, adios”, the Chelsea fans sang. Less than half an hour later, it was their own team waving goodbye to the competition.

SEOUL, South Korea – All eyes in South Korea will turn to the kick-off between the South and North Korean national football teams Wednesday night, as they battle for the ticket to the 2010 South Africa World Cup finals, stepping aside from political tensions over Pyongyang's proposed rocket launch. 

Members of North Korea's football team practice in Seoul on Tuesday.

North and South Korean matches traditionally draw more attention, and this match is not an exception. It is the sixth World Cup match between the two sides, with the previous three games ending in a draw. The winner of this round will be able to distance itself from other competing teams up for a grab to the World Cup.

Most people on the streets of Seoul seemed to be willing to put politics behind and sit back to watch a good round of football.

 "I don't know much about all the missile talk going on, and I don't really think the issues are related. Sports is sports," said 30-year-old Park Miyoung, who plans to watch the game held in Seoul at home with her family.

South Koreans have developed a taste for what seems to be an almost obsessive watching of live sportscasts over the past few years. Restaurants are equipped with flat screens so that customers can cheer on over shots of soju and hearty barbeques, and apartment compounds shake with roars of thunder when a player scores.

More people are zooming in on major games seeking a dose of relief from the sagging local economy and their empty pockets, and recent major achievements in fields such as baseball and figure skating have provided a source of uplift.

"Things are getting nasty with the economy these days, so I'm hoping that the team wins tonight and helps the country build a better name for itself," 74-year-old Seo Young-suk said.

Seo, who experienced the Korean War, said it is touching to see both countries overcome ideology and play each other.

"But it's still competition. We can't lose to them," he added.

ATLANTA, Georgia - During last month's Olympic Summer Games in Beijing I sat down with FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who this week is visiting South Africa to assess its preparations for the World Cup in two years time.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter, left, Tuesday presents Nelson Mandela with a unique replica of the FIFA World Cup to mark South Africa’s successful bid. Also present: FIFA Ambassador Tokyo Sexwale, center top, and FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke, right.

The topics during our half-hour chat were twofold: the current state of football vis-a-vis the Olympic Games and South Africa's readiness for the world's greatest football tournament.

When speaking of FIFA's "Olympian" effort, Blatter's eyes lit up like a young child. The World Cup is his passion and he's more than willing to talk about it to whoever would like to listen. Watch interview with Sepp Blatter.

Blatter's message to me, and the rest of the world, was simple: South Africa WILL be ready to play host to football's best players and their fervent fans. FIFA's president was confident last month and his confidence is evident this week as he and his staff pay a visit to South Africa.

The challenges that any World Cup host city faces are mighty. South Africa is learning that as each day passes before the start of the event.

Blatter is a fan of football but he's also a savvy businessman who runs what can only be described as a corporation.

While the rest of the world waits to see if South Africa can live up to expectations, FIFA's president is taking no chances.

One of the more telling moments of our interview played out when I asked him if FIFA had a Plan B or a Plan C in place.

Without hesitation, Blatter said that yes, he does have alternate scenarios - but he won't elaborate. His back-up plans don't reflect on South Africa's readiness to host the tournament, but do take into account the possibility of a natural disaster.

Blatter says that it wouldn't be a good business decision not to have back-up plans in place. Again, confidence is at the heart of the FIFA president's peace of mind.

But he added that he doesn't expect to have to "pull out of the drawer" his Plan B or Plan C. Instead he foresees a World Cup that South Africa, and the rest of the world, can be proud of.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – Sophie is slicing her "Russians" - carefully - so she doesn't cut her fingers instead. Large meaty sausages called "Russians" are popular in South Africa, especially when served on top of a pile of chips buried in a large hunk of white bread, and topped with a half slice of processed cheese.It's hearty fare that goes down well with the construction workers who are building South Africa's showpiece stadium "Soccer City" just outside Johannesburg.

The Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, will be at the center of the 2010 World Cup.

At their noon lunchbreak they queue up outside her ramshackle restaurant, built of crooked poles, sacking and tin sheets, eager for their "Russians."

Sophie's restaurant is one of about 10 makeshift shelters from where a group of mostly women sell tea, oranges, biscuits and simple meals to the workers. Sophie lost her job at an Italian restaurant about 10 years ago and never found another. Instead, the mother of four eked out a living selling food as hawker on the sidewalks of Johannesburg.

Then, when the bulldozers started excavating for the foundations of the new stadium, she came here and set up her stall. "It's not really enough," she tells us, and then she laughs ironically. "But it's better than stealing!"

Chicken pieces sizzle in a pot over a smoky fire nearby as she smiles and cuts open yet another loaf of bread. The sound of heavy machinery moving erupts overhead as the vast cranes maneuver yet another huge and complex steel structure into place for the stadium's new roof.

Sophie's story is a story of hope. There is nothing guaranteed for her and her tiny business, but every day that the building of the hi-tech modern stadium continues is another day she can feed her children, and, if she is lucky, put a little money aside for a rainy day.

All over South Africa, there are people like Sophie. In a country where so many people live in grinding poverty, the World Cup is not only a celebration of the world's most popular sport, it is also a moment of hope, a chance, they believe, that might bring them something that they would never have had before.

VIENNA, Austria – So it's all over. Spain are going home from Euro 2008 with the trophy and football fans are going home with some great memories from a colorful tournament.

If there is one thing that myself and the rest of the CNN crew covering Euro 2008 will remember from this event, it is the fantastic atmosphere between all the fans. In Vienna, there were at least 20,000 people every day in the Fan Zone - and there were never any signs of tension or violence.

Football supporters came from every corner of the globe to celebrate the beautiful game and rejoice together, no matter the score.

This was especially visible during the final itself. On Sunday night the Fan Zone was packed with 70,000 people and it turned into one of Europe's biggest parties. There was singing, dancing, laughing and crying as everyone got into the spirit.

Joining the Germans and Spanish were fans from as far away as Mexico and Brazil - and they just added more spice to the mix.

On the field, the tournament was also a success. From the drama of the Turkish victories to the anxiety of the penalty shoot-out between Spain and Italy and finally to the jubilation of Espana's triumph, football fans were thoroughly entertained.

Seventy-seven goals were scored in 31 matches – or an average of two-and-a-half goals per game, a statistic which shows the attacking philosophy most teams dsiplayed.

UEFA picked Spain midfielder Xavi as its man of the tournament, but my vote goes to Marcos Senna, who was tireless in the center of the park. Whether tackling, passing or dictating the rhythm of the game, the Brazilian-born anchorman was a joy to watch.

There are always disappointments at tournaments - and front and center this time round were Greece and France.

The defending champions left the tournament without a single point and will have to go back to the drawing board. Their defensive philosophy looked outdated and was never going to hold up for another tournament.

Les Bleus, meanwhile, looked old and tired as Raymond Domenech committed several mistakes in his squad selection. Phillipe Mexes, David Trezeguet and Mathieu Flamini should all have been playing. It doesn't mean they would have transformed France into champions, but they would have helped.

One final word on the fair play exhibited by most teams. There were only three red cards throughout the competition, and we didn't see any career-threatening tackles being made.

Overall, Euro 2008 was a success. The spotlight now shifts to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa – and expectations will be high.

VIENNA, Austria – Here we are in Vienna waiting for the biggest game of the year to kick off. Around 70,000 people are expected in the city's fanzone to watch the title decider and in the hours leading up to the match, the atmosphere has been fantastic.

Singing, dancing and cheering, fans from Germany and Spain have created a party atmosphere which is a joy to watch. There is no hint of tension or violence as everyone just wants to enjoy the occasion.

The visitors number in the Vienna fanzone recently hit the one million mark for the tournament and everyone agrees that it has been a success. For the final day, over 2,500 extra police officers will be on duty in the city center to secure the area, but the operation will serve mostly as a precaution considering there have been no problems throughout the tournament.

As far as the game is concerned, it's the final a lot of people were wishing to see. Two heavyweights of European football locking horns after dramatically navigating their way past several opponents over the last three weeks.

Germany are going for their fourth title in six finals, while Spain are looking for their first major title since1964.

The game will bring together contrasting styles. Germany will rely on their direct and physical football to try to knock the technically gifted Spaniards off their game, while Spain will hope it's short and quick passing will help them break down the opposition's defense.

As an outsider, I'm just hoping to see a good game. I also look forward to watching the winning fans celebrate wildly at the final whistle!

VIENNA, Austria – So the big final is upon us and I can say without any reservations that I am excited. Euro 2008 has been an excellent tournament and I predict a title decider that will not disappoint. It will definitely be better than the finals of the last World Cup or Euro 2004.

Admittedly, intuition plays a large part in making any sporting prediction but I can back this one up with facts too.

First we have to take a look at the statistics. Both sides are averaging over two goals per game: Spain has hit the back of the net 11 times in six matches, while the Germans scored 10 goals in their games to date.

Recently Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told me the quality of the attackers was better than the quality of the defenders at this tournament. if this trend continues in Sunday's final then nil-nil is not an option.

Another factor which should contribute to an open game is the team philosophies of the title contenders. Neither side relies on one or two players, so that means even if Fernando Torres and Miroslav Klose have a bad game, goals could come from a variety of other sources.

Xavi, Silva, Fabregas and Iniesta can all score for Spain, while Schweinsteiger, Podolski, Ballack and Lahm are names that can get on the scoresheet for Germany.

The fact that none of the players on the pitch on Sunday have ever won a trophy with their national team should also make them try harder. If it was Italy versus France, it would be a different story entirely. But both sides are still young and although some players have enjoyed success at club level they have yet to make their mark with their country's colours.

There should be plenty of hunger out there and maybe the hungriest player of all will be Michael Ballack. The midfielder has lost four finals in his career, including two in the Champions League and one at the 2002 World Cup - although he was suspended for that game.

As if any extra motivation was needed, each German player will reportedly earn 250,000 euros for lifting the trophy; Spain's players can look forward to receiving a check worth 214,000 euros to go with a winner's medal.

Not bad eh? Let's hope they earn it!

Watch my package on football fever in Vienna.

MOSCOW, Russia - Whichever team wins tonight's Champions League final, the victory will be historic. Chelsea are playing in the finals for the first time, while Manchester United's appearance in Moscow coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Munich air crash, a disaster that killed 23 people including eight of the team's stars.

Football fans are gluttons for omens and for United the disaster is such an intrinsic part of the club's history that it would be fitting if the Reds lift the European Cup on a significant anniversary.

Chelsea's fans also believe that victory is on the cards. Their benefactor Roman Abramovich is Russian and the game is being played in his homeland.

Much has been made of the high cost of flights and accommodation for the fans and for some it will have been too much. But the tens of thousands that have made the trip are being treated like celebrities – posing for photographs and even signing autographs for the locals.

Chelsea supporters in particular have told CNN that they couldn't have missed Chelsea's first ever European final although some took a bit more persuading than others.

Ian Spillett from London told us that his wife encouraged him to make the trip because she knew what it would mean to him. "But I think she's hoping to get a new set of patio doors to the house, I've backed the team to win 3-1 because that result would offset the cost of my trip," he said.

Very few are expecting so many goals though. The teams know each other intimately and it is expected to be a tight game. But remember, two of the most exciting finals in recent memory involved English teams – United in 99 and Liverpool in 05 - so the optimist in me is holding out for a thriller.