Inter coach Jose Mourinho is renowned for making controversial remarks,  for using the media to hammer his point  and for manipulating the press to engage in psychological games against his toughest opponents. The focus here will be on Mourinho's latest statement which is actually inaccurate if one is to consider the many factors associated with the World Cup and involved in the buildup to the biggest sports tournament in the world. The outspoken Portuguese claimed the Champions League final is the most important game in the world and even more important than the World Cup.

There is no doubt Mourinho is a capable coach and is probably one of the best at motivating his players, preparing for games and disrupting the plans of opponents through various means including psychological ploys. However, in this case the Portuguese has erred andone only needs to look at Brazilian legend Pele to understand being a great player does not make you an expert on football (whether predictions or various assessment of players & teams) and in Mourinho'scase a number of his outrageous remarks have really little ground to stand on. Below is a brief summary of small scale comparison between the Champions League and the World Cup to make it easier for the public to make their own judgment:

- Most-Watched & TV Audience: Unfortunately we have to go back to 2006 since this was the last time the World Cup and the Champions League were contested in the same year. The World Cup Final in Germany 2006 which featured Italy taking on France was the most watched event in 2006 ahead of the Super Bowl while the Champions League Final (Barcelona vs Arsenal) was actually in fourth place.

- Duration: The qualification process for World Cup 2010 actually begun in August 2007 and ended in November 2009. As for the Champions League the qualifying phase began in June 2009 and the tournament ends this Saturday, May 22nd in Madrid. This might be an unfair comparison but this is part of the process which gives a better assessment of the scale of the respective tournaments and which is bigger.

- Number of Teams: Less than 100 total in the Champions League compared to 204 national teams participating in the World Cup qualifying rounds.

- Matches Played: The World Cup qualifiers alone witnessed 848 matches while the Champions League as a whole features 124 games.

- Prestige: Winning the World Cup is by far the most coveted achievement of a football player's career. Some of the best players over the decades became legends and cemented themselves in the history books by winning the World Cup. Winning the Champions League is the greatest achievement on the club level but to triumph in the World Cup is to reach the peak of football at all levels.

- Talent on Display: The Champions League and the World Cup are an elitist competition with the best clubs andteams qualifying to main draw (the group stages in both competitions) however the World Cup is even more selective since teams in Italy, Spain andEngland can still make the Champions League despite finishing 3rd or even 4th (after the qualifying stage). This means the Champions League leaves room for some of the less competitive teams. In the World Cup this is balanced by having the different Confederations yet these limit the number of qualifiers to the best teams from most of these Confederations. This allows for a great diversity of talent to be on show. The Champions League does not have the same number of surprise players emerging as stars since Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (Ronaldinho and Kaka before them) have shown time and again they're the best. In the World Cup, there have been a number of unexpected surprises such as Italy's Salvatore Schillaci in World Cup 1990.

- Emerging  Talent: Again the World Cup often serves as the perfect stage for the supporters to watch emerging players (such as Roberto Baggio in World Cup 1990) or even hear about future stars (Brazil's Ronaldo did not play in USA 1994 but was in the squad). Stars are made in the World Cup and careers are often ended as well with many players retiring after participating in the World Cup (Note: Zinedine Zidane of France retiring after Germany 2006).

- Major Controversies: The controversies in the World Cup continue to be discussed for generations and the most notable examples in recent decades are Zidane's headbutt on Italy's Marco Materazzi in the Germany 2006 Final in Berlin and Argentina star Diego Maradona's "Handof God" against England in World Cup 1986. These events continue to be discussed by fans.

- The Money Factor: Mourinho says the Champions League gains the edge over the World Cup because the rich clubs can afford to buy the best talent while national teams pick from the best players available from their country. The logic here might be counterproductive as Barcelona's Messi will be in the World Cup representing Argentina yet teammate Xavi Hernandez will play for Spain. While the talent might be further dispersed, it does ensure a more competitive tournament while in the Champions League the top teams such as Barca, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Inter and Real Madrid continue to have a monopoly over the best players.

- National Pride: While at the club the salary of the player is a decisive factor, the same players seek and try their best to play for their country at the World Cup. While there are financial rewards offered by a country's Federation to the players who achieve certain objectives, the competing players in the World Cup are after the prestige and the experience of playing in the World Cup. Players who excel at the World Cup often become national heroes and lift the spirits of their fellow compatriots.

- Social Role: While football in general unites fans whether poor or rich, and of any race or background, to watch the games, the World Cup gets the nod here because of the global presence and coverage it generates.

- World Cup vs Champions League: Simply put winning the World Cup is Marcello Lippi's greatest achievement and not winning the Champions League with Juventus in 1996. Zidane's greatest honour was leading France to triumph in World Cup 1998 and then comes other honours such as Euro 2000 with Les Bleus and the Champions League triumph with Real Madrid (Zidane might pick winning the Champions League with R. Madrid over Euro 2000 but he certainly considers France 1998 as his greatest achievement).

- Mourinho Factor: The Portuguese is simply the type who does not rate anything high unless he is the main benefactor or the driving force behind it. Some might argue that when Chelsea won the domestic double (Premiership and FA Cup) in Carlo Ancelotti's first season in charge one of those who were not really impressed was Mourinho because he used to try and instigate the Italian into a verbal war when Ancelotti was still in charge of rivals Milan. Mourinho considered beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge one of his greatest moments only to retract his statement after eliminating Barca in the Champions League semi-final not because the Catalans are the most talented team in the world (which they probably are with Messi & Xavi leading the line among others) but because he assisted Bobby Robson when he was in charge at the Camp Nou before leaving the club (he was bitter at not being offered the chance to coach the team in the years after). This is one additional motivational factor behind his strong desire to take charge of Real Madrid in order to make Barca suffer on the domestic front.

- Main Focus: The Champions League is on Saturday yet many supporters are preoccupied with the provisional teams and the cuts made by the national team coaches while Mourinho is desperately trying to engage in mind games with BayernMunich. Admittedly the Bavarians did start this round of psychological warfare when they accused Inter of being a defensive team and not entertaining which prompted Mourinho to sarcastically taunt Bayern for the decisive refereeing errors which helped the German club overcome Fiorentina in Munich as well as the sending off of Rafael of Manchester United at Old Trafford which helped turn the tide in Bayern's favour.

There are a number of other factors which can be considered but once again nothing really surpasses the feeling of winning what is recognised as the world's greatest honour in sports and the most watched event in the world. In addition, the Champions League is played on a yearly basis while the World Cup is a major event played every four years which gives it even more emphasis and makes it more exclusive. Only seven countries have won the World Cup   at one of the 18 total events played so far while the Champions League is in its 55th season (and ironically in its 18th under the current format) and has been won by 21 different clubs.

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Sit back and enjoy the video.

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The countdown to South Africa 2010 may have started but there is still plenty of time for surprises to take place in terms of team selections and final squad lists. Coaches may spring a surprise or two and call upon unfamiliar names or perhaps the likes of the erratic Raymond Domenech will pick some unknown players.

Setting aside unforeseen events, injuries, suspensions or lack of form, a considerable number of players are all but guaranteed a spot o their national team's roster heading to South Africa. It is perhaps early to confirm who has already scored his ticket to the World Cup but a few names will always surface when considering the most likely top scorer of the tournament. The top scorer does not have to be a striker so a number of attacking midfielders and wingers will be included on this potential list as shown below:

- Wayne Rooney: The English forward is still a young 24-year-old star player who will be the focus of Fabio Capello's attacking schemes come next summer. Rooney scored 12 goals in 30 league appearances last season for Manchester United but he has already managed seven strikers in 11 games this season in the Premiership. The young forward has scored 25 times in the 55 matches he has played for his country. His last goal came in the World Cup qualifying destruction of Croatia (5-1 home triumph) back on 9 September 2009.

- David Villa: The striker has an impressive record with both Valencia and Spain. He has found the net on 35 occasions in just 54 appearances. This implies the talented player has a better strike ratio than a goal every two games. Villa has scored a remarkable nine goals in 10 la Liga games this season. He forms a frightening partnership with fellow attacker Fernando Torres.

- Fernando Torres:The Liverpool striker does not have Villa's impressive scoring record but he is still a very dangerous man inside the box. He has netted 23 goals in 71 international appearances for Spain. His scoring tally with Liverpool is impressive as he notched 24 goals in 33 league appearances in his first season at Anfield and followed that with 14 strikes in 24 matches in the Premier League. This season Torres is amazingly on 10 goals in just 10 games.

- Didier Drogba: The Ivory Coast striker is one of the most lethal players at the international level having notched 41 goals in only 60 caps for his country. Drogba has been in great form this season for Carlo Ancelotti as he has found the back of the net nine times in 12 league appearances. Drogba is a nightmare for defenders when on form due to his strength, pace and scoring abilities.

- Luis Fabiano: His goal tally stands at 25 in the 36 times he has represented Brazil. He scored twice in the important 3-1 victory over Argentina in Rosario on September 5, 2009. Luis Fabiano was top scorer in the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 with five goals, including a double against the Unite States in the final. He has five goals to his credit this season in just seven la liga appearances.

- Lionel Messi: The talented player is considered by many as the best player in the world at the moment. He has only managed 13 strikes in 41 appearances for Argentina but he has been in stunning form for Barcelona. He led the club to a treble last season after scoring 38 goals in 51 total appearances for the club while also providing assists on 18 other goals. He had 23 goals in 31 league appearances last season and he is on course to match or even beat the impressive figure having already scored seven times in just 10 la Liga matches. Messi is a delight to watch as he takes on defenders while making it look easy.

- Kaka: The former Milan icon has scored 26 times for Brazil in 73 appearances. He was instrumental in Milan's success in Europe during the 2006-07 season as the club won the Champions League on the back of his incredible performances. He would finish top scorer in the European competition that season with 10 goals. He is now part of Real Madrid's second Los Galacticos era since the turn of the century. The talented Brazilian has only managed three goals in 10 matches in la Liga as he tries to adjust to life after Milan.

- Cristiano Ronaldo: The Portuguese missed Portugal's play-off triumph over Bosnia but he should be back for South Africa 2010 barring any injury. The current Real Madrid star has managed to find the net 22 times in 68 matches for Portugal. He has scored five goals in just five appearances for Los Blancos as he is out injured. His scoring record with Manchester United was remarkable having scored 17 goals in 34 matches in the league during the 2006-7 season and then followed it with a stunning 2007-08 season capped by his 31 goals in 34 appearances in the Premiership. In his final season with United, he scored 18 times in 33 matches in the league. He won the European Golden Shoe during the remarkable 2007-08 season as the leading scorer across all the top divisions in Europe.

- Thierry Henry: Currently the man behind the most controversial use of his hand to contribute to a goal! His handball assist to William Gallas eliminated the Irish and sent France to South Africa 2010. The striker was extremely lethal during his spell with Arsenal but his scoring tally with Barcelona is quite respectable as he managed 19 goals in 29 matches last season. He has played 117 times for France and scored 51 goals.

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The following list of elite midfield players in the world will exclude the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka since they sometimes play as forwards or as support strikers depending on the strategy deployed by their team. Kaka has previously played as a second striker during his spell with Milan while both Messi and Ronaldo have played in various attacking positions for their club (mostly on the wing though).

The list below does not comprise all of the world's best midfielders but focuses on those who have made next summer's World Cup:

Cesc Fabregas: The young Spaniard is already Arsenal's captain after being handed the armband just over a year ago and has been a menacing threat for opponents from his central midfield position. His main contributions come in the form of assists to his teammates as well as being a key participant in the build-up of most of the club's attacking moves. This season he has already scored six goals and amassed 10 assists in Arsenal's first 10 league games. Fabregas has three goals as well as three assists in five European appearances for the London side.

Daniele De Rossi: The defensive midfielder is one of the Azzurri's most important players and is one of the first names in the starting lineup under coach Marcello Lippi. With aging enforcer Gennaro Gattuso suffering from lack of form and injuries, De Rossi's role has become even more important. While statistics may not do the Roma midfielder justice, it is known that his influence for the Giallorossi and the national team is quite immense. One interesting fact is Daniele has scored eight times for Italy and his country has won all eight of those games!

Marek Hamsik: The Slovak international is a cornerstone of his club Napoli and his national team. He is renowned for his dangerous positioning and for popping up from the outside the area to score goals. Though different from England's Frank Lampard, he does share some similar traits and at the age of 22 he obviously has many years ahead to mature into one of the world's most effective and dangerous central midfielders. (Please refer to previous piece titled Best Starting 11 Today dated November 16, 2009)

Steven Gerrard: The England international has been used as a second striker and in support of striker Fernando Torres yet he features on this list because he has mostly been used in various midfield positions over his career. To most Liverpool fans, Gerrard's name should be the first on any of the team's starting 11 in official matches. The club tends to suffer and miss that extra impetus when Gerrard is not playing. Liverpool's losses often coincide with his absence through injury or suspension. Gerrard will play a key role for England under the leadership of Fabio Capello.

Xabi Alonso: The midfield general was quite influential in Liverpool's drive for the title last season. His departure to Real Madrid has led some, including Captain Gerrard, to rue his exit from Anfield and to praise his contributions to the English club. He recently scored a brace in Spain's 2-1 victory over Argentina. He is beginning to settle down for Los Galacticos will surely be decisive if the capital side are to dethrone la Liga's champions Barcelona (Please refer to the Best Starting 11 Today article for more information on Alonso).

Frank Lampard: The English midfielder has set the bar so high that critics have begun to question whether he is on a decline because he has had a slow season so far by his own high standards. Lampard will be key for Fabio Capello and his plans to lead England to the latter stages of the World Cup in South Africa. Lampard scored a brace in the 5-1 demolition of Croatia which basically sent a clear message to the rest of the world about England's intent to compete come next summer.

Honorable mention must go to both of Barcelona's midfielders Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez. Iniesta has recently recovered from injury but was quite decisive last season and Chelsea fans certainly remember his goal which sent their club packing in European competition. Iniesta must not be very popular with English fans since he went on to play an instrumental role in Barca's triumph over Manchester United in the Champions League Final as he assisted on the goal by Samuel Eto'o's.

Xavi is Iniesta's partner with the Catalan side and the national team with both being decisive in the treble achieved by Barca as well as Spain's triumph in Euro 2008. Xavi was actually named best player by UEFA during the successful campaign which yielded a precious trophy for the Spaniards during Euro 2008. Xavi and Iniesta clearly compliment each other on the club and international level. Spain will be dangerous next summer with such a skilled and decisive midfield.

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