In case you're new to the soccer scene but eager to check out the craziness of the World Cup -- 46.4 percent of the globe's population watched the 2010 tournament in South Africa -- here are some interesting numbers. These will help get you up to speed, and perhaps you can even impress some of your soccer-obsessed friends with a cool fact or two.

Such as: Each of the 32 teams competing gets at least $8 million just for showing up, and the winning nation receives $35 million. Sure, there is plenty of patriotism at the World Cup, but don't let that obscure the commercial enterprise.

For more stats, numbers and historical background, check out this short but informative clip from Bloomberg.

The United States opens the tournament in what many people call "The Group of Death" with Germany, Portugal and Ghana. If you're unfamiliar with the U.S. team, here's a quick overview from captain Clint Dempsey.