Joe Bernstein on the lighter side of the World Cup, revealing which former England star is broadcasting to TV audiences of 100million

STEVENS PULLS IN THE CROWDS

Gary Lineker has won high praise for his World Cup presentation on BBC TV but his audience figures pale into comparison with one of his former England team-mates. While Linker and the Beeb pulled in nearly 20million viewers for the Brazil match, ex-Spurs star Gary Stevens - a member of the England 1986 World Cup squad - has been doing pundit work for Taj TV in Dubai, which broadcasts live games to India, Pakistan and the Asian sub-continent. Their audience for the England-Brazil game, presented by ex-Channel 5 frontman Lee Wellings? A cool 100million.

GERMAN SENSE OF HUMOUR

It isn't only the English tabloids that like to add colour to a World Cup occasion. On the morning of Germany's quarter-final with USA, their press dressed manager Rudi Voller up as Uncle Sam pointing out with the headline "Friend, go home". They got their wish although the Americans were deemed very unlucky to lose 1-0.

US CAN'T KEEP THEIR NEW STAR DONOVAN

Landon Donovan has become the first genuine soccer star in the USA since Alexi Lalas, getting on the cover of top magazine Sports Illustrated - a position normally reserved for basketball or NFL stars. Unfortunately for the Americans, they might not see too much more of the 20-year-old winger who has lit up this World Cup. Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen hold his registration. In the last couple of years they have loaned him back to the MLS but American team spokesman Jim Moorhouse said: "Not surprisingly, Leverkusen want to take him back now."

SINCLAIR'S RAGS TO RICHES

It has taken Trevor Sinclair almost a decade to become an overnight sensation. Sinclair has enjoyed a tremendous World Cup at the age of 29, just seven months after making his England debut. Former England captain Gerry Francis spotted his potential way back in 1993 when he bought him for QPR. "At that stage, I thought he would be a cheap replacement for Andy Sinton, who had moved onto Sheffield Wednesday," recalls Francis. Which just goes to show, from humble beginnings...

SUMO APPLAUDS THE BEAUTIFUL GAME

You know football has taken a foothold in Japan when stars of their national sport, Sumo, queue up to praise the World Cup. Shuhei Mainoumi, one of Japan's best-loved wrestlers says he has been addicted. "I wasn't interested in football before. Now I am really hooked," he says. "The mental preparation is similar to sumo wrestling ; you have to be positive. In football you are always attacking the goal, in sumo you are trying to push your opponent out of the ring."