A documentary project of monumental scope and importance, THE WORLD 2006 employs the commonality of soccer, the world's most popular sport, to illuminate the conflicts and opportunities that face us as we transition toward a global community. Acclaimed film-maker Michael Apted will explore seven stories from five continents, each one connected to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, all bound together by a transcendent passion for soccer.

Shot in High Definition Video by Maryse Alberti, the film will cast the drama of these moving human stories against the powerful imagery, physical beauty and blazing action of the game. Cameras will take us from the dirt pitches of Africa and street matches of South America to Europes packed stadiums, capturing the many exhilarating ways the spirit of the game touches us all.