Tonight, the U.S. men’s national soccer team kicks off its first game of the 2006 World Cup.

Most of the world – and certainly residents of most of the 32 countries competing – is caught up in World Cup fever. Surveys have shown that soccer is the favorite sport internationally.

But if you’re like many Americans and either don’t pay attention to soccer or, up until this point, didn’t care, it’s not too late. Here are some facts to help you jump on the soccer bandwagon.

Sitting poolside

Thirty-two teams have qualified for this year’s World Cup.

Each team plays three pool games, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to a single-elimination round.

The finals will be played July 9 in Berlin.

What are the chances?

According to international rankings system, the U.S. national team is fifth in the world.

That may be the case based on statistics, but most experts don’t consider the United States really to be among the top five best teams in the tournament.

According to www.online-betting-guide.co.uk, the chances of the United States winning are 101 to 1, or 16th best in the 32-team tournament.

Names to know

United States midfielder Ben Olsen heads the ball during the U.S. men's national soccer team's training session June 3 in Hamburg, Germany.

If you only know two names in soccer, learn these.

The king of soccer is Pele, a Brazilian who won his first World Cup at age 17 in 1958. He played on three more Brazilian World Cup teams, two of which were victories.

¢ ow 65, the one-name sensation is a bit of a recluse. However, he’s organized a temporary museum in Berlin during the World Cup featuring mementos of his life.

The other name is David Beckham, a British pretty-boy who is probably the most famous player currently in the sport. Beckham now plays for Real Madrid in Spain. He’s married to Victoria Beckham, formerly known as Posh Spice of the Spice Girls.

Soccer or football?

Most of the world calls the sport played in the World Cup “football.” Americans, for reasons somewhat difficult to explain, call it “soccer.”

Meanwhile, the sport Americans call football – the one with helmets and the Super Bowl – is called “American football” by people in other countries.

U.S. stars on the field

Among the must-know players on this year’s U.S. World Cup Squad:

¢ Landon Donovan, a forward who has been the United States’ top scorer for the past three years.

¢ Kasey Keller, veteran goalkeeper who was first on a World Cup squad in 1990.

¢ Eddie Johnson, a quick and explosive forward (and Kansas City Wizards player) who could be one of the top goal scorers for the U.S. team.

Soccer cinema

Basketball has “Hoosiers.” Football has “Rudy.” Baseball has, well, a ton of movies.

Soccer has “Soccer Dog: The Movie.”

'Bend It Like Beckham'

If you’re looking for a definitive soccer movie, you might be disappointed. You might try “Shaolin Soccer” or “Bend It Like Beckham,” but there’s no clear front-runner.

There’s also “Footballers Wive$,” a BBC show about – you guessed it – soccer players’ wives.

Where are your allegiances?

According to an online survey by CupidBay.com, a dating Web site, four in six men said they were more likely to remain faithful to their favorite soccer team than their partner.

Also, the survey found:

¢ 69 percent of men sobbed and celebrated more with soccer than in their relationship with their partner.

¢ 62 percent of men found it easier to show their emotions through soccer.

¢ 46 percent of men said personally scoring the winning goal in this year’s World Cup finals was better than winning the lottery or sex with their dream woman.

Take heart, ladies. Another survey, conducted by Braun, showed male soccer fans are willing to make sacrifices themselves for their sport. Ten percent of male soccer fans who responded said they would give an internal organ to receive World Cup tickets.