There’s only one football topic that’s been whipping the web into a frenzy this week – the World Cup. With the draw taking place later today, everyone has started to focus on next year’s tournament, considering what could be the ‘group of death’ and staging their own versions of the draw. Football On The Wire have done their own draw, and here at Umbro we also staged our own, lo-fi version last night, which we should have up on the blog later today.

The official World Cup song has been announced this week as well, a track called Wavin’ Flag by Somali-Canadian rapper K’Naan. You can check out a video of the catchy if unspectacular song over here at Kwaitoball, a new World Cup-specific blog from the people behind Two Footed Tackle. The guys there have also suggested their own alternative World Cup anthem, Umdlwembe by Zola, as have the people behind Football And Music, so we thought we’d throw another South African act into the mix – check out Lakeside by BLK JKS for a taste of the real Johannesburg.

Two bits of World Cup news also reached Umbro this week that we found alternatively exciting and….interesting. The best news we heard this morning was that Baddiel & Skinner will be reprising their double act for the World Cup, hosting a series of podcasts and live shows throughout the tournament next summer. The more interesting news is that next year’s events will be available to watch in 3D. Gizmodo reports that Sony will be filming 25 matches using 3D cameras in South Africa, which will be screened in select cinemas around the world. It certainly brings new meaning to the phrase ‘getting close to the action…’

Of course, once the draw has been made, all talk will be about the teams to watch and the tactics that will shape 2010′s tournament. Jonathan Wilson is the man in the know when it comes to football tactics – he’s written a book on the subject – and his article here on The Guardian’s website about the way Fabio Capello has turned a potential weakness into an advantage for England is an illuminating read.

Obviously Umbro has changed a lot over the last year or so, with the work we’ve done on the latest England shirt and the whole Tailored By England concept being a great example of what we’re hoping to do in the future. For more of an insight into what we’re planning to do, Marketing Week have conducted an interesting interview with our Chief Marketing Officer, which you can read here.

Finally, a quick note about that picture at the top. It’s the winning design from a competition Umbro hosted for young Manchester City fans to design a kit for their club, with the prize of being the mascot for tomorrow’s game against Chelsea. Congratulations to 7 year-old Ethan Hodge, who’s design is pictured above, and who will lead out City tomorrow. We’ll have more of the designs up on the blog tomorrow ahead of the match.