What's going on ? It's World Cup fever, a globe-spanning affliction that grips billions of soccer fans every four years.

From a starting field of nearly 200 national teams, 32 made it through the qualifying rounds to earn a berth in soccer's nirvana -- the World Cup finals in France.

With the biggest World Cup field ever, TV audiences are gigantic. The organisers estimate that two billion spectators tuned in for the opening match on June 10 to watch defending champion Brazil beat Scotland 2-1. Cumulative TV audiences could hit 40 billion for all 64 games before a champion is crowned July 12.

The financial implications are dizzying. Billions of dollars will be spent on World Cup merchandise,promotions and advertising during the month-long tournament.

Thanks to the media blitz and the world's fascination with the game, the impact of the World Cup on average people is like no other sports event: Governments and industries are idled so bureaucrats and workers can watch students skip classes or watch on TV sets brought along to classrooms by teachers cities become deserted at kickoff as fans rush inside watch broadcasts.

``Let's postpone this discussion,'' said Zurab Zhavnia, speaker of the Georgian Parliament, adjourning a debate before the opening match, when only 24 of 240 deputies still remained.

Sometimes, it seems, the World Cup overshadows the every day tribulations of modern life.

When uncertainty swept Nigeria after its military ruler Gen Sani Abacha died of a heart attack early this month, residents of Africa's most populous nation found respite from politics, economic problems and crime when the national team upset Spain 3-2.

``On a day like this, you're going to have a hardtime getting anyone to talk about politics,'' said Edet Ojo, as Nigeria's victory resonated to cheers in the streets of a crumbling Lagos neighbourhood.

In Iran, the trial of Tehran's mayor for alleged corruption had to wait until after the country's match against the United States. Iran won 2-1 last Sunday.

Matches can also trigger destructive passions. After a controversial refereeing decision resulted in a 1-1 draw between Cameroon and Chile, residents of Yaounde called it an anti-African plot and attacked businesses and vehicles owned by white expatriates. No injuries were reported.

Crime doesn't take a holiday during the World Cup. While bank employees in Santiago, Chile, watched the national team qualify for the second round, four bandits decked out in red and white national colours made off with two million pesos ($ 4,400). They showed a handgun to a teller, then escaped into huge crowds, celebrating Chile's best performance in 36 years.

To catch the action, there isn't much people won't do.Jamaicans lugged their TVs to work to watch their nation's first-ever matches in the finals. It didn't seem to matter than the Reggae Boyz got walloped 3-1 by Croatia and 5-0 by Argentina. In Norway, Ragnar Lutcherath didn't have tickets for France. So he built a wooden grandstand in his yard so he could eat hot dogs with friends, wave Norwegian flags and cheer wildly at the TV simulating a stadium experience.