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One has experimental jazz, an acclaimed symphony orchestra, and plenty of "Nederpop." The other has flamenco, zarzuela, a strong opera tradition and a cornucopia of pop and rock styes. As The Netherlands and Spain battle it out in the World Cup final on Sunday, we offer the final installment of our series on Music of the World Cup.

The circle of still-standing teams might be shrinking, but World Cup fever continues to grow. Today, we’ll hear how the soccer tournament’s influence has spread to the world of classical music.

At an international competition like the World Cup, a match between countries with strained relations can seem to be about much more than soccer. 

The World Cup is a highly musical event, full of national anthems and novelty songs. As the 2010 Cup comes to an end, WQXR presents a list of five standout pieces of classical music, all inspired by the game of soccer.

Whether you're a soccer fan or just own a TV, you're probably familiar with the sound of the vuvuzela: it's the plastic horn that thousands of spectators have been playing at the World Cup soccer games in South Africa.

Today, we kick off a five-part Friday series on how music is shaping the biggest soccer tournament on the planet. Music journalist and Soundcheck contributor Gary Burton joins us for an exploration of music from countries represented in selected matches.