Two football-mad friends have taken a ball halfway round the world on a trip they hope could be the World Cup's answer to the Olympic flame.

Phil Wake and Christian Wach have stopped off for impromptu matches with everyone from Tibetan monks to government ministers since setting off on their 6,000-mile overland journey in March.

Starting from Brighton, they travelled through London, Dover, Ypres, Amsterdam, Berlin, Poland, Belarus, Moscow, Tashkent, Bukhara, Samarkand and China to arrive in Seoul, South Korea, in time for the tournament.

They are now appealing to the Korean authorities for permission for a kick-about on the hallowed turf of the city's new stadium.

The idea of taking a ball across continents came as the friends bought a bottle of red wine at 1998 World Cup in France.

They agreed not to drink it until they were in the Far East for the next competition.

Phil, a 35-year-old freelance musician, said: "We thought we would take a football with us and Chris came up with the idea of it being like the Olympic torch. We both looked at each other and said, 'What a great idea!'"

Phil left his home in Sutherland Road, Brighton, on March 29.

With Christian, from London, he is staying in Korea before moving on to Japan next week.

The pair were in Busan for the France-Uruguay clash on Thursday and Cheju for Saturday's clash between Brazil and China.

Phil said: "It would be nice if the idea of the football-style torch was taken up by Fifa, football's governing body."

Staff at the British embassy in Seoul have been helping them liaise with stadium authorities for their kick-about.

Foreign Office minister Dennis MacShane met them and played a quick two-a-side game in the embassy's grounds.

The ball has even been touched by the great former French player Michel Platini.

Phil said: "We've played games everywhere along the route. We played with Tibetan monks at Xiahe in China's Lansu province.

"In Kashgar, also in China, we organised a big game after the Sunday market.

"It was held on a dry river bed with some 400 hundred spectators who watched a nine-a-side game that ended 16-15."

They have yet to decide how they will return home.

Phil said: "Flying sounds attractive but we are considering the Trans-Siberian railway."