Five Australians will attempt to break a Guinness World Record by watching television continuously for more than 86 hours during the 2010 World Cup.

The soccer fanatics will embark on the marathon viewing session at 3pm (AEST) on Sunday in Sydney, and hope to stay awake until at least 5am on Thursday.

Should they manage it, their efforts will be written into history as the new record holders, snatching the title from couch potato Efraim van Oeveren of The Netherlands who watched telly for 86 hours straight in 2009.

Challengers Hiba Ayache, Tim Chan, sisters Joanne and Alanah Argyrou, and Joel Martinot will plant their bums in armchairs in a World Cup viewing room at Star City Casino, where they will be allowed one five-minute break every hour during the uninterrupted epic.

In between the World Cup's live games, they'll have the choice of watching recorded matches and soccer documentaries.

A team of officials will monitor the five to ensure they comply with the rules, which stipulate they can't take their eyes off the screen for longer than five seconds.

Joanne Argyrou, 22, of Sydney, believes she'll last the distance, taking inspiration from her Socceroo heroes.

"It will be an easy task for me because I love watching soccer anyway," she told AAP.

"I've never tried to stay awake for that long ... but I am going to try."

The university student, who is rooting for Australia, said her game plan is to stay hydrated and active.

"I will try to keep moving, because I don't want to stay still and get tired," she said, adding that stimulant drinks such as RedBull aren't allowed.

There's even a coffee limit of five cups per day.

Regardless of whether she breaks the record, Ms Argyrou, who has played soccer for 12 years and says she "lives and breathes" the sport, hopes her attempt won't go unnoticed.

"I want to show that us girls also love the sport and we can be fanatics too," she said.

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