Brazil
Current Fifa Ranking : 10th with 1102 points
World Cup Appearances : 1930, 1934, 1938, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010
Best Achievement : Winners in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002, Runners Up in 1950 and 1998
Head Coach : Luiz Felipe Scolari
Captain : Thiago Silva
The undisputed kings of football are back, and this time they’re competing on their own home turf. With the ever emerging Neymar and a pool of talent, the home side can seriously push towards glory and their sixth World Cup trophy. With weather conditions being on their side, they have continued on their impressive form which has seen them lift the 2013 Confederations Cup trophy.
The group stage will be no breeze, as Mandzukic’s Croatia, Chicharito’s Mexico as well as Cameroon all pose a threat which could hinder Brazil’s performance in the group stages, though on paper Brazil are strong enough to win all three matches. Scolari has also infused resilience and organisation into the squad, with his World Cup experience being a huge asset. With Fred aging and Diego Costa opting to represent Spain, one issue needing dealing with is a lack of true strikers.
Julio Cesar, currently plying his trade in the championship with QPR, is still indisputably the best current goalkeeper at Scolari’s disposal. The defence is rigid with the likes of PSG’s Thiago Silva as captain, Bayern Munich’s Dante and Chelsea’s David Luiz, who is both clumsy yet extremely industrious, with Real Madrid’s Marcelo and Barcelona’s Dani Alves on the flanks. In midfield, Brazil have the correct mixture of youth and experience. Chelsea’s Oscar and Tottenham’s Paulinho are efficient and swift midfielders who can hold their own, whilst the experience brought in by AC Milan duo Kaka and Robinho and Atletico Mineiro’s Ronaldinho could also prove decisive. Workhorses such as Bayern Munich’s Luis Gustavo and Chelsea’s Ramires will have the dirty work taken care of. The likes of Barcelona’s Neymar and Zenit St Petersburg’s Hulk are the main strikers, whilst Fluminense’s Fred and Corinthian’s Alexandre Pato both have the ability to fill in if needed.
Should their attacking prowess and team balance be in order, the hosts could easily top their group as well as advance far into the latter stages of the Cup, exceeding the semi-finals being a concrete possibility. The perfect weather conditions and roaring fans will be the cherry on the cake for the Selecao to bring in their sixth trophy to date.