The Netherlands (Rank 3)
The Netherlands returns to the World Cup on the back of yet another dominating qualifying campaign in which they won every game they played, conceding just twice and scoring 17 in the process. Boasting a star-studded lineup, the Dutch will be looking to finally come away with a trophy to show for their efforts, after having gone so close in previous tournaments. The Netherlands has a tendency to win games earlier in the tournament in style, but then when it comes to the do-or-die part, they will crash, as shown in their quarterfinal exit from Euro 2008 and the round of 16 match against Portgual in the 2006 edition of the World Cup. With Arjen Robben, Dirk Kuyt, and Mark van Bommel pulling the strings and shooting lights out, the Dutch should be a strong favorite for a semi-final place, if not the promised land of winning the tournament.
Arjen Robben
Denmark (Rank 34)
The Danes make a return to a big international tournament, after missing the World Cup 2006 in Germany and Euro 2008 in Austria/Switzerland. Denmark has shown that they are a very smart, capable team, after finishing ahead of favorites Sweden and Portugal in their qualifying group. Denmark has had strong showings at prior World Cups, advancing to the second round in 2002 and the quarterfinals in 1998, before losing to England and Brazil, respectively. If they want to do more of the same in South Africa, Denmark will need to rely on more of the same style of solid defense, controlled passing, and clinical shooting that got them through their qualification group at the expense of heavyweights Portugal and Sweden. Christian Poulsen, Dennis Rommedahl, Nicklas Bendtner, and Daniel Agger are the talents that have the ability to change a game in Denmark's favor, and they have a very good chance to get through this group and possibly spring a surprise once they get to the knockout rounds.
Japan (Rank 45)
Perennial Asian heavyweights Japan return for their fourth appearance at a World Cup. In 2006, Japan had a disappointing tournament, losing two and drawing one in the group stages. After reaching the second round at home in 2002, Japan would like to do the same in 2010. Finishing second to Australia in qualifying was something new for the Japanese, but perhaps a bit of competition in the Asian zone is just what Japan needs to get the extra cutting edge to advance out of their group. Japan's most well-known star is free kick specialist and midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura, who spent several seasons in Europe before heading back to Japan in the past year. Japan will have a tough time getting out of such a competitive group, similar to the strength of the group they were in in Germany. Japan will need to shore up their defense and look to the midfield to create plays that will allow them to not lose control of the game. A great result for Japan would be the second round, but it is more likely that fans will be disappointed once again.
Cameroon (Rank 20)
Cameroon is Africa's highest ranked nation, according to FIFA, and they will look to improve upon their last three outings at a World Cup, in which they failed to advance past the group stage. After starting their qualifying campaign with two straight draws, Cameroon pulled out four straight wins and finished ahead of Morocco. Star forward Samuel Eto'o will be relied upon to score the goals for Cameroon, with midfielder Alexandre Song hoping to provide the service required. The African nation will come in to the World Cup as a bit of an underdog, considering their inconsistent results over the past couple of years, but should they keep the goals out of their own net, they have a great chance at avoiding an early elimination at the group stages once again.
GROUP F
Italy (Rank 5)
Defending World Cup champions Italy are being touted as one of the favorites to win it all again, with head coach Marcello Lippi sticking around after the triumph of 2006. Italy hasn't played with the penache that they've been known for recently, but it was enough to finish top of their group with a game to spare in qualifying. Striker Alberto Gilardino will be relied upon to score goals for the Azzurri, while world-class goalkeepr Gianluigi Buffon will be tough to beat, as always. Italy definitely have the skill required to get out of their group, but many players on their squad are aging or already old, and they might not have the gas in the tank to keep up with other teams who have fresher legs. If they can rely upon experience as they did in 2006 to take up the slack, then Italy can go far again.
Alberto Gilardino
Paraguay (Rank 23)
Paraguay will have high hopes of performing the best they ever have at a World Cup, coming off of their best-ever showing in qualifying for the South America zone. Paraguay has always been known to be efficient in defense, and this year's squad is no different. What is different, is their offense, which is led by Roque Santa Cruz. Paraguay should be able to do enough to get out of their group, but it remains to be seen whether their offense can create enough chances to do more damage than just the second round.
New Zealand (Rank 79)
The Kiwis will be returning to the World Cup after 28 years in the wilderness, following their spectacular playoff series win over Bahrain. Though they say they aren't there to just make up the numbers, the odds don't look good for this tradtionally rugby-mad country. Captain Ryan Nelsen will be relied upon for his experience and consistency in defense, but the truth is, New Zealand simply lacks the firepower up front or creativity in the midfield to truly compete at this World Cup.
Slovakia (Rank 33)
Surprise qualifiers Slovakia will be making their first ever appearance at a FIFA World Cup. Slovakia finished top of their group ahead of Slovenia after defeating Poland 1-0 away on the last matchday. While not as star-filled as Italy or Denmark, Slovenia have some aces up their sleeves in Martin Skrtel and Stanislav Sestak. Their opponents in qualifying underestimated them, and it's likely that the same could happen in South Africa. However, Slovakia hasn't been at this stage of football before, and their lack of experience may hinder them. It could come down to a battle with Paraguay over who will finish behind Italy and advance to the next round.
GROUP G
Brazil (Rank 2)
You can't talk about World Cup contenders without talking about Brazil, too. The five-time champions are once again heavily favored to add to their trophy cabinet in South Africa. Brazil finished top of the South American qualifiers, but some early setbacks incensed the fans and put pressure on inexperienced coach Dunga. Brazil has such a deep roster that they could even possibly field a second team and win the whole thing. Recent international triumphs, like winning the 2007 Copa America and the 2009 Confederations Cup will give Brazil the confidence they need to avenge the quarterfinal defeat to France they suffered in 2006. The South American heavyweights will be hoping that the pressure to win doesn't get to them, and if they don't have any mishaps, they should be considered a lock-in for the semifinals, if not the finals themselves.
Can Brazil win another World Cup?
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Rank 105)
After spending more than 30 years in the wilderness, North Korea makes a surprising return to football's largest tournament. Getting there wasn't easy: starting from the very first hurdle of qualifying, the North Koreans had to endure 20 months and 16 games before finishing second behind their brethren, South Korea. North Korea's best result at a World Cup came in 1966, when they defeated Italy 1-0 before losing to Portugal in the quarterfinals. Don't expect such magical results this time, as the Koreans find themselves in a veritable group of death, with Brazil, Portugal, and Côte d'Ivoire competing for the top two spots. They may be able to spring a surprise draw, but that's about all you can expect to see from North Korea at this year's edition of the World Cup.
Côte d'Ivoire (Rank 25)
The Ivory Coast is seen by many as Africa's best chance at winning a first World Cup. Boasting star players Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou on offense, as well as Yaya Toure and Emmanuel Eboue on defense, the Africans are well-suited to go far in the tournament. Unfortunately, they were drawn in one of the hardest groups of the tournament, after a similar experience in Germany in 2006, where they exited early after 1-goal losses to the Netherlands and Argentina. The Ivorians will hope to learn from that experience, and if they can manage to get out of this tough group, they have a great chance at advancing far in the tournament.
Didier Drogba
Portgual (Rank 4)
Portugal will be looking to add to previous good showings at tournaments, but hopefully this time going a bit farther. A disappointing start to qualifying had Portugal on the cusp of being eliminated, but they turned it around for the second string of matches and managed a 2-0 aggregate win over Bosnia-Herzogovina to qualify for South Africa. All eyes will be on Cristiano Ronaldo, as his dazzling skills and spectacular goals are well-known. Portugal will have their hands full in Group G, however, and they will have to play much better than they did in qualifying, or there will be yet more disappointment and another 4 year wait for silverware.
Group H
Spain (Rank 1)
There hasn't been a better team in the world in the past 2 years than Spain. The Spanish kept rolling from the highs of winning Euro 2008 through World Cup qualifying, winning all 8 games they played. Spain has world-class players at virtuall every position, with Iker Casillas in goal, Xavi Hernandez in midfield, and Fernando Torres and David Villa at forward. Spain has gotten over their traditional disappointing performances at big tournaments after winning Euro 2008, and they look to have gotten the right mix of experience and desire to go all the way in 2010. They are one of the main favorites to win the tournament, and any team they face will have a tough time handling them.
Fernando Torres
Switzerland (Rank 20)
After making it to the round of 16 in Germany, the Swiss are returning and hoping for more in 2010. They almost didn't make it, after drawing to Israel and losing to minnows Luxembourg in the first two games of qualifying. However, the Swiss turned it around, with 5 wins on the trot to seal top spot ahead of the Greeks and qualify for South Africa. Striker Alexander Frei is the star player and captain for Switzerland, and they will have to rely on him to score goals, as their defense and midfield are strong enough to keep out the goals. If Switzerland can solve their offensive problems, they have a good chance at advancing out of this group and possibly going farther in the tournament.
Honduras (Rank 36)
Honduras makes a triumphant return for the second World Cup finals after missing out for over 28 years. If it hadn't been for a last-gasp equalizer by the Americans against Costa Rica, the Central Americans wouldn't be making this historic trip. Forwards Carlos Pavon and David Suazo are the main attacking threats for Honduras, with a strong defense rounding out the back. However, a lack of depth may be Honduras' undoing, as they'll face stiffer competition than they're used to. Their fans would like to argue differently, but Honduras will have too much of a hill to climb to get out of this group in June.
Chile (Rank 13)
Chile will be making a return to the World Cup after 12 years of being away. Boasting the youngest squad in South America, Chile finished only a point behind traditional heavyweights Brazil in qualifying, and their fans will be hoping to have more of the same cutting edge in South Africa. Chile's offense is not to be underestimated, as they scored 32 goals in helping to gain 10 wins, more than any other country in qualifying. The South Americans have the grit and resolve, as well as the offense needed to get the job done, Chile will be hoping to make up for lost time and should battle Switzerland for second spot in Group H.
Contenders: Brazil, Spain, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Argentina
Pretenders: Italy, Portugal, Côte d'Ivoire
Dark Horses: Australia, Serbia, Chile, United States
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