No one missing: eight former World Cup Champions to play in Brazil

By Ignacio Naya (dpa)

RIO DE JANEIRO (dpa) – The list of participants in the Brazil 2014 World Cup befits a tournament that is expected to be iconic, and very different from most of its kind.

Playing a World Cup in Brazil is not like playing it anywhere else, and none of the great football countries wanted to miss the chance. Some had more trouble than others in the qualifying rounds, but the eight former champions are among the 32 teams that are set to compete in the “land of football.”

Whatever the Swedish absentee Zlatan Ibrahimovic says, the Brazilian World Cup appears like to deliver an extraordinary show.

"All world champions are set to play in Brazil. For me, it will be the toughest World Cup of all time,” retired striker Bebeto, a world champion himself with Brazil in the USA 1994, told dpa.

Together, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Germany, Italy, England, France and Spain hold the 19 World Cup titles so far, but they are not the only classic teams that are set to play the event.

Portugal needed a play-off to grab their World Cup berth, but few people doubt that, now they are in, they will be a serious contender led by FIFA World Player of the Year 2013 Cristiano Ronaldo at his best.

The Netherlands, with Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie, were one of the first teams to qualify for Brazil 2014. Coached by the experienced Louis van Gaal, they are out to shed their reputation as a loser team after playing three finals without lifting a World Cup trophy.

However, the Spain team led by Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta and Mesut Oezil’s Germany emerge as the best candidates to end Europe’s curse in the Americas: no European team has ever won a World Cup across the Atlantic.

If they manage that feat, defending champions Spain would be stretching their string of titles to incredible heights, with four back-to-back tournaments counting Euros and World Cups. More immediate precedent, however, is hardly encouraging for them, since they lost the final of last year’s Confederations Cup 3-0 to hosts Brazil.

Africa is also set to field a powerful set of teams. The Cameroon of striker Samuel Eto'o, Michael Essien’s Ghana, the Nigeria of John Obi Mikel and the Ivory Coast of Didier Drogba are all set to play in Brazil 2014, along with the always unpredictable Algeria.

Mexico went through four coaches to get there, but they are set to play Brazil in Group A. Their great regional rivals, the United States, had enough with coach Juergen Klinsmann, who faces one of the most spicy matches of the tournament’s first round when his men clash with the Germany of Joachim Loew, his former assistant when he was at the helm of the German national team.

Group G, which holds Portugal and Ghana as well as Germany and the United States, is probably the toughest of the eight. Its only challenger is Group D, which brings together three world champions - Uruguay, England and Italy – and also Costa Rica.

Australia, Japan and South Korea did not misfire in the Asian Football Confederation, while South America is set to be represented by Colombia with or without their star striker Radamel Falcao, Alexis Sanchez’s Chile and the Ecuador team led by Antonio Valencia, as well as Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.

"One thing is for sure, a World Cup without me is nothing to watch,” an annoyed Ibrahimovic said after Sweden lost their play-off.

His absence is definitely unfortunate for football fans, but Brazil has lots to offer even without the Swedish giant.

In fact, it is a “Flea” that causes the greatest concern for the hosts: Argentina’s Lionel Messi has his eyes set on the upcoming World Cup on the soil of his country’s arch-rivals and neighbours, possibly the most crucial event in his career.

"If Argentina win the title in Brazil and Leo plays well, he can run for the country’s presidency in 2015, because he would win it with an absolute majority," former Argentina physical trainer Fernando Signorini told dpa.

In Brazil, however, few people even contemplate that possibility. Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has passed on his optimism to the fans.

"Brazil are not under pressure to be the champions. They are going to be the champions," Scolari said.