Perhaps the most awaited sports event in world, no doubt, is the FIFA World Cup 2014. We all know very well that Football is the most popular game around the globe. We see many kids and young people kicking a football in our street grounds, stadiums and everywhere around.
Photo courtesy of: Matt Kowal
What’s hot this time?
But this time, this world championship is even more exciting and awaiting, as it is scheduled in the Home of Football, none other than Brazil. Brazil is that country which has most number of football fanatics, more than in any other country on the planet.
FIFA world cup- An account from history:
The first ever FIFA world cup was played in 1930 and the venue was Uruguay and hosts were the winners. It’s being held throughout from 1930 except for 1942 and 1946, when it was cancelled due to World War II. The last world cup was held in June- July 2010, on the soil of South Africa, which was won by Spain, defeating Netherlands 1-0 in the finals.
Brazil and the World Cup- Some pages from history
It’s the second occasion that it’s being held in Brazil after 1950’s event. The host Brazil has qualified for the event, just because of being the host nation. On five occasions, Brazil has named itself the World Champion. Last time, they won it in 2002, when tournament was held in South Korea and Japan. Captain of Brazil at that time was Cafu.
The upcoming championship- 2014
So keep fingers crossed until an opening kick is made on June 12, 2014 in Sao Paulo. Brazil, being the host, is seeded as A1, so will play the opening game. This World Cup is the 20th edition of FIFA world cup. 32 teams are divided in 8 groups, each group having 4 teams each. The tournament would continue for a month, from June 12, 2014 to July 13 2014. Final match will be played on the venue of Rio Di Janerio. The match schedule was announced on October 20, 2011 in Zurich.
Top rated teams
According to the official rankings, top 3 teams are Spain, who are the defending champions as well, Germany and Colombia, respectively on spot 1, 2 and 3. Let us discuss each of these teams individually.
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Spain:
Last time, world cup stage was set, Spain was the winner. And they have proved their consistency since then. Spanish team currently holds record of 29 consecutive wins. Their goal keeper captain Casillas has led them to some very famous victories, including Euro Cup 2008, FIFA world cup 2010 and Euro Cup 2012. Key players for Spain include Casillas, Xavier, Fabregas and Torres.
The captain, Iker Casillas has the all important position as well, the goal keeper. He is the most capped player in Spanish history and his leadership would prove very vital for the team.
Xavier is a very good mid-fielder and his performance will be crucial. And Fernando Torres, the forward player, the imperative goal scorer, would try his utmost to perform well in the tournament. Let’s see that to what extent they are able to come up to the expectations of their fans.
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Germany:
The number 2 spot is occupied by the German football team. Phillip Luhm is leading the side this time in the event. Important players’ list includes Luhm, Mertesacker and Miroslav Klose.
Philip Luhm is one of the best full back players of the game. Due to his small height, he is often called as ‘Magic dwarf’. He is right-footed but has ability to play from both sides. He has got 100 caps so far.
Klose plays on forward position, and has most number of caps in the current squad, 129. His play would matter a lot in the championship.
Mertesacker is also a full back player for the Germans, having 92 international caps, aged 28. He will lend a helping hand to his captain in defence segment of team. His role would be crucial in proceedings.
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Colombia:
Having attained the number 3 spot in the FIFA rankings for the first time in history, Colombia would be eyeing to make a substantial impact on the football world in the upcoming tournament. Key players for the team are defender Mario Yepes, striker Falcao, and mid fielder Fredy Guarin. Colombia has performed well in the Qualifiers and all the fans are anticipating their outcome in the main event.
Who will win?
It is the big question, no doubt and it’s not at all easy to answer it. But one factor makes it easy to answer it. And that factor is weather conditions. The world cup is going to be played in immense hot conditions and it will not be easy for all players to get adjusted. Here comes the advantage of home conditions. This means that Brazil has got a chance this time, to win title once again. So it can be concluded that Brazil is one of the favourite nations. Other teams, who may get a chance to win, are Spain and Germany. To know the winner, keep fingers crossed till July 13, 2014. Let us look forward to it with exciting patience.
Author Bio:
Carla Smith is working as a content researcher in a software company. She loves to write on sports, health and technology to provide updated information to her readers. In this article, she wrote about upcoming mega event of the world (Football World Cup 2014) and share her analysis about that event.