What is on paper a strong team could end up being a weak one when tested by a tricky opponent. How the players gel and work together, how effective the coach is in bringing the best out of players, the strength of the defensive line and often the rise of  a relative unknown to help carry the team can all influence who ends up winning. Other factors which must be considered include the lack of key injuries and having some luck in order for a team to advance far in this highly anticipated tournament.

Luck does not necessarily imply winning the whole tournament due to fortunate circumstances but as often the case some tough teams get eliminated on a particular nation’s side of the draw which can pave the way for that specific country to advance further in the tournament. Other lucky incidents can come in the shape of referee calls such as penalties given,  a red-card missed or overlooked, the woodwork coming to the rescue on more than one occasion or even scoring against the run of play.

In 2006 Italy was not expected to win but with a strong defensive unit, a great goalkeeper, a clever coach, some luck and the team working together as one cohesive unit the Azzurri were able to triumph in Berlin. If the World Cup started today, then Brazil would be one of the main picks because of the talented players who can change the course of a match in a single move or a split-second. The Brazilians have talent all over the pitch.

Other contenders would include Argentina largely due to the presence of one of the most gifted players of his generation who happens to be Lionel Messi. He is simply a genius and while he does not perform as well with the national team, Messi can still turnaround matches with one creative move. The main reason the Argentines have not been performing up to their potential is a result of having Diego  Maradona as the national team coach. Maradona was a great player but he is simply out of depth in terms of managing a talented country and his  inexperience shows whenever his players step on the pitch. He is an incapable coach who must rely on Messi to change games by himself if Argentina has any chance of advancing through the tournament. Maradona ought to surround Messi with the right players because it is a shame to see such a  talent go to waste on the international stage.

It could be argued Messi is even a better player at this stage of his career than Maradona was. Again the stress is on comparing the two talented players at the same age and period of their career. At 22-years-old Messi has accomplished more than Maradona and if he can lead Argentina to a World Cup triumph then few can doubt Messi has the better record as a player and whether he is the more talented of the two legends.

Another dangerous team would be England because of Manager Fabio Capello and what he brings to the table.  Capello is a great and highly skilled Manager when it comes to motivating players, creating harmony, suppressing egos, building team spirit and exploiting weaknesses in other teams. The main issue at this point is the injury crisis which has affected the national team in recent weeks. Ashley Cole and David Beckham will miss out unless left-back Cole makes a late comeback while others such as Rio Ferdinand have spent most of the season injured or recovering from an injury.

One other factor which could cause distraction is the behaviour of certain players with John Terry on top of the list of players being carefully followed due to his much-publicised affair. The media is now trying to keep an eye on his actions and any simple mistake made by Terry will be aggressively covered by the British Press.  To their advantage the English have Wayne Rooney to rely on and at this stage of the season the striker can do no wrong as he continues to score at a torrid pace.

The Spanairds cannot be underestimated because by winning Euro 2008 they showed they deserve to be respected. The Spaniards have Fernando Torres and David Villa as well as Cesc Fabregas, Xabi Alonso, Carles Puyol, Iker Casillas and David Silva. Those are all talented and experienced players. In addition, who can forget the midfield duo of Xavi and Andres Iniesta who often pull the strings for the might Barcelona? Barca does depend on Messi but he is surrounded by great players and some of them hail from Spain as evidened by a few of the names mentioned above.

The Azzurri have the smallest chance from amongst the favourites because of the struggles faced by Juventus this season, the aging of the team and the fact three key players are no longer as effective: Fabio Cannavaro, Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo. Gattuso is actually spending considerable time on the Milan bench while Cannavaro has been one of the weak links in Juve’s defensive line this season. Only Giorgio Chiellini is to be given credit in the Juve and Azzurri back-line.

Anything can happen though and World Champions usually do not give up easily. The onus will be on having a healthy Gianluigi Buffon who is as good as anyone in goal when healthy enough but once again Cannavaro is too old and slow to compete over a month even if Marcello Lippi says it is only four weeks and not a season. This is a shocking excuse from a coach of Lippi’s stature who is now resorting to various forms of alibis to justify his choices. This shows the extent of the pressure on his shoulders and this could easily backfire as Lippi was one of the main architects of the Azzurri triumph in Germany 2006.

Finally, France cannot and will not win when one considers the national team is coached by someone like Raymond Domenech who is still clinging to the job despite his obvious ineptitude. As for the Germans, they are rarely the type of team which is flashy but they tend to play solid football during the World Cup as shown in the 2002 and 2006 editions. Their strength is in the group and the effort, hard-work and commitment displayed by the players who often rely on their physical prowess and methodical approach to win matches. Perhaps waiting till end of May will give a better idea as to the teams which can be considered as the clear favourites but at this stage it would be a surprise if any other team can be regarded as a serious contender.

The following list of elite midfield players in the world will exclude the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka since they sometimes play as forwards or as support strikers depending on the strategy deployed by their team. Kaka has previously played as a second striker during his spell with Milan while both Messi and Ronaldo have played in various attacking positions for their club (mostly on the wing though).

The list below does not comprise all of the world’s best midfielders but focuses on those who have made next summer’s World Cup:

Cesc Fabregas: The young Spaniard is already Arsenal’s captain after being handed the armband just over a year ago and has been a menacing threat for opponents from his central midfield position. His main contributions come in the form of assists to his teammates as well as being a key participant in the build-up of most of the club’s attacking moves. This season he has already scored six goals and amassed 10 assists in Arsenal’s first 10 league games. Fabregas has three goals as well as three assists in five European appearances for the London side.

Daniele De Rossi: The defensive midfielder is one of the Azzurri’s most important players and is one of the first names in the starting lineup under coach Marcello Lippi. With aging enforcer Gennaro Gattuso suffering from lack of form and injuries, De Rossi’s role has become even more important. While statistics may not do the Roma midfielder justice, it is known that his influence for the Giallorossi and the national team is quite immense. One interesting fact is Daniele has scored eight times for Italy and his country has won all eight of those games!

Marek Hamsik: The Slovak international is a cornerstone of his club Napoli and his national team. He is renowned for his dangerous positioning and for popping up from the outside the area to score goals. Though different from England’s Frank Lampard, he does share some similar traits and at the age of 22 he obviously has many years ahead to mature into one of the world’s most effective and dangerous central midfielders. (Please refer to previous piece titled Best Starting 11 Today dated November 16, 2009)

Steven Gerrard: The England international has been used as a second striker and in support of striker Fernando Torres yet he features on this list because he has mostly been used in various midfield positions over his career. To most Liverpool fans, Gerrard’s name should be the first on any of the team’s starting 11 in official matches. The club tends to suffer and miss that extra impetus when Gerrard is not playing. Liverpool’s losses often coincide with his absence through injury or suspension. Gerrard will play a key role for England under the leadership of Fabio Capello.

Xabi Alonso: The midfield general was quite influential in Liverpool’s drive for the title last season. His departure to Real Madrid has led some, including Captain Gerrard, to rue his exit from Anfield and to praise his contributions to the English club. He recently scored a brace in Spain’s 2-1 victory over Argentina. He is beginning to settle down for Los Galacticos will surely be decisive if the capital side are to dethrone la Liga’s champions Barcelona (Please refer to the Best Starting 11 Today article for more information on Alonso).

Frank Lampard: The English midfielder has set the bar so high that critics have begun to question whether he is on a decline because he has had a slow season so far by his own high standards. Lampard will be key for Fabio Capello and his plans to lead England to the latter stages of the World Cup in South Africa. Lampard scored a brace in the 5-1 demolition of Croatia which basically sent a clear message to the rest of the world about England’s intent to compete come next summer.

Honorable mention must go to both of Barcelona’s midfielders Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez. Iniesta has recently recovered from injury but was quite decisive last season and Chelsea fans certainly remember his goal which sent their club packing in European competition. Iniesta must not be very popular with English fans since he went on to play an instrumental role in Barca’s triumph over Manchester United in the Champions League Final as he assisted on the goal by Samuel Eto’o's.

Xavi is Iniesta’s partner with the Catalan side and the national team with both being decisive in the treble achieved by Barca as well as Spain’s triumph in Euro 2008. Xavi was actually named best player by UEFA during the successful campaign which yielded a precious trophy for the Spaniards during Euro 2008. Xavi and Iniesta clearly compliment each other on the club and international level. Spain will be dangerous next summer with such a skilled and decisive midfield.