Most of the heavy favourites have already qualified for the World Cup due next summer in South Africa. Previous World Cup winners such as Brazil, Germany, England, Argentina and Italy (also current WC Winners) all booked their spot in South Africa following a long and arduous road. Some teams such as Argentina have struggled while others such as England have cruised, yet the World Cup stage is a different playing field and previous results will not count. The only two teams with an outside chance that have yet to qualify are France and Portugal while the Spaniards have impressed in their group following their 2008 triumph in Europe.
Spain cannot be overlooked due to its rich talent, in particular the likes of David Villa, Xavi Herndandez and Fernando Torres among others. Other than Spain, the English national team under Italian Coach Fabio Capello had an impressive tally of points after convincingly navigating the qualifying group stage. Capello can count on the likes of Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, and Steven Gerrard to carry England all the way into the final stages.
The Brazilians and the Germans as well as the Italians often perform their best when it matters most. Brazil has a plethora of talent beginning with current Real Madrid star Kaka and stretching to right-back Maicon who plays for Inter Milan. The Italians are current World Cup holders so there will be additional pressure on the Azzurri to perform following a relatively uninspiring qualifying campaign. It will be wrong to undermine Italy’s chances when considering that Gianluigi Buffon is recapturing his best form which had him labeled as the best custodian in the world while Daniele De Rossi remains a considerable driving force in the midfield engine room.
While Argentina had a horrendous sequence of results before securing qualification in the very last match, it is not wise to exclude the Argentines from the list of potential winners though Diego Maradona as a coach has shown over and again that he not only lacks the know-how but also is clueless when it comes to strategies, team selection and tactics. After all, Argentina still has Lionel Messi though he continues to underperform when compared to his exploits with Barcelona.
Will one of the traditional powers (i.e. Brazil, Germany or Italy) or will an emerging nation (Spain and England) or a new rising team (Ivory Coast) triumph in South Africa? For the record no European team has ever won outside Europe and the trend could very well continue if Brazil performs up to expectations or perhaps a surprising African package rises to the occasions just as the South Koreans did in Asia 2002 when they made it to the semi-finals.
{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
i think argentina will be the winner for the 2010 world cup. that team is the best and always will be
this is my prediction, off course we can only predict, tournament is no friendly nor qualifier… one bad result and you’re out
First, Brazil and Germany has the best chance based from the qualifier, confederation and european cup performance, Spain too but they never reach the final at world cup, only 1 time they’ve reached semi and remember in 2002? they had 6-0 victory and still went out at group stage. Holland elimination by Russia in Euro is another proof why we shouldnt predict a result just from previous match performance, in knock out stage you’re losing 0-1, you’re out.
Italy with the 2006 squad has getting much older, and there’s no promosing youngster that could produce magical moment. Argentina has been struggling but they managed to beat Uruguay at Montevideo for the first time in 33 years, this proof what? no, they havent found their beautiful football back but it shows you how a team with small chance of winning above the paper still able to turn everything around. Argentina will no fav this time which would be an adventage for them.
To me Brazil most likely to take this one, since no European team ever win world cup outside Europe, if there’s any surprise, it would be Argentina emerge as a winner which is not impossible.Keep in mind Brazil 2002 and Argentina 1986 were both struggling at qualifier.
England? well it’s England, what ’s their best opponent in qualifier? can they beat Brazil, Spain, Germany? or even Portugal and France if these team qualify? hmm, you guess… England only reached the final once at homesoil and just that.
In Euro? even worst. So the winner to me would be Brazil or Argentina
its just a question lol, u didnt need to write a essay bout it for god sakes !
I think the climate will be fine for the European teams this time around, so the Rest of the World might lose their ‘home’ advantage there. England have made the semis twice too, don’t forget, which is no mean achievement, and it only says how high the expectations of England are that they are seen as underachievers. Uruguay have won it twice, but don’t face the same level of expectation. I don’t think Argentina are contenders under Maradona, unfortunately, whilst Chile may be the dark horse from that continent. I like their attacking play, and their unique 3-1-3-3 formation. The USA overachieved at the Confederations Cup, and I don’t like the paranoid and Europhobic attitude of many of their supporter’s blogs, so I hope they bomb! France and Italy are dying teams, although Benzema and Bassano (if called up) may offer some hope for them. Germany’s record can’t be ignored.
Spain and Brazil are clear favourites. The sheer talent at their disposal, and a number of incredible performances have confirmed this. Personally I favour Brazil, because of their strength in depth. It doesn’t really matter if any Brazil player gets injured, except perhaps Julio Cesar, since the replacement is likely to be just as good. I like Nilmar and I think Adriano will be back to his best by the summer.
But who knows – maybe Didier Drogba’s Cote D’Ivoire will steal it.
OK maybe I’m being a little unfair to the USA!
yes, Italy and Brazil were medicore in 2002 & 2006 qualifier but once in the world cup, it’s different story
Nobody think Italy was going to win 2006 world cup, they have internal problem with the serie A scandal and they’re not spectacular or anything in qualifier
Brazil won copa in 2004 and also confederation in 2005, they finished first in 2006 qualifier too, same achievement as today… but they’re not even in semi final, with Ronaldo, Kaka, Ronaldinho, Adriano, Robinho, Roberto carlos, they only managed to get one shot on goal against France.
So while they’re clear fav and most likely to win above the paper, there’s still going to be a surprise, I think one of African team will make it to semi final but the final would be Brazil, Germany, Italy or Spain… outside bet would be Argentina, because we all know past history often played part in world cup run.
Spain hands down! No1 plays like SPAIN right now…u people are blind! BEST FORWARDS, BEST MIDFIELDERS, PROBABLY BEST DEFENSE RIGHT NOW AND OBVIOUSLY THE BEST GOAL KEEPER…BRAZIL IS THE ONLY 1 THAT CAN STOP SPAIN…
and the U.S. lmao
i agree unless argintina gets a new coach or englands plays like a team for once spain or brazil will win
i have to admit it was a good article.
From my point of wiev, Holland will win the world cup 2010, because it has young and good players. I remember well that Holland lost for Russia in Eurro cup 2008 and I am sure they will not repeat the preious mistake in world cup 2010.Accually in Eurro cup Holland played very well from begging and specailly against Russia and it was the bad chance for Holland to lost for Russia.
Thanks
italy spain, brazil, france,
Argentina has a good chance of winning, and I think theyre the top contenders to win this year, because since world cup began the winners were in a pattern : europe- south america-europe-south america, and since Brazil won for south america the last two times. Argentina will triumph.
England are over-rated, Spain have a bad world cup final record. Brazil and Argentina would start joint favourites for me, with Italy, Germany and Holland close behind. My prediction – ARGENTINA, Maradonna is born lucky and will lead them to the 2010 world cup even though he has no managerial idea!
Argentina @ 9/1 is a must bet, England 6/1 – WHAT A JOKE, ARE THE BOOKIES MAD ? How can England be third favourites, we won`t get past second round – no chance.
Hello Tim,
It’s hard to predict at this stage with so much time left till the World Cup (injuries, suspensions and other factors can play a decisive role). At this point, Argentina’s track record under Maradona does not bode well for the Latin American side. He just does not have the managerial skills and certainly does not seem to get the best out of his players. More significantly, he is not getting Leo Messi to play at a high level to contribute to winning in South Africa 2010.
I think the Argentinian are playing dumb. waiting to get in WC2010 and show that what they can do. To see Messi and other playing as worst that I ever saw and barely made it has to be a trick.
Of course, the winner of world cup 2010 will be eeeeeeeggggggggggggggggggggggyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyppppppppppppppppppppppppppptttttttttttttttttttttttt.
Go egypt, go egypt goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
You are the winner of WC 2010.
For the past 35 yrs, Argentina has produced some of the best futbol talent the world has ever seen, even greater than Brazil. They have won a record 6 Under 20 world titles, 2 World Cups, 2 Olympic titles, and several Copa Americas etc…
The main problem, as everyone knows, is that as soon as these great players are old enough to make it big in Argentine clubs they are bought up by mostly European clubs etc…If these guys would stay in Argentina and playes out their carreers there, Argentina may have won another 1-2 World Cups in my opinion.
The other and most current headache for Argentina is the coaching. I hate to say this but Maradona was one of the best players to ever touch a futbol, but he should’ve never been selected to coach Argentina. Unfortunately, Argentina will probably not make the finals if they do not change coaches right now. I would select Bilardo or better yet “el pelado” Bianchi, at least those guys know what they’re doing as far as tactics go.
I would also call up Riquelme and npw you have a team that may have a chance to win it all in South Africa.
Guillermo,
I agree with you about Maradona and his lack of managerial skills. Argentina may have the best record in the World U-20 titles but what really matters is the World Cup. Brazil faces the same issues as most of the Brazilian players tend to move to Europe once they flourish. The key is Argentina does indeed have some of the most talented players to ever play the game but temperament and mentality remain an issue as they seem to often lack discipline. Currently, Messi is the best player in the world and he has talent around him, so let us see what happens in South Africa 2010.
Rami…. My opinion is the the World Cup is not the only tournament that matters, and according to FIFA, the Confederations Cup and the Olympics are the other two that with the WC are considered to be the three most important men’s intercontinental futbol championships today, and only France and Argentina have one all three. Argentina and Uruguay share the most international titles won by a National futbol team, with 19 titles.
In fact, aside from the WC, Argentina has twice as many titles (National team and Club) compared to Brazil.
As far as the temperament etc…issues by Argentina players, I agree, but these issues are not only seen in Argentinian players but players from all over the world that are playing at this level. Besides, Argentina would not and could not have won that many titles w/o having a well diciplined team at that time.
The bottom line is that I would love to see a coaching change for Argentina, call for Riquelme et all back on the team, hope that Argentina and Brazil meet in the finals, and may the best team win.
Hi again Guillermo,
Well debated but I still believe World Cup is what matters and I think the majority of the people in the world think so as well. For me, the Olympics are like the French Cup or Coppa Italia. Yes, a medal is won but not as significant as winning Ligue 1 or Serie A. As for Confederations Cup it is like Copa del Rey, it is fine but it is not la Liga! These comparisons are perhaps not the best to use but the ones I can think of now. The World Cup triumphs are the only wons which allow a national team to stitch an extra star for every tournament won and it is by far the world’s greatest sporting event (perhaps even greatest non-sporting event).
I actually have been a big fan of Argentina for decades and I think the three best players to grace world football since 1980s are Maradona, Zidane, Paolo Maldini (in his position) and Messi.
Just one thing to add:
In 1986, Argentina had Maradona at his best (excluding the Hand of God) what this player did has yet to be repeated (his goals against Belgium and Argentina are simply amazing!).
You are right about Argentina always having talented players but the difference is the team often disappoints in big tournaments as seen in 1994, 1998, 2006….
Rami…I appreciate you being a long time fan of Argentina, epecially for an old gaucho like me. Anyway, although I understand and somewhat agree with your position that the WC is the only FIFA futbol championship that matters, in my opinion, I still do not agree and here’s partly why:
1. The WC was not a worldwide championship until more recent cups. Ever since the first cup final in 1930 between Argentina and Uruguay, it was mainly a battle between South American and European National teams, whereas the Olympics (for example) have been a world wide stage since their inception, and so has the Confederations Cup. Now, I do not believe that these other World titles are better than the WC, just that they are very important and they really do matter, to the whole world now.
It’s kind of like winning a Grand Slam in Golf or Tennis, which are not equivalent to futbol, but you see what I mean.
2. FIFA world futbol ranking, although not perfect by any means yet, has been known to place teams that have even recently won a WC for example, in second or even third position etc…this is because their overall performance in other International and Continental championships was not that great heading into the WC.
Italy is a great example, I think they were very lucky to win the 2006 WC, in fact, if Argentina would’ve beat Germany (I do not want to go there at the moment), Argentina may have gone all the way. Don’t get me wrong, I think Italian futbol is one of the best in the world, but not in 2006.
3. So the bottom line for me, and I have played, starting in Argentina in 1957 until 1985 in the US, coached in the US since 1975 to 1995, and also listened to and/or have watched WC, Copa Americas, Intercomntinental Club Championships, you name it…since the 50s…The WC is the ultimate futbol tournament, but it is not the only Chamionship that matters.
Vamos muchachos, vamos Argentina !!!
Rami…You probably already know this but just FYI: I agree, Maldini and Zidane were great players in their time, but when it comes to which were the best of all times (so far), the list is short, and it’s not just Pele and Maradona or vise versa, although Maradona was voted the best futbol player of all times a few years ago. Of course the Brazilians will always see Pele as being the best. I understand and partly agree, but Maradona was definitely the most naturally gifted player of all times in my opinion.
According to many futbol experts, past and present players, coaches, futbol analysts, etc…there was also a very gifted player by the name of Alfredo DiStefano, also from Argentina, that should be included here.
In fact, Pele recently stated that DiStefano was probably better than he was, it’s just that most of the world never got a chance to watch DiStefano play mainly because he played between the mid 40s to about the mid 60s, when the media was mainly local and not international.
So here it is: Maradona, Pele, and DiStefano, and not necessarily in that order. There have been many other great players that came before and after these three but most of those guys do not even come close to how complete these three were. They were simply on a completely different playing and skill level, in my opinion. Not even the great Messi and others are close to being there yet.
Guillermo
Hello Guillermo,
I cannot comment on players before the 1980s because I’ve never seen them play. I’ve read about Di Stefano and I have seen many of Pele’s goals but I wanted to give an opinion on players I have seen play on TV or live. I’ve seen Maldini play and as a left-back and then centre-back he is probably one of the best ever. I feel without Maradona and without Zidane, Argentina would not have won WC 1986 and France would not have won WC 1998 respectively and this shows how great they were. As for Messi, he is the best natural talent since Zidane and Maradona. If he can lift the World Cup before he retires, then he can be compared with the best ever.
Hi again Guillermo,
I am not a big fan of FIFA’s rankings! They remind me of College Football in the US and how they start to talk about surprises when the top team loses but in reality rankings are subject to many variables and are not accurate in many cases. I cannot see the English Premier League or the Italian Serie A or other leagues start giving out pre-season rankings but then perhaps the previous season can serve as a reference point. I just feel FIFA rankings are close to ‘ineffective’ because how does the seeding system work for Euro Cups (for nations), for the World Cup and other tournaments?
The issue I have with both U-20s and Olympics is they are not representative of the true football of a nation due to the restrictions on age.
What makes the World Cup great is players from ages 17 till 40 can probably participate depending on form and performances. The qualifying allows all countries in the world the chance to compete and stake a claim too.
I’d love to think that Uruguay could reclaim a little of it’s almost forgotten glory (last world cup win 1950 – but what a win!). I have become so discouraged with the attitudes of the players from years past, that I haven’t kept up with these new young guys. I don’t foresee Uruguay as champions (although stranger things have happened), but a respectable exit would at least restore some national pride (no over feigning for time & no plethora of excuses from the team). We’ll see.
Hi Jacqueline,
As you mentioned anything is possible but logic dictates keeping in mind certain variables which unfortunately indicate Uruguary will not go too far. You just never know and hope is one way to create belief before moving forward and trying to achieve something. Hopefully the Uruguayan players have the determination and commitment as well as discipline to achieve respectable results. You are 100% right about the attitude of some players in recent years affecting the national team.
i think brazil looks awesome…i would like to see italy win, but i think their luck has run out…they got very lucky in o6…that’s not going to continue for a very long time…i can’t see argentina win…they barely qualified for christ sakes…england is a good team, but they lost against brazil in the friendly they desperately wanted to win to prove something. germany is alway the surprise team. they may reach the final as usual but not win it. i’m not going to put much on spain after they got beat by the usa in conf cup…come on the usa…spaniards are are not born winners, not since the armada. but i got to give them credit for winning the euro in good form. none of the african or asian countries have a chance either…they dont have what it takes… savy…portual? ronaldo is overrated and does not seem to care about his country’s team. he’s a club boy. portugal does not have much else going for it.
so, my money is on what appears to be an unstoppable and talented brazil…look how confident they are, they are not even bothered by the so called group of death they are in. i dont think they think it’s a group of death. maybe they are thinking, DEATH BEATS.
brazil sucks spain will win the wc italy are oldish and same with france spain only lost to the usa because the didnt put on there best players
spain will win world cup 2010
In my opinion the winner will be MEXICO for some reason I think all the new young players the Mexican team has and the way they’re playing it’s just wonderfull…but if it’s not Mexico for sure it would be holland or Spain…maybe England
The Mexican team is talented but I feel they will not go far because of the lack of experience on the big stage. The Mexican often had very talented players at previous World Cups but could not reach the latter stages.
As for the Dutch, I don’t think they will make the semis but perhaps the quarter-finals at best.
The Spaniards have what it takes, in particular after gaining the winning mentality at Euro 2008, but they must perform up to their skill level. I think they will make the semi-finals and I expect England to make the semis too. Rooney is playing extremely well and Capello has been a positive influence inside the English camp. Let’s wait and see; anything is possible! This is what makes the World Cup such a fascinating event. One incident and everything can change.
Hey Buddies! WHAT ABOUT GERMANY??
Remember that when they are bad, they reach the finals. And remember that when they show average skills in football, they win the cup!
First semi final is gonna be between Germany and Spain, and Germany might be looking for a revenge, they reached the semi finals in the last three major cups (WC2002,WC2006,EURO2008), and dont forget that Spain is not lucky in the knock out stages, though they have the best team today, but i think that realistic Germany will defeat Spanish revolution!
Second semi final will be between Brazil and England. A 50-50 match.
Italy? Not this time, OLDIES.
Argentina? Is Maradona a coach? Argentinians will travel back to Buenos Aires after the round of 16.
France? I have no idea, i still cant believe how they reached the finals in 2006.
Netherlands? They proved that they’re the best in the Qualification stage, only.
WC2010 Winner: Brazil, Germany, or England.