The Brazilian team, hosts for the World Cup, has won the World Cup five times - 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. Brazil is the current holder of the FIFA Confederations Cup after winning the 1997, 2005, 2009, and 2013 editions of the tournament. It is the only national team to have played in every World Cup. Brazil is ranked 10th in the current FIFA rankings. The legnedary Pele remains the top goal-scorer in World Cups. Photo: AP
Spain is the reigning World and European champion, having won the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012. The Spanish team is currently ranked number 2 in the World Football Elo Ratings and 1 in the FIFA World Ranking. David Villa is the highest scorer for Spain. Photo: AP
Uruguay is the current South American champion. It has won the Copa América a record 15 times which includes a win in 2011. The team has twice won the FIFA World Cup, including the first World Cup in 1930 as hosts, defeating Argentina 4–2 in the final. Luis Suárez is the top scorer for the team. Photo: AP
The Italian football team is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup behind Brazil. It won the European championship in 1968, made it to the finals in 2000 and 2012, one Olympic football tournament in 1936 and two Central European International Cups. Italy's highest finish at the Confederations Cup was in 2013, when the squad achieved third place. Luigi Riva is the top-scorer for Italy. Photo: AP
Germany is one of the most successful national teams in international competitions, having won three World Cups (1954, 1974, 1990) and three European Championships (1972, 1980, 1996). It has also been runners-up three times in the European Championships, four times in the World Cup, and won third place four times. East Germany won the Olympic Gold in 1976. Germany is the only nation to have won both the men's and women's World Cups. Gerd Mueller and Miroslav Klose are the top goal-scorers for Germany. Photo: AP
The United States team competes in the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Confederations Cup, in addition to the CONCACAF Gold Cup and other competitions by invitation. It achieved a CONCACAF-best when it reached the semi-final at the 1930 World Cup, finishing 3rd. After qualifying for the 1934 World Cup and withdrawing in 1938, it took part in the World Cup in 1950, causing an upset by defeating England 1–0 in the second group match. After 1950, the US didn't qualify for the World Cup again until 1990. The top goal-scorer is Landon Donovan. Photo: AP
Ukraine's biggest success on the world stage came when it reached the quarter finals in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. As host nation, Ukraine automatically qualified for Euro 2012. Andriy Shevchenko is the top scorer for Ukraine. Photo: AP
Switzerland reached the World Cup quarter-finals three times in 1934, 1938 and 1954 when the country hosted the event. It also won silver at the 1924 Olympics. The youth teams have been more successful, winning the 2002 U-17 European Championship and the 2009 U-17 World Cup. Alexander Frei is the top goal-scorer for Switzerland. Photo: AP
The South Korean national soccer team is Asia's most successful team and has participated in eight consecutive and nine overall World Cup tournaments. South Korea became the first Asian team to reach the semi-final stages when it co-hosted the 2002 tournament with Japan. It also won the first two editions of the AFC Asian Cup. The top goal-scorer for South Korea is Cha Bum-Kun. Photo: AP
The Russian national soccer team qualified for three World Cups (1994, 2002, 2014). It will host teh tournament in 2018. The top scorer for Russia is Vladimir Beschastnykh. Photo: AP
Portugal's first World Cup appearance in 1966 saw it reach the semi-finals. Then it qualified in 1986 and 2002, but went out in the first round both times. Portugal has produced some of the most talented players such as Fernando Peyroteo, José Aguas, Rui Costa, Deco, and Cristiano Ronaldo. However thenational team is yet to win a major trophy. The leading goal-scorers for Portugal are Pauleta and Cristiano Ronaldo. Photo: AP
Nigeria is the current Africa Cup of Nations champions. It has won the Africa Cup of Nations thrice and reached the FIFA World Cup round of 16 twice. It qualified for five of the last six World Cups, with the first appearance coming in the United States in 1994. Rashidi Yekini is leading goal-scorer for Nigeria. Photo: AP
Netherlands holds the record for playing the most World Cup finals without ever winning one. It finished second in the 1974, 1978 and 2010 World Cups, losing to West Germany, Argentina and Spain. The leading goal-scorer for the Netherlands is Robin van Persie. Photo: AP
Mexico's team has qualified for fourteen World Cups and has qualified consistently since 1994. It played France in the very first match of the first World Cup on 13 July 1930. It reached the quarterfinals in both the 1970 and 1986 FIFA World Cups, both of which were staged on Mexican soil. Jared Borgetti is the leading goal-scorer. Photo: AP
Japan is one of the most successful football teams in Asia, having qualified for the last five consecutive FIFA World Cups with second round advancements in 2002 and 2010, and having won the AFC Asian Cup a record four times in 1992, 2000, 2004 & 2011. To this it adds a 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup second place. Japan's leading goal-scorer is Kunishige Kamamoto. Photo: AP
Ivory Coast soccer team qualified for three consecutive World Cups, first in Germany in 2006, losing to Argentina and the Netherlands and beating Serbia and Montenegro. It qualified again for the South African edition in 2010 and did not get through the group stage again. Didier Drogba is the leading goal-scorer. Photo: AP
Iran ranks first in Asia and 45th in the world according to the September 2013 FIFA World Rankings. Having won 3 AFC Asian Cups (1968, 1972, 1976), this is the first time they have qualified for a FIFA World Cup. The leading goal-scorer for this team is Ali Daei. Photo: AP
Honduras national soccer team is a rising team in CONCACAF; the team has qualified three times for the finals of the FIFA World Cup, in 1982, 2010 and 2014. Carlos Pavon is the leading goal-scorer for Honduras. Photo: AP
The Greek national soccer team have qualified for the finals of all but one major competition (European Championships and World Cups), reaching the quarter-finals of Euro 2012. Moreover, they have occupied a place in the top 20 of the FIFA World Rankings for all but four months since the 2004 triumph and reached a high of eighth from April to June 2008, as well as in October 2011. The leading goal-scorer for Greece is Nikos Anastopoulos. Photo: AP
Ghana's team became the third African team in history to reach the World Cup quarter-finals. The Black Stars is on aggregate one of the top 10 teams in the world at the last two FIFA World Cup's (2006 and 2010), a feat not achieved by a team outside of Europe and South America over a similar length of time historically. Two players share the honour of scoring more goals for Ghana. They are Edward Acquah and Kwasi Owusu. Photo: AP
England won the World Cup in 1966, when they hosted the finals, defeating West Germany 4–2 in extra time. Their best performance since has been a semi-final appearance in 1990. England have never won the UEFA European Football Championship – their best performances being semi-final appearances at the 1968 and 1996 Championships. Bobby Charlton remains the leading goal-scorer for England. Photo: AP
Ecuador has qualified for three FIFA World Cups in 2002, 2006 and 2014. Their best performance came in 2006 when they advanced to the Round of 16, eventually eliminated by England. They are one of three countries in South America to not win the Copa América (the others being Chile and Venezuela). Their best performance in the continental tournament was fourth in 1959 and 1993, both times on home soil. Agustin Delgado is the leading goal-scorer for Ecuador. Photo: AP
The Croatian soccer team was named FIFA's "Best Mover of the Year" in 1994 and 1998, the only team along with Colombia to win the award more than once. On admission to FIFA, Croatia was ranked 125th in the world; following the 1998 World Cup campaign, the side moved to thrid spot, making it the most volatile team in FIFA Ranking history. The leading goal-scorer for Croatia is none other than Davor Suker. Photo: AP
Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States. They are the most successful team in Central America having qualified for four World Cups, including reaching the last sixteen on their debut in Italy 1990. In 2006, Costa Rica qualified for the World Cup in Germany but it was its worst World Cup to date, finishing 31st out of 32 teams. The team has qualified first in the CONCACAF Final Round in both the 1990 World Cup qualification final round and 2002 World Cup qualification final round. Costa Rica is currently second in the CONCACAF Final Round for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Teh team's leading goal-scorer is Rolando Fonseca. Photo: AP
Colombia has gained a top 4 result in 7 Copa Americas. Colombia was the first team to win the FIFA Best Mover Award in 1993 where the achievement was introduced and the second team after Croatia to win it twice - the second time being 2012. Arnoldo Iguaran is the leading goal-scorer for Colombia. Photo: AP
The Chilean team have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup, finishing in third place, the highest position the country has achieved in the World Cup. Chile is known for its consistency; having earned a top 4 result in 19 editions of the Copa America and as runners- up four times. The leading goal-scorer for this team is Marcelo Salas. Photo: AP
Cameroon has qualified seven times for the FIFA World Cup, more than any other African team - in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2010 and 2014. However, the team has only made it once past the group stage. They were the first African team to reach the quarter-final of the World Cup in 1990, losing to England in extra time. They have also won four Africa Cup of Nations titles. The ever-green Samuel Eto'o is the leading goal-scorer for Cameroon. Photo: AP
The Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, their first major tournament as an independent nation, after winning their qualifying group ahead of Greece. It is only the second time in history of the World Cup, and first since England in 1950 FIFA World Cup (also held in Brazil), that only one national team made a debut in a World Cup tournament. Bosnia-Herz. national team is yet to qualify for a European Championship. Edin Dzeko is the leading goal-scorer for Bosnia. Photo: AP
The best achievements from Belgium in international tournaments so far has been qualification for six successive FIFA World Cups between 1982 and 2002 including a fourth place finish in 1986, the title of European runners-up in 1980 and the 1920 Olympic Football Gold Medal on home ground. Other notable prestations are their four victories over reigning world champions: 2–0 against West Germany in 1954, 5–1 against Brazil in 1963, 1–0 against Argentina in 1982 and 2–1 against France in 2002. Two players share the honours of having scored most goals - Bernard Voorhoof and Paul Van Himst. Photo: AP
Australia is a four-time OFC champion and AFC National Team of the Year for 2006. Australia has made it to the FIFA World Cup tournaments four time - in 1974, 2006 and 2010, and now again at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Australia has made it to the FIFA Confederations Cup tournaments on three occasions. Damian Mori and Tim Cahill are the leading goal-scorers for Australia. Photo: AP
Argentina and France are the only two national teams to have won the three most important men's titles recognized by FIFA: the World Cup, the Confederations Cup, and the Olympic tournament. They both have also won their respective continental championships (Copa América for Argentina, and UEFA European Football Championship for France). Gabriel Batistuta who is the leading goal-scorer for Argentina. Photo: AP
Algeria has qualified for four World Cups in 1982, 1986, 2010, and 2014. Algeria has also won the African Cup of Nations in 1990, when as hosts of the tournament. Abdelhafid Tasfaout is the leading goal-scorer for Algeria. Photo: AP
