Only one week left before the 2014 World Cup in Brazil kicks off, which means all 32 teams have handed in their squads of 23 players, with no big surprises or omissions on any of the bigger or more popular sides except for some known injuries.
Changes can still be made if a serious injury befalls one of the players, which allows a national side to call in a replacement at any time up to 24 hours before their first game. After the tournament has begun, teams will be unable to call in replacements for injuries.
Algeria
Maybe the weakest team in this World Cup despite having a squad made up of players who all but two are playing outside of Algeria. A technicality helped them make the World Cup after Burkina Faso didn’t lodge in a complain in time (or some other FIFA BS), but that won’t matter if they’re able to trouble three superior teams in the group stage.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | GK | Cédric Si Mohamed | 9 January 1985 (aged 29) | 1 |  CS Constantine |
| – | GK | Mohamed Zemmamouche | 19 March 1985 (aged 29) | 7 | USM Alger |
| – | GK | Raïs M’Bolhi | 25 April 1986 (aged 28) | 27 |  CSKA Sofia |
| – | FW | El Arbi Hillel Soudani | 25 November 1987 (aged 26) | 21 |  Dinamo Zagreb |
| – | MF | Riyad Mahrez | 21 February 1991 (aged 23) | 1 |  Leicester City |
| – | MF | Nabil Bentaleb | 24 November 1994 (aged 19) | 2 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| – | DF | Essaïd Belkalem | 1 January 1989 (aged 25) | 13 | Watford |
| – | MF | Mehdi Mostefa | 30 August 1983 (aged 30) | 22 |  Ajaccio |
| – | DF | Aïssa Mandi | 22 October 1991 (aged 22) | 2 | Reims |
| – | DF | Carl Medjani | 15 May 1985 (aged 29) | 25 | Valenciennes |
| – | MF | Saphir Taïder | 29 February 1992 (aged 22) | 10 |  Internazionale |
| – | DF | Djamel Mesbah | 9 October 1984 (aged 29) | 26 | Livorno |
| – | DF | Faouzi Ghoulam | 1 February 1991 (aged 23) | 5 | Napoli |
| – | MF | Hassan Yebda | 14 May 1984 (aged 30) | 24 | Udinese |
| – | DF | Rafik Halliche | 2 September 1986 (aged 27) | 28 |  Académica |
| – | FW | Nabil Ghilas | 20 April 1990 (aged 24) | 5 | Porto |
| – | FW | Islam Slimani | 18 June 1988 (aged 25) | 19 | Sporting CP |
| – | DF | Madjid Bougherra (c) | 7 October 1982 (aged 31) | 61 |  Lekhwiya |
| – | MF | Medhi Lacen | 15 May 1984 (aged 30) | 29 |  Getafe |
| – | MF | Yacine Brahimi | 8 February 1990 (aged 24) | 5 | Granada |
| – | DF | Liassine Cadamuro-Bentaïba | 5 March 1988 (aged 26) | 6 | Mallorca |
| – | MF | Sofiane Feghouli | 26 December 1989 (aged 24) | 18 | Valencia |
| – | MF | Abdelmoumene Djabou | 31 January 1987 (aged 27) | 76 |  Club Africain |
Argentina
Many see Argentina as favorites to win this World Cup. The two-time champions (1978, 1986) have Lionel Messi, the world’s best player and a very impressive line of forwards. The questions have to do with other parts on the pitch: Their goalkeeper, the defense, and lack of any sort of creativity in the midfielder aside from Angel di Maria, who has a lot riding on his ability in this tournament.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Sergio Romero | 22 February 1987 (aged 27) | 45 |  Monaco |
| 12 | GK | Agustín Orión | 26 July 1981 (aged 32) | 3 |  Boca Juniors |
| 21 | GK | Mariano Andújar | 30 July 1983 (aged 30) | 10 | Catania |
| 2 | DF | Ezequiel Garay | 10 October 1986 (aged 27) | 18 | Benfica |
| 3 | DF | Hugo Campagnaro | 27 June 1980 (aged 33) | 13 | Internazionale |
| 4 | DF | Pablo Zabaleta | 16 January 1985 (aged 29) | 36 | Manchester City |
| 15 | DF | Martín Demichelis | 20 December 1980 (aged 33) | 37 | Manchester City |
| 16 | DF | Marcos Rojo | 20 March 1990 (aged 24) | 20 | Sporting |
| 17 | DF | Federico Fernández | 21 February 1989 (aged 25) | 24 | Napoli |
| 23 | DF | José María Basanta | 3 April 1984 (aged 30) | 8 |  Monterrey |
| 5 | MF | Fernando Gago | 10 April 1986 (aged 28) | 47 | Boca Juniors |
| 6 | MF | Lucas Biglia | 30 January 1986 (aged 28) | 16 | Lazio |
| 7 | MF | Ángel di María | 14 February 1988 (aged 26) | 45 | Real Madrid |
| 8 | MF | Enzo Pérez | 22 February 1986 (aged 28) | 5 | Benfica |
| 11 | MF | Maxi Rodríguez | 2 January 1981 (aged 33) | 53 | Newell’s Old Boys |
| 13 | MF | Augusto Fernández | 10 April 1986 (aged 28) | 7 | Celta Vigo |
| 14 | MF | Javier Mascherano | 8 June 1984 (aged 30) | 96 | Barcelona |
| 19 | MF | Ricardo Álvarez | 12 April 1988 (aged 26) | 5 | Internazionale |
| 9 | FW | Gonzalo Higuaín | 10 December 1987 (aged 26) | 36 | Napoli |
| 10 | FW | Lionel Messi (c) | 24 June 1987 (aged 26) | 84 | Barcelona |
| 18 | FW | Rodrigo Palacio | 5 February 1982 (aged 32) | 15 | Internazionale |
| 20 | FW | Sergio Agüero | 2 June 1988 (aged 26) | 50 | Manchester City |
| 22 | FW | Ezequiel Lavezzi | 3 May 1985 (aged 29) | 29 | Paris Saint-Germain |
Australia
This is the third consecutive appearance for Australia in the World Cup and their fourth overall, hoping to make it past the group stage unlike their appearance in South Africa and like their performance in Germany, knocked out in the round of 16. Six players arrive from the developing A-League, while team veterans like Mark Breschiano and Tim Cahill aren’t playing in Europe anymore, with no significant player having a foothold on a top European side.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | GK | Eugene Galeković | 12 June 1981 (aged 33) | 8 |  Adelaide United |
| 2 | DF | Ivan Franjić | 10 September 1987 (aged 26) | 8 | Brisbane Roar |
| 17 | MF | Matt McKay | 11 January 1983 (aged 31) | 46 | Brisbane Roar |
| 5 | MF | Mark Milligan | 4 August 1985 (aged 28) | 28 | Melbourne Victory |
| 9 | FW | Adam Taggart | 2 June 1993 (aged 21) | 4 | Newcastle Jets |
| 6 | DF | Matthew Špiranović | 27 June 1988 (aged 25) | 17 | Western Sydney Wanderers |
| 16 | MF | James Holland | 15 May 1989 (aged 25) | 13 |  Austria Wien |
| 1 | GK | Mathew Ryan | 8 April 1992 (aged 22) | 6 |  Club Brugge |
| 19 | DF | Ryan McGowan | 15 August 1989 (aged 24) | 9 |  Shandong Luneng Taishan |
| 15 | MF | Mile Jedinak (c) | 3 August 1984 (aged 29) | 43 | Crystal Palace |
| 8 | DF | Bailey Wright | 28 July 1992 (aged 21) | 0 | Preston North End |
| 21 | MF | Massimo Luongo | 25 September 1992 (aged 21) | 1 | Swindon Town |
| 12 | GK | Mitchell Langerak | 22 August 1988 (aged 25) | 3 |  Borussia Dortmund |
| 10 | MF | Ben Halloran | 14 June 1992 (aged 21) | 1 | Fortuna Düsseldorf |
| 7 | FW | Mathew Leckie | 4 February 1991 (aged 23) | 7 | FSV Frankfurt |
| 14 | MF | James Troisi | 3 July 1988 (aged 25) | 10 | Atalanta |
| 3 | DF | Jason Davidson | 29 June 1991 (aged 22) | 6 |  Heracles Almelo |
| 11 | MF | Tommy Oar | 10 December 1991 (aged 22) | 14 | Utrecht |
| 23 | MF | Mark Bresciano | 11 February 1980 (aged 34) | 73 | Al-Gharafa |
| 22 | DF | Alex Wilkinson | 13 August 1984 (aged 29) | 2 |  Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors |
| 13 | MF | Oliver Bozanić | 8 January 1989 (aged 25) | 3 |  Luzern |
| 20 | MF | Dario Vidošić | 8 April 1987 (aged 27) | 22 | Sion |
| 4 | FW | Tim Cahill | 6 December 1979 (aged 34) | 68 |  New York Red Bulls |
Belgium
Belgium come with 11 players in the Premier League and only three from the local league as many think this is the fifth or sixth best team in this tournament, and maybe even the most talented Belgian side of all time, even better than the one from the mid 1980’s, making the 1986 semifinal.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | DF | Anthony Vanden Borre | 24 October 1987 (aged 26) | 25 | Anderlecht |
| 23 | DF | Laurent Ciman | 5 August 1985 (aged 28) | 8 | Standard Liège |
| 13 | GK | Sammy Bossut | 11 August 1985 | 1 | Zulte Waregem |
| 3 | DF | Thomas Vermaelen | 14 November 1985 (aged 28) | 48 | Arsenal |
| 10 | MF | Eden Hazard | 7 January 1991 (aged 23) | 45 | Chelsea |
| 9 | FW | Romelu Lukaku | 13 May 1993 (aged 21) | 29 | Everton |
| 11 | MF | Kevin Mirallas | 5 October 1987 (aged 26) | 44 | Everton |
| 12 | GK | Simon Mignolet | 6 August 1988 | 14 | Liverpool |
| 4 | DF | Vincent Kompany (c) | 10 April 1986 (aged 28) | 59 | Manchester City |
| 8 | MF | Marouane Fellaini | 22 November 1987 (aged 26) | 50 | Manchester United |
| 20 | MF | Adnan Januzaj | 5 February 1995 (aged 19) | 1 | Manchester United |
| 5 | DF | Jan Vertonghen | 24 April 1987 (aged 27) | 56 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 19 | MF | Mousa Dembélé | 16 July 1987 (aged 26) | 55 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 22 | MF | Nacer Chadli | 2 October 1989 (aged 24) | 20 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 17 | FW | Divock Origi | 18 April 1995 (aged 19) | 2 | Lille |
| 15 | DF | Daniel Van Buyten | 7 February 1978 (aged 36) | 79 | Bayern Munich |
| 7 | MF | Kevin De Bruyne | 28 June 1991 (aged 22) | 22 | VfL Wolfsburg |
| 14 | FW | Dries Mertens | 6 May 1987 (aged 27) | 24 | Napoli |
| 16 | MF | Steven Defour | 15 April 1988 (aged 26) | 43 | Porto |
| 6 | MF | Axel Witsel | 12 January 1989 (aged 25) | 48 |  Zenit Saint Petersburg |
| 18 | DF | Nicolas Lombaerts | 20 March 1985 (aged 29) | 26 | Zenit Saint Petersburg |
| 1 | GK | Thibaut Courtois | 11 May 1992 (aged 22) | 16 | Atlético Madrid |
| 2 | DF | Toby Alderweireld | 2 March 1989 (aged 25) | 34 | Atlético Madrid |
Bosnia & Herzegovina
The only nation in this tournament that is making their World cup debut, Bosnia finished first in their qualifying group, ahead of Greece, coming in with a very talented strikeforce that includes Edin Dzeko and Vedad Ibisevic, while Mirlaem Pjanic and Zvjezdan Misimović are to provide leadership and creativity in the middle of the park. Not favorites, but it won’t be a surprise to see them in the round of 16.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Asmir Avdukić | 13 May 1981 (aged 33) | 3 |  Borac Banja Luka |
| 12 | GK | Jasmin Fejzić | 15 May 1986 (aged 28) | 0 | VfR Aalen |
| 22 | GK | Asmir Begović | 20 June 1987 (aged 26) | 30 | Stoke City |
| 2 | DF | Avdija Vršajević | 6 March 1986 (aged 28) | 13 | Hajduk Split |
| 3 | DF | Ermin Bičakčić | 24 January 1990 (aged 24) | 7 | Eintracht Braunschweig |
| 4 | DF | Emir Spahić (c) | 18 August 1980 (aged 33) | 74 | Bayer Leverkusen |
| 5 | DF | Sead Kolašinac | 20 June 1993 (aged 20) | 4 | Schalke 04 |
| 6 | DF | Ognjen Vranješ | 24 October 1989 (aged 24) | 13 |  Elazığspor |
| 7 | DF | Muhamed Bešić | 10 September 1992 (aged 21) | 9 |  Ferencváros |
| 13 | DF | Mensur Mujdža | 28 March 1984 (aged 30) | 24 | SC Freiburg |
| 15 | DF | Toni Šunjić | 15 December 1988 (aged 25) | 7 |  Zorya Luhansk |
| 8 | MF | Miralem Pjanić | 2 April 1990 (aged 24) | 48 | Roma |
| 10 | MF | Zvjezdan Misimović | 5 June 1982 (aged 32) | 82 | Guizhou Renhe |
| 14 | MF | Izet Hajrović | 4 August 1991 (aged 22) | 7 | Galatasaray |
| 16 | MF | Senad Lulić | 18 January 1986 (aged 28) | 33 | Lazio |
| 17 | MF | Senijad Ibričić | 26 September 1985 (aged 28) | 42 | Kayseri Erciyesspor |
| 18 | MF | Haris Medunjanin | 8 March 1985 (aged 29) | 35 | Gaziantepspor |
| 20 | MF | Anel Hadžić | 16 August 1989 (aged 24) | 2 | Sturm Graz |
| 21 | MF | Tino-Sven Sušić | 13 February 1992 (aged 22) | 2 | Hajduk Split |
| 23 | MF | Sejad Salihović | 8 October 1984 (aged 29) | 42 | 1899 Hoffenheim |
| 9 | FW | Vedad Ibišević | 6 August 1984 (aged 29) | 55 | VfB Stuttgart |
| 11 | FW | Edin Džeko | 17 March 1986 (aged 28) | 62 | Manchester City |
| 19 | FW | Edin Višća | 17 February 1990 (aged 24) | 10 | İstanbul BB |
Brazil
The favorites and the hosts of the World Cup, Brazil are five time world champions, the last of those trophies coming in 2002 when Ronaldo and Rivaldo led them to the title against Germany. Since then they’ve been knocked out of the quarterfinals twice – once by France and once by the Netherlands. They’re heading in with the Confederation Cup title from last summer as a sign for their strength.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Jefferson | 2 January 1983 (aged 31) | 9 |  Botafogo |
| 2 | DF | Dani Alves | 6 May 1983 (aged 31) | 74 | Barcelona |
| 3 | DF | Thiago Silva (c) | 22 September 1984 (aged 29) | 45 | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 4 | DF | David Luiz | 22 April 1987 (aged 27) | 35 | Chelsea |
| 5 | MF | Fernandinho | 4 May 1985 (aged 29) | 6 | Manchester City |
| 6 | DF | Marcelo | 12 May 1988 (aged 26) | 30 | Real Madrid |
| 7 | FW | Hulk | 25 July 1986 (aged 27) | 34 | Zenit Saint Petersburg |
| 8 | MF | Paulinho | 25 July 1988 (aged 25) | 25 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 9 | FW | Fred | 3 October 1983 (aged 30) | 33 | Fluminense |
| 10 | FW | Neymar | 5 February 1992 (aged 22) | 48 | Barcelona |
| 11 | MF | Oscar | 9 September 1991 (aged 22) | 30 | Chelsea |
| 12 | GK | Júlio César | 3 September 1979 (aged 34) | 79 |  Toronto |
| 13 | DF | Dante | 18 October 1983 (aged 30) | 12 | Bayern Munich |
| 14 | DF | Maxwell | 27 August 1981 (aged 32) | 8 | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 15 | DF | Henrique | 14 October 1986 (aged 27) | 5 | Napoli |
| 16 | MF | Ramires | 24 March 1987 (aged 27) | 42 | Chelsea |
| 17 | MF | Luiz Gustavo | 23 July 1987 (aged 26) | 18 | VfL Wolfsburg |
| 18 | MF | Hernanes | 29 May 1985 (aged 29) | 24 | Internazionale |
| 19 | MF | Willian | 9 August 1988 (aged 25) | 6 | Chelsea |
| 20 | MF | Bernard | 8 September 1992 (aged 21) | 10 | Shakhtar Donetsk |
| 21 | FW | Jô | 20 March 1987 (aged 27) | 16 | Atlético Mineiro |
| 22 | GK | Victor | 21 January 1983 (aged 31) | 6 | Atlético Mineiro |
| 23 | DF | Maicon | 26 July 1981 (aged 32) | 71 | Roma |
Cameroon
Cameroon are in the World Cup for a seventh time (second straight), more than any African nation. They’ve made it out of the group stage only once, in 1990, when they reached the quarterfinals before losing to England in extra time. Samuel Eto’o of Chelsea is the best known player on this side, boasting players from France and Turkey mostly, with only two players coming from the local league.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | FW | Fabrice Olinga | 12 May 1996 (aged 18) | 7 | Zulte Waregem |
| 1 | GK | Loïc Feudjou | 14 April 1992 (aged 22) | 1 |  Coton Sport |
| 4 | DF | Cédric Djeugoué | 28 August 1992 (aged 21) | 3 | Coton Sport |
| 9 | FW | Samuel Eto’o (c) | 10 March 1981 (aged 33) | 116 | Chelsea |
| 2 | DF | Benoît Assou-Ekotto | 24 March 1984 (aged 30) | 21 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 7 | MF | Landry N’Guémo | 28 November 1985 (aged 28) | 39 | Bordeaux |
| 20 | MF | Edgar Salli | 17 August 1992 (aged 21) | 8 | Lens |
| 10 | FW | Vincent Aboubakar | 22 January 1992 (aged 22) | 23 | Lorient |
| 12 | DF | Henri Bedimo | 4 June 1984 (aged 30) | 30 | Lyon |
| 3 | DF | Nicolas N’Koulou | 27 March 1990 (aged 24) | 47 | Marseille |
| 8 | FW | Benjamin Moukandjo | 12 November 1988 (aged 25) | 16 | Nancy |
| 11 | MF | Jean Makoun | 29 May 1983 (aged 31) | 66 | Rennes |
| 13 | FW | Maxim Choupo-Moting | 23 March 1989 (aged 25) | 26 | Mainz 05 |
| 21 | MF | Joël Matip | 8 August 1991 (aged 22) | 22 | Schalke 04 |
| 6 | MF | Alex Song | 9 September 1987 (aged 26) | 46 | Barcelona |
| 22 | DF | Allan Nyom | 10 May 1988 (aged 26) | 8 | Granada |
| 17 | MF | Stéphane Mbia | 20 May 1986 (aged 28) | 49 | Sevilla |
| 18 | MF | Eyong Enoh | 23 March 1986 (aged 28) | 37 | Antalyaspor |
| 5 | DF | Dany Nounkeu | 11 April 1986 (aged 28) | 15 | Beşiktaş |
| 15 | FW | Pierre Webó | 20 January 1982 (aged 32) | 55 | Fenerbahçe |
| 23 | GK | Sammy N’Djock | 25 February 1990 (aged 24) | 2 | Fethiyespor |
| 14 | DF | Aurélien Chedjou | 20 June 1985 (aged 28) | 30 | Galatasaray |
| 16 | GK | Charles Itandje | 2 November 1982 (aged 31) | 9 | Konyaspor |
Chile
One of the dark horse candidates to cause some trouble for “bigger” nations, Chile are in the World Cup for a ninth time, hoping to at least repeat their achievement from last time when they made the round of 16. Eight of the team’s players are coming from either Brazil or the league in Chile, but there are also stars like Arturo Vidal who plays for Juventus and Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona who make this side the best Chile have had since the 1998 team.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | MF | Charles Aránguiz | 17 April 1989 (aged 25) | 20 | Internacional |
| 10 | MF | Jorge Valdívia | 3 October 1983 (aged 30) | 56 | Palmeiras |
| 2 | DF | Eugenio Mena | 18 July 1988 (aged 25) | 24 | Santos |
| 19 | MF | José Pedro Fuenzalida | 22 February 1985 (aged 29) | 23 |  Colo-Colo |
| 22 | FW | Esteban Paredes | 1 August 1980 (aged 33) | 34 | Colo-Colo |
| 12 | GK | Cristopher Toselli | 22 June 1988 (aged 25) | 4 | Universidad Católica |
| 13 | DF | José Rojas | 3 June 1983 (aged 31) | 18 | Universidad de Chile |
| 23 | GK | Johnny Herrera | 9 May 1981 (aged 33) | 7 | Universidad de Chile |
| 18 | DF | Gonzalo Jara | 29 August 1985 (aged 28) | 65 | Nottingham Forest |
| 15 | MF | Jean Beausejour | 3 June 1984 (aged 30) | 59 | Wigan Athletic |
| 6 | MF | Carlos Carmona | 21 February 1987 (aged 27) | 43 | Atalanta |
| 9 | FW | Mauricio Pinilla | 4 February 1984 (aged 30) | 26 | Cagliari |
| 4 | MF | Mauricio Isla | 12 June 1988 (aged 26) | 46 | Juventus |
| 8 | MF | Arturo Vidal | 22 May 1987 (aged 27) | 53 | Juventus |
| 16 | MF | Felipe Gutiérrez | 8 October 1990 (aged 23) | 17 | Twente |
| 7 | FW | Alexis Sánchez | 19 December 1988 (aged 25) | 66 | Barcelona |
| 14 | MF | Fabián Orellana | 27 January 1986 (aged 28) | 25 | Celta Vigo |
| 5 | MF | Francisco Silva | 11 February 1986 (aged 28) | 11 | Osasuna |
| 1 | GK | Claudio Bravo (c) | 13 April 1983 (aged 31) | 79 | Real Sociedad |
| 11 | FW | Eduardo Vargas | 20 November 1989 (aged 24) | 29 | Valencia |
| 3 | DF | Miiko Albornoz | 3 November 1990 (aged 23) | 2 |  Malmö |
| 21 | MF | Marcelo Díaz | 30 December 1986 (aged 27) | 20 | Basel |
| 17 | DF | Gary Medel | 3 August 1987 (aged 26) | 60 |  Cardiff City |
Colombia
Suddenly, without Falcao, this side doesn’t seem that impressive. Colombia are in the World Cup for the first time since 1998, coming in with plenty of talented strikers like Carlos Bacca and Jackson Martinez and also some considerable midfield talent with the likes of James Rodriguez, Quintero and Fredy Guarin. However, the expectations are undoubtedly lower now that their biggest star isn’t playing.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | David Ospina | 31 August 1988 (aged 25) | 42 | Nice |
| 12 | GK | Camilo Vargas | 1 September 1989 (aged 24) | 0 |  Santa Fe |
| 22 | GK | Faryd Mondragón | 21 June 1971 (aged 42) | 55 | Deportivo Cali |
| 2 | DF | Cristián Zapata | 30 September 1986 (aged 27) | 21 | Milan |
| 3 | DF | Mario Yepes (c) | 13 January 1976 (aged 38) | 96 | Atalanta |
| 4 | DF | Santiago Arias | 13 January 1992 (aged 22) | 5 | PSV |
| 7 | DF | Pablo Armero | 2 November 1986 (aged 27) | 51 | West Ham United |
| 16 | DF | Éder Álvarez Balanta | 28 February 1993 (aged 21) | 2 | River Plate |
| 18 | DF | Juan Camilo Zúñiga | 14 December 1985 (aged 28) | 52 | Napoli |
| 23 | DF | Carlos Valdés | 22 May 1985 (aged 29) | 13 | San Lorenzo |
| 5 | MF | Aldo Leão Ramírez | 18 April 1981 (aged 33) | 29 | Morelia |
| 6 | MF | Carlos Sánchez | 6 February 1986 (aged 28) | 44 | Elche |
| 8 | MF | Abel Aguilar | 6 January 1985 (aged 29) | 48 | Toulouse |
| 10 | MF | James Rodríguez | 12 July 1991 (aged 22) | 21 | Monaco |
| 11 | MF | Juan Guillermo Cuadrado | 26 May 1988 (aged 26) | 26 | Fiorentina |
| 13 | MF | Fredy Guarín | 30 June 1986 (aged 27) | 48 | Internazionale |
| 14 | MF | Víctor Ibarbo | 19 May 1990 (aged 24) | 8 | Cagliari |
| 15 | MF | Alexander Mejía | 7 September 1988 (aged 25) | 9 | Atlético Nacional |
| 20 | MF | Juan Fernando Quintero | 18 January 1993 (aged 21) | 4 | Porto |
| 9 | FW | Teófilo Gutiérrez | 28 May 1985 (aged 29) | 29 | River Plate |
| 17 | FW | Carlos Bacca | 8 September 1986 (aged 27) | 10 | Sevilla |
| 19 | FW | Adrián Ramos | 22 January 1986 (aged 28) | 24 | Hertha Berlin |
| 21 | FW | Jackson Martínez | 3 October 1986 (aged 27) | 27 | Porto |
Costa Rica
Costa Rica are in the World Cup for a fourth time, hoping that this is 1990 all over again when they made the round of 16. They’re in a very tough group (England, Italy, Uruguay) and will rely mostly on the talent of Bryan Ruiz of PSV and Joel Campbell of Olympiakos / Arsenal to try and cause a huge surprise in a tournament no one expects anything from them despite their excellent qualifying campaign.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | DF | Óscar Duarte | 3 June 1989 (aged 25) | 10 | Club Brugge |
| 2 | DF | Johnny Acosta | 21 July 1983 (aged 30) | 25 |  Alajuelense |
| 18 | GK | Patrick Pemberton | 24 April 1982 (aged 32) | 20 | Alajuelense |
| 14 | FW | Randall Brenes | 13 August 1983 (aged 30) | 38 | Cartaginés |
| 13 | MF | Esteban Granados | 25 October 1985 (aged 28) | 11 | Herediano |
| 22 | MF | José Miguel Cubero | 14 February 1987 (aged 27) | 34 | Herediano |
| 23 | GK | Daniel Cambronero | 8 January 1986 (aged 28) | 4 | Herediano |
| 4 | DF | Michael Umaña | 16 July 1982 (aged 31) | 82 | Saprissa |
| 8 | DF | Heiner Mora | 20 June 1984 (aged 29) | 21 | Saprissa |
| 17 | MF | Yeltsin Tejeda | 17 March 1992 (aged 22) | 22 | Saprissa |
| 7 | MF | Christian Bolaños | 17 May 1984 (aged 30) | 54 |  Copenhagen |
| 15 | DF | Júnior Díaz | 12 September 1983 (aged 30) | 61 | Mainz 05 |
| 9 | FW | Joel Campbell | 26 June 1992 (aged 21) | 32 |  Olympiacos |
| 10 | FW | Bryan Ruiz (c) | 18 August 1985 (aged 28) | 62 | PSV |
| 11 | MF | Michael Barrantes | 4 October 1983 (aged 30) | 50 |  Aalesund |
| 16 | DF | Cristian Gamboa | 24 October 1989 (aged 24) | 25 | Rosenborg |
| 20 | MF | Diego Calvo | 25 March 1991 (aged 23) | 9 | Vålerenga |
| 21 | FW | Marco Ureña | 5 March 1990 (aged 24) | 23 | Kuban Krasnodar |
| 1 | GK | Keylor Navas | 15 December 1986 (aged 27) | 52 | Levante |
| 5 | MF | Celso Borges | 27 May 1988 (aged 26) | 62 | AIK |
| 3 | DF | Giancarlo González | 8 February 1988 (aged 26) | 34 | Columbus Crew |
| 12 | DF | Waylon Francis | 20 September 1990 (aged 23) | 1 | Columbus Crew |
| 19 | DF | Roy Miller | 24 November 1984 (aged 29) | 48 | New York Red Bulls |
Croatia
Croatia are in the World Cup for a fourth time, missing out on the competition only once since the break up from Yugoslavia. Their greatest success came in 1998 when they made it to the semifinals and finished in third place, but in the two appearances that followed they didn’t make it out of the group stage. Luka Modric from Real Madrid and Mario Mandzukic from Bayern Munich are the biggest stars on the current squad.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | MF | Marcelo Brozović | 16 October 1992 (aged 21) | 0 | Dinamo Zagreb |
| 12 | GK | Oliver Zelenika | 14 May 1993 (aged 21) | 0 | Lokomotiva |
| 15 | MF | Ivan Močinić | 30 April 1993 (aged 21) | 0 | Rijeka |
| 9 | FW | Nikica Jelavić | 27 August 1985 (aged 28) | 33 | Hull City |
| 6 | DF | Dejan Lovren | 5 July 1989 (aged 24) | 23 | Southampton |
| 17 | FW | Mario Mandžukić | 21 May 1986 (aged 28) | 49 | Bayern Munich |
| 4 | MF | Ivan Perišić | 2 February 1989 (aged 25) | 28 | VfL Wolfsburg |
| 18 | FW | Ivica Olić | 14 September 1979 (aged 34) | 91 | VfL Wolfsburg |
| 3 | DF | Danijel Pranjić | 2 December 1981 (aged 32) | 48 | Panathinaikos |
| 13 | DF | Gordon Schildenfeld | 18 March 1985 (aged 29) | 21 | Panathinaikos |
| 16 | FW | Ante Rebić | 21 September 1993 (aged 20) | 4 | Fiorentina |
| 2 | DF | Šime Vrsaljko | 10 January 1992 (aged 22) | 6 | Genoa |
| 20 | MF | Mateo Kovačić | 6 May 1994 (aged 20) | 9 | Internazionale |
| 23 | GK | Danijel Subašić | 27 October 1984 (aged 29) | 6 | Monaco |
| 5 | DF | Vedran Ćorluka | 5 February 1986 (aged 28) | 72 | Lokomotiv Moscow |
| 1 | GK | Stipe Pletikosa | 8 January 1979 (aged 35) | 110 | Rostov |
| 19 | MF | Sammir | 23 April 1987 (aged 27) | 5 | Getafe |
| 10 | MF | Luka Modrić | 9 September 1985 (aged 28) | 74 | Real Madrid |
| 7 | MF | Ivan Rakitić | 10 March 1988 (aged 26) | 61 | Sevilla |
| 8 | MF | Ognjen Vukojević | 20 December 1983 (aged 30) | 55 | Dynamo Kyiv |
| 21 | DF | Domagoj Vida | 29 April 1989 (aged 25) | 23 | Dynamo Kyiv |
| 11 | DF | Darijo Srna (c) | 1 May 1982 (aged 32) | 112 | Shakhtar Donetsk |
| 22 | FW | Eduardo | 25 February 1983 (aged 31) | 63 | Shakhtar Donetsk |
Ecuador
The less heralded of the South American sides in the competition, but always a very tough team to beat, even without their advantage of playing in Quito. There isn’t a lot of talent here – only four players are on European clubs, with Antonio Valencia of Manchester United (not for long?) being the biggest name, although players like Felipe Caicedo and Jefferson Montero can make quite a name for themselves.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | DF | Frickson Erazo | 5 May 1988 (aged 26) | 36 | Flamengo |
| 8 | MF | Édison Méndez | 15 March 1979 (aged 35) | 109 | Santa Fe |
| 1 | GK | Máximo Banguera | 16 December 1985 (aged 28) | 24 |  Barcelona |
| 4 | DF | Juan Carlos Paredes | 8 July 1987 (aged 26) | 37 | Barcelona |
| 19 | MF | Luis Saritama | 20 October 1983 (aged 30) | 48 | Barcelona |
| 12 | GK | Adrián Bone | 8 September 1988 (aged 25) | 3 | El Nacional |
| 2 | DF | Jorge Guagua | 28 September 1981 (aged 32) | 58 | Emelec |
| 18 | DF | Óscar Bagüí | 10 December 1982 (aged 31) | 21 | Emelec |
| 21 | DF | Gabriel Achilier | 24 March 1985 (aged 29) | 22 | Emelec |
| 22 | GK | Alexander Domínguez | 5 June 1987 (aged 27) | 18 | LDU Quito |
| 16 | MF | Antonio Valencia (c) | 4 August 1985 (aged 28) | 70 | Manchester United |
| 23 | MF | Carlos Gruezo | 19 April 1995 (aged 19) | 2 | VfB Stuttgart |
| 15 | MF | Michael Arroyo | 23 April 1987 (aged 27) | 20 | Atlante |
| 9 | MF | Joao Rojas | 14 June 1989 (aged 24) | 29 | Cruz Azul |
| 7 | MF | Jefferson Montero | 1 September 1989 (aged 24) | 39 | Morelia |
| 10 | DF | Walter Ayoví | 11 August 1979 (aged 34) | 89 | Pachuca |
| 13 | FW | Enner Valencia | 11 April 1989 (aged 25) | 9 | Pachuca |
| 17 | FW | Jaime Ayoví | 21 February 1988 (aged 26) | 30 | Tijuana |
| 20 | MF | Fidel Martínez | 15 February 1990 (aged 24) | 8 | Tijuana |
| 5 | MF | Renato Ibarra | 20 January 1991 (aged 23) | 17 | Vitesse |
| 6 | MF | Christian Noboa | 9 April 1985 (aged 29) | 41 | Dynamo Moscow |
| 14 | MF | Segundo Castillo | 15 May 1982 (aged 32) | 81 |  Al-Hilal |
| 11 | FW | Felipe Caicedo | 5 September 1988 (aged 25) | 49 |  Al-Jazira |
England
It’s hard to remember when England reached a World Cup tournament with so little expectations. No one thinks Roy Hodgson is a good manager, the group is very difficult (with Italy and Uruguay) and for the face time, no one thinks they have the required talent to make it very far or even past the group stage. Maybe this minimal hype will help them have their best tournament in a very long time.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Joe Hart | 19 May 1987 (aged 27) | 40 | Manchester City |
| 2 | DF | Glen Johnson | 23 August 1984 (aged 29) | 51 | Liverpool |
| 3 | DF | Leighton Baines | 11 December 1984 (aged 29) | 23 | Everton |
| 4 | MF | Steven Gerrard (c) | 30 May 1980 (aged 34) | 110 | Liverpool |
| 5 | DF | Gary Cahill | 19 December 1985 (aged 28) | 23 | Chelsea |
| 6 | DF | Phil Jagielka | 17 August 1982 (aged 31) | 25 | Everton |
| 7 | MF | Jack Wilshere | 1 January 1992 (aged 22) | 16 | Arsenal |
| 8 | MF | Frank Lampard | 20 June 1978 (aged 35) | 103 | Chelsea |
| 9 | FW | Daniel Sturridge | 1 September 1989 (aged 24) | 11 | Liverpool |
| 10 | FW | Wayne Rooney | 24 October 1985 (aged 28) | 90 | Manchester United |
| 11 | FW | Danny Welbeck | 26 November 1990 (aged 23) | 22 | Manchester United |
| 12 | DF | Chris Smalling | 22 November 1989 (aged 24) | 11 | Manchester United |
| 13 | GK | Ben Foster | 3 May 1983 (aged 31) | 6 | West Bromwich Albion |
| 14 | MF | Jordan Henderson | 17 June 1990 (aged 23) | 9 | Liverpool |
| 15 | MF | Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain | 15 August 1993 (aged 20) | 14 | Arsenal |
| 16 | DF | Phil Jones | 21 February 1992 (aged 22) | 9 | Manchester United |
| 17 | MF | James Milner | 4 January 1986 (aged 28) | 46 | Manchester City |
| 18 | FW | Rickie Lambert | 16 February 1982 (aged 32) | 4 | Southampton |
| 19 | MF | Raheem Sterling | 8 December 1994 (aged 19) | 3 | Liverpool |
| 20 | MF | Adam Lallana | 10 May 1988 (aged 26) | 4 | Southampton |
| 21 | MF | Ross Barkley | 5 December 1993 (aged 20) | 4 | Everton |
| 22 | GK | Fraser Forster | 17 March 1988 (aged 26) | 1 |  Celtic |
| 23 | DF | Luke Shaw | 12 July 1995 (aged 18) | 1 | Southampton |
France
Talent? Plenty of it. But if Franck Ribery isn’t playing, it’s hard to think of one really big star this side has that can carry them far away in the tournament. Everything is good or even very good, all across the board, from defense to attack. But brilliance? World Class? Maybe Paul Pogba who has plenty of potential, but no one really stands out when you take a broader look at everyone in the tournament.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Hugo Lloris (c) | 26 December 1986 (aged 27) | 56 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| 2 | DF | Mathieu Debuchy | 28 July 1985 (aged 28) | 20 | Newcastle United |
| 3 | DF | Patrice Evra | 15 May 1981 (aged 33) | 57 | Manchester United |
| 4 | DF | Raphaël Varane | 25 April 1993 (aged 21) | 5 | Real Madrid |
| 5 | DF | Mamadou Sakho | 13 February 1990 (aged 24) | 18 | Liverpool |
| 6 | MF | Yohan Cabaye | 14 January 1986 (aged 28) | 29 | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 7 | MF | Franck Ribéry | 7 April 1983 (aged 31) | 81 | Bayern Munich |
| 8 | MF | Mathieu Valbuena | 28 September 1984 (aged 29) | 33 | Marseille |
| 9 | FW | Olivier Giroud | 30 September 1986 (aged 27) | 29 | Arsenal |
| 10 | FW | Karim Benzema | 19 December 1987 (aged 26) | 65 | Real Madrid |
| 11 | MF | Antoine Griezmann | 21 March 1991 (aged 23) | 3 | Real Sociedad |
| 12 | MF | Rio Mavuba | 8 March 1984 (aged 30) | 11 | Lille |
| 13 | DF | Eliaquim Mangala | 13 February 1991 (aged 23) | 3 | Porto |
| 14 | MF | Blaise Matuidi | 9 April 1987 (aged 27) | 22 | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 15 | DF | Bacary Sagna | 14 February 1983 (aged 31) | 40 | Arsenal |
| 16 | GK | Stéphane Ruffier[33] | 27 September 1986 | 2 | Saint-Étienne |
| 17 | DF | Lucas Digne | 20 July 1993 (aged 20) | 2 | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 18 | MF | Moussa Sissoko | 16 August 1989 (aged 24) | 16 | Newcastle United |
| 19 | MF | Paul Pogba | 15 March 1993 (aged 21) | 10 | Juventus |
| 20 | FW | Loïc Rémy | 2 January 1987 (aged 27) | 24 | Newcastle United |
| 21 | DF | Laurent Koscielny | 10 September 1985 (aged 28) | 17 | Arsenal |
| 22 | MF | Clément Grenier | 7 January 1991 (aged 23) | 5 | Lyon |
| 23 | GK | Mickaël Landreau | 14 May 1979 (aged 35) | 11 | Bastia |
Germany
On paper, this is the most talented team going into the tournament. However, we’ve seen four times over the last four major competitions that talent and potential don’t always come together, and injuries to key players they’re trying to shake off, or taking just one natural striker to the tournament in potential record breaker Miroslav Klose might become more than just a slight problem.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Manuel Neuer | 27 March 1986 (aged 28) | 45 | Bayern Munich |
| 2 | DF | Kevin Großkreutz | 19 July 1988 (aged 25) | 4 | Borussia Dortmund |
| 3 | MF | Matthias Ginter | 19 January 1994 (aged 20) | 2 | SC Freiburg |
| 4 | DF | Benedikt Höwedes | 29 February 1988 (aged 26) | 20 | Schalke 04 |
| 5 | DF | Mats Hummels | 16 December 1988 (aged 25) | 29 | Borussia Dortmund |
| 6 | MF | Sami Khedira | 4 April 1987 (aged 27) | 45 | Real Madrid |
| 7 | MF | Bastian Schweinsteiger | 1 August 1984 (aged 29) | 101 | Bayern Munich |
| 8 | MF | Mesut Özil | 15 October 1988 (aged 25) | 54 | Arsenal |
| 9 | MF | André Schürrle | 6 November 1990 (aged 23) | 32 | Chelsea |
| 10 | FW | Lukas Podolski | 4 June 1985 (aged 29) | 113 | Arsenal |
| 11 | FW | Miroslav Klose | 9 June 1978 (aged 36) | 131 | Lazio |
| 12 | GK | Ron-Robert Zieler | 12 February 1989 (aged 25) | 3 | Hannover 96 |
| 13 | MF | Thomas Müller | 13 September 1989 (aged 24) | 48 | Bayern Munich |
| 14 | MF | Julian Draxler | 20 September 1993 (aged 20) | 11 | Schalke 04 |
| 15 | DF | Erik Durm | 12 May 1992 (aged 22) | 1 | Borussia Dortmund |
| 16 | DF | Philipp Lahm (c) | 11 November 1983 (aged 30) | 105 | Bayern Munich |
| 17 | DF | Per Mertesacker | 29 September 1984 (aged 29) | 97 | Arsenal |
| 18 | MF | Toni Kroos | 4 January 1990 (aged 24) | 43 | Bayern Munich |
| 19 | MF | Mario Götze | 3 June 1992 (aged 22) | 28 | Bayern Munich |
| 20 | DF | Jérôme Boateng | 3 September 1988 (aged 25) | 38 | Bayern Munich |
| 21 | MF | Marco Reus | 31 May 1989 (aged 25) | 20 | Borussia Dortmund |
| 22 | GK | Roman Weidenfeller | 6 August 1980 (aged 33) | 2 | Borussia Dortmund |
| 23 | MF | Christoph Kramer | 12 February 1991 (aged 23) | 2 | Borussia Mönchengladbach |
Ghana
Another young Ghanaian squad is in the same group with Germany. They were a penalty kick away from becoming the first African side to reach the World Cup semifinal four years ago. Very talented, very athletic and with a Ghanaian coach, James Kwesi Appiah, they’re hoping that the disappointing finish to their African Championship will be a platform to create success this time.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | DF | Daniel Opare | 18 October 1990 (aged 23) | 16 | Standard Liège |
| – | MF | Albert Adomah | 13 December 1987 (aged 26) | 14 | Middlesbrough |
| – | MF | André Ayew | 17 December 1989 (aged 24) | 48 | Marseille |
| – | DF | John Boye | 23 April 1987 (aged 27) | 29 | Rennes |
| – | FW | Jordan Ayew | 11 September 1991 (aged 22) | 12 | Sochaux |
| – | FW | Majeed Waris | 19 September 1991 (aged 22) | 9 | Valenciennes |
| – | DF | Jonathan Mensah | 13 July 1990 (aged 23) | 26 | Évian |
| – | FW | Kevin-Prince Boateng | 6 March 1987 (aged 27) | 12 | Schalke 04 |
| – | GK | Steven Adams | 28 September 1989 (aged 24) | 7 |  Aduana Stars |
| – | DF | Samuel Inkoom | 1 June 1989 (aged 25) | 46 | Platanias |
| – | MF | Kwadwo Asamoah | 9 December 1988 (aged 25) | 61 | Juventus |
| – | MF | Sulley Muntari | 27 August 1984 (aged 29) | 81 | Milan |
| – | MF | Michael Essien | 3 December 1982 (aged 31) | 57 | Milan |
| – | MF | Afriyie Acquah | 5 January 1992 (aged 22) | 4 | Parma |
| – | MF | Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu | 2 December 1990 (aged 23) | 48 | Udinese |
| – | MF | Christian Atsu | 10 January 1992 (aged 22) | 22 | Vitesse |
| – | GK | Adam Kwarasey | 12 December 1987 (aged 26) | 21 | Strømsgodset |
| – | MF | Mohammed Rabiu | 31 December 1989 (aged 24) | 16 | Kuban Krasnodar |
| – | MF | Wakaso Mubarak | 25 July 1990 (aged 23) | 16 | Rubin Kazan |
| – | DF | Rashid Sumaila | 18 December 1992 (aged 21) | 6 |  Mamelodi Sundowns |
| – | GK | Fatau Dauda | 6 April 1985 (aged 29) | 17 | Orlando Pirates |
| – | DF | Harrison Afful | 24 June 1986 (aged 27) | 40 | Espérance |
| – | FW | Asamoah Gyan (c) | 22 November 1985 (aged 28) | 78 | Al-Ain |
Greece
Still with us, with the same kind of unattractive, relentless and mostly defensive football. No longer European champions or anywhere near that quality, but Greece are in the World Cup for a second consecutive time and considering their group, it’s going to be impossible to count them out of qualifying to the round of 16 for the first time ever, although relying on players like Katsouranis and Karagounis seems to be relying too much on age and experience instead of talent.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Orestis Karnezis | 11 July 1985 (aged 28) | 18 | Granada |
| 2 | DF | Giannis Maniatis | 12 October 1986 (aged 27) | 29 | Olympiacos |
| 3 | DF | Giorgos Tzavellas | 26 November 1987 (aged 26) | 13 | PAOK |
| 4 | DF | Kostas Manolas | 14 June 1991 (aged 22) | 8 | Olympiacos |
| 5 | DF | Vangelis Moras | 26 August 1981 (aged 32) | 18 | Verona |
| 6 | MF | Alexandros Tziolis | 13 February 1985 (aged 29) | 49 | Kayserispor |
| 7 | FW | Giorgos Samaras | 21 February 1985 (aged 29) | 73 | Celtic |
| 8 | MF | Panagiotis Kone | 26 July 1987 (aged 26) | 15 | Bologna |
| 9 | FW | Kostas Mitroglou | 12 March 1988 (aged 26) | 31 | Fulham |
| 10 | MF | Giorgos Karagounis (c) | 6 March 1977 (aged 37) | 134 | Fulham |
| 11 | DF | Loukas Vyntra | 5 February 1981 (aged 33) | 49 | Levante |
| 12 | GK | Panagiotis Glykos | 3 June 1986 (aged 28) | 2 | PAOK |
| 13 | GK | Stefanos Kapino | 18 March 1994 (aged 20) | 2 | Panathinaikos |
| 14 | FW | Dimitris Salpingidis | 18 August 1981 (aged 32) | 75 | PAOK |
| 15 | DF | Vasilis Torosidis | 10 June 1985 (aged 29) | 65 | Roma |
| 16 | MF | Lazaros Christodoulopoulos | 19 December 1986 (aged 27) | 18 | Bologna |
| 17 | FW | Theofanis Gekas | 23 May 1980 (aged 34) | 71 | Konyaspor |
| 18 | MF | Giannis Fetfatzidis | 21 December 1990 (aged 23) | 18 | Genoa |
| 19 | DF | Sokratis Papastathopoulos | 9 June 1988 (aged 26) | 47 | Borussia Dortmund |
| 20 | DF | José Holebas | 27 June 1984 (aged 29) | 21 | Olympiacos |
| 21 | MF | Kostas Katsouranis | 21 June 1979 (aged 34) | 110 | PAOK |
| 22 | MF | Andreas Samaris | 13 June 1989 (aged 24) | 4 | Olympiacos |
| 23 | MF | Panagiotis Tachtsidis | 15 February 1991 (aged 23) | 5 | Torino |
Honduras
Few teams arrive with such an unimpressive squad, based on players from the Honduran league and the MLS, with four players also coming from the Premier League and Championship. No big stars, not a lot of creativity, and not a lot of great football expected to be shown. Look out for Jerry Bengston of New England and Carlo Costly who plays for Real Espana to possibly surprise some people.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | MF | Andy Najar | 16 March 1993 (aged 21) | 16 | Anderlecht |
| 23 | DF | Brayan Beckeles | 28 November 1985 (aged 28) | 22 |  Olimpia |
| 13 | FW | Carlo Costly | 18 July 1982 (aged 31) | 69 | Real España |
| 22 | GK | Donis Escober | 3 February 1980 (aged 34) | 26 | Olimpia |
| 12 | MF | Edder Delgado[35] | November 20, 1986 (aged 27) | 25 | Real España |
| 7 | DF | Emilio Izaguirre | 10 May 1986 (aged 28) | 67 | Celtic |
| 11 | FW | Jerry Bengtson | 8 April 1987 (aged 27) | 43 | New England Revolution |
| 9 | FW | Jerry Palacios | 1 November 1981 (aged 32) | 23 | Alajuelense |
| 20 | MF | Jorge Claros | 8 January 1986 (aged 28) | 48 | Motagua |
| 6 | DF | Juan Carlos García | 8 March 1988 (aged 26) | 33 | Wigan Athletic |
| 4 | DF | Juan Pablo Montes | 26 October 1985 (aged 28) | 11 | Motagua |
| 19 | MF | Luis Garrido | 5 November 1990 (aged 23) | 19 | Olimpia |
| 1 | GK | Luis López | 13 September 1993 (aged 20) | 0 | Real España |
| 10 | MF | Mario Martínez | 30 July 1989 (aged 24) | 35 | Real España |
| 17 | MF | Marvin Chávez | 3 November 1983 (aged 30) | 41 | Chivas USA |
| 3 | DF | Maynor Figueroa | 2 May 1983 (aged 31) | 104 | Hull City |
| 18 | GK | Noel Valladares (c) | 3 May 1977 (aged 37) | 121 | Olimpia |
| 2 | DF | Osman Chávez | 29 July 1984 (aged 29) | 54 | Qingdao Jonoon |
| 15 | MF | Roger Espinoza | 25 October 1986 (aged 27) | 41 | Wigan Athletic |
| 16 | FW | Rony Martínez | 16 October 1988 (aged 25) | 12 | Real Sociedad |
| 5 | DF | Víctor Bernárdez | 24 May 1982 (aged 32) | 77 | San Jose Earthquakes |
| 8 | MF | Wilson Palacios | 29 July 1984 (aged 29) | 94 | Stoke City |
| 14 | MF | Óscar García | 4 September 1984 (aged 29) | 92 | Houston Dynamo |
Iran
Iran rely on players that mostly come from the local league, but Ashkan Dejagah of Fulham and Steven Beitashour who plays for Vancouver are expected to bring a bit more into this squad, although the big star is their captain and top scorer from the qualifiers, Javad Nekounam, who plays for Al-Kuwait.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | DF | Steven Beitashour | 1 February 1987 (aged 27) | 6 | Vancouver Whitecaps |
| 16 | FW | Reza Ghoochannejhad | 20 September 1987 (aged 26) | 13 | Charlton Athletic |
| 21 | MF | Ashkan Dejagah | 5 July 1986 (aged 27) | 13 | Fulham |
| 22 | GK | Daniel Davari | 6 January 1988 (aged 26) | 4 | Eintracht Braunschweig |
| 2 | MF | Khosro Heydari | 14 September 1983 (aged 30) | 48 |  Esteghlal |
| 5 | DF | Amir Hossein Sadeghi | 6 September 1981 (aged 32) | 16 | Esteghlal |
| 14 | MF | Andranik Teymourian | 6 March 1983 (aged 31) | 78 | Esteghlal |
| 19 | DF | Hashem Beikzadeh | 22 January 1984 (aged 30) | 17 | Esteghlal |
| 18 | MF | Bakhtiar Rahmani | 23 September 1991 (aged 22) | 4 | Foolad |
| 17 | DF | Ahmad Alenemeh | 10 October 1982 (aged 31) | 9 | Naft Tehran |
| 4 | DF | Jalal Hosseini | 3 February 1982 (aged 32) | 84 | Persepolis |
| 8 | MF | Reza Haghighi | 1 February 1989 (aged 25) | 7 | Persepolis |
| 13 | DF | Hossein Mahini | 16 September 1986 (aged 27) | 21 | Persepolis |
| 23 | DF | Mehrdad Pouladi | 26 February 1987 (aged 27) | 19 | Persepolis |
| 1 | GK | Rahman Ahmadi | 30 July 1980 (aged 33) | 10 | Sepahan |
| 3 | MF | Ehsan Hajsafi | 25 February 1990 (aged 24) | 61 | Sepahan |
| 10 | FW | Karim Ansarifard | 3 April 1990 (aged 24) | 41 | Tractor Sazi |
| 11 | MF | Ghasem Haddadifar | 12 July 1983 (aged 30) | 16 | Zob Ahan |
| 6 | MF | Javad Nekounam (c) | 7 October 1980 (aged 33) | 139 |  Al-Kuwait |
| 9 | FW | Alireza Jahanbakhsh | 11 August 1993 (aged 20) | 6 | NEC |
| 12 | GK | Alireza Haghighi | 2 May 1988 (aged 26) | 5 | Sporting Covilhã |
| 15 | DF | Pejman Montazeri | 6 September 1983 (aged 30) | 21 | Umm Salal |
| 7 | MF | Masoud Shojaei | 9 June 1984 (aged 30) | 49 | Las Palmas |
Italy
A team you can’t really tell what’s going to happen with them. Gianluigi Buffon leads a defense relying on the strengths of the Italian champions, Juventus, and some remenants from the side that won the 2006 World Cup with an impressive defensive display. Andrea Pirlo has a lot riding on his talent and set piece ability, while many are hoping for the talents of Mario Balotelli to last for more than just one match.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Gianluigi Buffon (c) | 28 January 1978 (aged 36) | 139 | Juventus |
| 2 | DF | Mattia De Sciglio | 20 October 1992 (aged 21) | 10 | Milan |
| 3 | DF | Giorgio Chiellini | 14 August 1984 (aged 29) | 67 | Juventus |
| 4 | DF | Matteo Darmian | 2 December 1989 (aged 24) | 1 | Torino |
| 5 | MF | Thiago Motta | 28 August 1982 (aged 31) | 20 | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 6 | MF | Antonio Candreva | 28 February 1987 (aged 27) | 19 | Lazio |
| 7 | DF | Ignazio Abate | 12 November 1986 (aged 27) | 19 | Milan |
| 8 | MF | Claudio Marchisio | 19 January 1986 (aged 28) | 43 | Juventus |
| 9 | FW | Mario Balotelli | 12 August 1990 (aged 23) | 29 | Milan |
| 10 | FW | Antonio Cassano | 12 July 1982 (aged 31) | 36 | Parma |
| 11 | FW | Alessio Cerci | 23 July 1987 (aged 26) | 11 | Torino |
| 12 | GK | Salvatore Sirigu | 12 January 1987 (aged 27) | 8 | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 13 | GK | Mattia Perin | 10 November 1992 (aged 21) | 0 | Genoa |
| 14 | MF | Alberto Aquilani | 7 July 1984 (aged 29) | 34 | Fiorentina |
| 15 | DF | Andrea Barzagli | 8 May 1981 (aged 33) | 47 | Juventus |
| 16 | MF | Daniele De Rossi | 24 July 1983 (aged 30) | 94 | Roma |
| 17 | FW | Ciro Immobile | 20 February 1990 (aged 24) | 2 | Torino |
| 18 | MF | Marco Parolo | 25 January 1985 (aged 29) | 3 | Parma |
| 19 | DF | Leonardo Bonucci | 1 May 1987 (aged 27) | 36 | Juventus |
| 20 | DF | Gabriel Paletta | 15 February 1986 (aged 28) | 2 | Parma |
| 21 | MF | Andrea Pirlo | 19 May 1979 (aged 35) | 108 | Juventus |
| 22 | FW | Lorenzo Insigne | 4 June 1991 (aged 23) | 4 | Napoli |
| 23 | MF | Marco Verratti | 5 November 1992 (aged 21) | 5 | Paris Saint-Germain |
Ivory Coast
The last two World Cups were cruel to the Ivory Coast, twice finding themselves in the group of death despite being considered the best African side. Things have changed, and they do have an easier group to deal with this time, but also less talent than before. Yaya Toure is one of the best midfielders in the world, but Didier Drogba is nowhere near the player he once was, although Wilfried Bony might provide considerable firepower next to him.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | GK | Boubacar Barry | 30 December 1979 (aged 34) | 79 | Lokeren |
| – | GK | Sayouba Mandé | 5 June 1993 (aged 21) | 1 | Stabæk |
| – | GK | Sylvain Gbohouo | 29 October 1988 (aged 25) | 1 |  Séwé Sport |
| – | DF | Arthur Boka | 2 April 1983 (aged 31) | 79 | VfB Stuttgart |
| – | DF | Constant Djakpa | 17 October 1986 (aged 27) | 4 | Eintracht Frankfurt |
| – | DF | Didier Zokora | 14 December 1980 (aged 33) | 119 | Trabzonspor |
| – | DF | Jean-Daniel Akpa-Akpro | 11 October 1992 (aged 21) | 1 | Toulouse |
| – | DF | Kolo Touré | 19 March 1981 (aged 33) | 106 | Liverpool |
| – | DF | Ousmane Viera | 21 December 1986 (aged 27) | 3 | Çaykur Rizespor |
| – | DF | Serge Aurier | 24 December 1992 (aged 21) | 8 | Toulouse |
| – | DF | Sol Bamba | 13 January 1985 (aged 29) | 43 | Trabzonspor |
| – | MF | Cheick Tioté | 21 June 1986 (aged 27) | 44 | Newcastle United |
| – | MF | Didier Ya Konan | 25 February 1984 (aged 30) | 25 | Hannover 96 |
| – | MF | Ismaël Diomandé | 28 August 1992 (aged 21) | 1 | Saint-Étienne |
| – | MF | Serey Die | 7 November 1984 (aged 29) | 6 | Basel |
| – | MF | Yaya Touré | 13 May 1983 (aged 31) | 83 | Manchester City |
| – | FW | Didier Drogba (c) | 11 March 1978 (aged 36) | 100 | Galatasaray |
| – | FW | Gervinho | 27 May 1987 (aged 27) | 53 | Roma |
| – | FW | Giovanni Sio | 31 March 1989 (aged 25) | 7 | Basel |
| – | FW | Mathis Bolly | 14 November 1990 (aged 23) | 3 | Fortuna Düsseldorf |
| – | FW | Max Gradel | 30 November 1987 (aged 26) | 25 | Saint-Étienne |
| – | FW | Salomon Kalou | 5 August 1985 (aged 28) | 64 | Lille |
| – | FW | Wilfried Bony | 10 December 1988 (aged 25) | 24 | Swansea City |
Japan
Japan find themselves in an unlikely situation: Possible favorites to come out of their group as the number one team. They are in their fifth consecutive World Cup appearance, hoping to make it out of the group stage for a third time, relying on Shinji Kagawa, Keisuke Honda and Yuto Nagatomo, playing on opposite sides of the Milan derby, to provide the extra quality a disciplined and energetic squad needs to finish among the top two.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Eiji Kawashima | 20 March 1983 (aged 31) | 56 | Standard Liège |
| 10 | MF | Shinji Kagawa | 17 March 1989 (aged 25) | 56 | Manchester United |
| 22 | DF | Maya Yoshida | 24 August 1988 (aged 25) | 40 | Southampton |
| 8 | MF | Hiroshi Kiyotake | 12 November 1989 (aged 24) | 25 | 1. FC Nürnberg |
| 17 | MF | Makoto Hasebe (c) | 18 January 1984 (aged 30) | 78 | 1. FC Nürnberg |
| 18 | FW | Yuya Osako | 18 May 1990 (aged 24) | 8 | 1860 München |
| 21 | DF | Hiroki Sakai | 12 April 1990 (aged 24) | 17 | Hannover 96 |
| 9 | FW | Shinji Okazaki | 16 April 1986 (aged 28) | 75 | Mainz 05 |
| 2 | DF | Atsuto Uchida | 27 March 1988 (aged 26) | 67 | Schalke 04 |
| 3 | DF | Gōtoku Sakai | 14 February 1991 (aged 23) | 12 | VfB Stuttgart |
| 5 | DF | Yuto Nagatomo | 12 September 1986 (aged 27) | 69 | Internazionale |
| 4 | MF | Keisuke Honda | 13 June 1986 (aged 27) | 55 | Milan |
| 11 | FW | Yoichiro Kakitani | 3 January 1990 (aged 24) | 11 |  Cerezo Osaka |
| 16 | MF | Hotaru Yamaguchi | 6 October 1990 (aged 23) | 11 | Cerezo Osaka |
| 6 | DF | Masato Morishige | 21 May 1987 (aged 27) | 9 | F.C. Tokyo |
| 23 | GK | Shūichi Gonda | 3 March 1989 (aged 25) | 2 | F.C. Tokyo |
| 7 | MF | Yasuhito Endō | 28 January 1980 (aged 34) | 143 | Gamba Osaka |
| 15 | DF | Yasuyuki Konno | 25 January 1983 (aged 31) | 80 | Gamba Osaka |
| 19 | DF | Masahiko Inoha | 28 August 1983 (aged 30) | 21 | Jubilo Iwata |
| 13 | FW | Yoshito Ōkubo | 9 June 1982 (aged 32) | 56 | Kawasaki Frontale |
| 14 | MF | Toshihiro Aoyama | 22 February 1986 (aged 28) | 5 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima |
| 12 | GK | Shusaku Nishikawa | 18 June 1986 (aged 27) | 12 | Urawa Red Diamonds |
| 20 | FW | Manabu Saitō | 4 April 1990 (aged 24) | 4 | Yokohama F. Marinos |
Mexico
The Mexican team barely made it into the competition, but expectations are always high when it comes to El Tri, making it past the group stage but losing in the round of 16 in all of the last five tournaments they’ve been to. Overall this is the 15th World Cup for Mexico, with their best achievement being the quarterfinals, twice making it to the last eight when they hosted the tournament in 1970 and 1986.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | José de Jesús Corona | 26 January 1981 (aged 33) | 33 | Cruz Azul |
| 2 | DF | Francisco Javier Rodríguez | 20 October 1981 (aged 32) | 94 | América |
| 3 | DF | Carlos Salcido | 2 April 1980 (aged 34) | 122 | UANL |
| 4 | DF | Rafael Márquez (c) | 13 February 1979 (aged 35) | 119 | León |
| 5 | DF | Diego Reyes | 19 September 1992 (aged 21) | 14 | Porto |
| 6 | MF | Héctor Herrera | 19 April 1990 (aged 24) | 12 | Porto |
| 7 | DF | Miguel Layún | 25 June 1988 (aged 25) | 14 | América |
| 8 | MF | Marco Fabián | 21 July 1989 (aged 24) | 14 | Cruz Azul |
| 9 | FW | Raúl Jiménez | 5 May 1991 (aged 23) | 25 | América |
| 10 | FW | Giovani dos Santos | 11 May 1989 (aged 25) | 75 | Villarreal |
| 11 | FW | Alan Pulido | 8 March 1991 (aged 23) | 5 | UANL |
| 12 | GK | Alfredo Talavera | 18 September 1982 (aged 31) | 14 | Toluca |
| 13 | GK | Guillermo Ochoa | 13 July 1985 (aged 28) | 58 | Ajaccio |
| 14 | FW | Javier Hernández | 1 June 1988 (aged 26) | 61 | Manchester United |
| 15 | DF | Héctor Moreno | 17 January 1988 (aged 26) | 52 | Espanyol |
| 16 | DF | Miguel Ángel Ponce | 12 April 1989 (aged 25) | 8 | Toluca |
| 17 | MF | Isaác Brizuela | 28 August 1990 (aged 23) | 7 | Toluca |
| 18 | DF | Andrés Guardado | 28 September 1986 (aged 27) | 103 | Bayer Leverkusen |
| 19 | FW | Oribe Peralta | 12 January 1984 (aged 30) | 32 | Santos Laguna |
| 20 | MF | Javier Aquino | 11 February 1990 (aged 24) | 21 | Villarreal |
| 21 | MF | Carlos Peña | 29 March 1990 (aged 24) | 16 | León |
| 22 | DF | Paul Aguilar | 6 March 1986 (aged 28) | 29 | América |
| 23 | MF | José Juan Vázquez | 14 March 1988 (aged 26) | 4 | León |
Netherlands
Three-time World Cup finalists waiting for their first win, the Dutch team made the final in 2010 as well but without winning over too many neutrals for their style and even violent approach. They had no problem in the qualifiers, which is customary, but after their poor performance in the 2012 European Championship the pressure will be on Louis van Gaal and his players to prove it was a one-time slip up.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Jasper Cillessen | 22 April 1989 (aged 25) | 7 | Ajax |
| 2 | DF | Ron Vlaar | 16 February 1985 (aged 29) | 23 | Aston Villa |
| 3 | DF | Stefan de Vrij | 5 February 1992 (aged 22) | 11 | Feyenoord |
| 4 | DF | Bruno Martins Indi | 8 February 1992 (aged 22) | 15 | Feyenoord |
| 5 | DF | Daley Blind | 9 March 1990 (aged 24) | 11 | Ajax |
| 6 | MF | Jonathan de Guzmán | 13 September 1987 (aged 26) | 10 | Swansea City |
| 7 | DF | Daryl Janmaat | 22 July 1989 (aged 24) | 15 | Feyenoord |
| 8 | MF | Nigel de Jong | 13 November 1984 (aged 29) | 70 | Milan |
| 9 | FW | Robin van Persie (c) | 6 August 1983 (aged 30) | 84 | Manchester United |
| 10 | MF | Wesley Sneijder | 9 June 1984 (aged 30) | 98 | Galatasaray |
| 11 | MF | Arjen Robben | 23 January 1984 (aged 30) | 74 | Bayern Munich |
| 12 | DF | Paul Verhaegh | 1 September 1983 (aged 30) | 2 | Augsburg |
| 13 | DF | Joël Veltman | 15 January 1992 (aged 22) | 2 | Ajax |
| 14 | DF | Terence Kongolo | 14 February 1994 (aged 20) | 1 | Feyenoord |
| 15 | FW | Dirk Kuyt | 22 July 1980 (aged 33) | 98 | Fenerbahçe |
| 16 | MF | Jordy Clasie | 27 June 1991 (aged 22) | 8 | Feyenoord |
| 17 | FW | Jeremain Lens | 24 November 1987 (aged 26) | 21 | Dynamo Kyiv |
| 18 | MF | Leroy Fer | 5 January 1990 | 5 | Norwich City |
| 19 | FW | Klaas-Jan Huntelaar | 12 August 1983 (aged 30) | 61 | Schalke 04 |
| 20 | MF | Georginio Wijnaldum | 11 November 1990 (aged 23) | 4 | PSV |
| 21 | MF | Memphis Depay | 13 February 1994 (aged 20) | 6 | PSV |
| 22 | GK | Michel Vorm | 3 October 1983 (aged 30) | 14 | Swansea City |
| 23 | GK | Tim Krul | 3 April 1988 (aged 26) | 5 | Newcastle United |
Nigeria
The defending African champions aren’t bringing a squad with mostly players from the local league this time. Talent is never a problem with Nigeria, and Stephen Keshi has proved he is very capable of handling the huge egos on this squad. However, suspicions of match fixing and under performing in recent matches might become a bit more of a problem once this tournament begins.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | FW | Michael Uchebo | 2 February 1990 (aged 24) | 3 | Cercle Brugge |
| – | MF | Reuben Gabriel | 25 September 1990 (aged 23) | 11 | Waasland-Beveren |
| – | MF | John Obi Mikel | 22 April 1987 (aged 27) | 59 | Chelsea |
| – | MF | Victor Moses | 12 December 1990 (aged 23) | 20 | Liverpool |
| – | DF | Kenneth Omeruo | 17 October 1993 (aged 20) | 17 | Middlesbrough |
| – | FW | Shola Ameobi | 12 October 1981 (aged 32) | 6 | Newcastle United |
| – | DF | Joseph Yobo | 6 September 1980 (aged 33) | 96 | Norwich City |
| – | FW | Peter Odemwingie | 15 July 1981 (aged 32) | 60 | Stoke City |
| – | GK | Vincent Enyeama (c) | 29 August 1982 (aged 31) | 90 | Lille |
| – | DF | Juwon Oshaniwa | 14 September 1990 (aged 23) | 10 |  Ashdod |
| – | GK | Austin Ejide | 8 April 1984 (aged 30) | 32 | Hapoel Be’er Sheva |
| – | MF | Ogenyi Onazi | 25 December 1992 (aged 21) | 20 | Lazio |
| – | DF | Uwa Elderson Echiéjilé | 20 January 1988 (aged 26) | 42 | Monaco |
| – | FW | Uche Nwofor | 17 September 1991 (aged 22) | 6 | Heerenveen |
| – | GK | Chigozie Agbim | 28 November 1984 (aged 29) | 11 |  Gombe United |
| – | DF | Kunle Odunlami | 5 March 1990 (aged 24) | 10 | Sunshine Stars |
| – | DF | Azubuike Egwuekwe | 16 July 1989 (aged 24) | 32 | Warri Wolves |
| – | FW | Ahmed Musa | 14 October 1992 (aged 21) | 35 | CSKA Moscow |
| – | DF | Efe Ambrose | 18 October 1988 (aged 25) | 36 | Celtic |
| – | MF | Ramon Azeez | 12 December 1992 (aged 21) | 1 | Almería |
| – | FW | Emmanuel Emenike | 10 May 1987 (aged 27) | 22 | Fenerbahçe |
| – | DF | Godfrey Oboabona | 16 August 1990 (aged 23) | 35 | Çaykur Rizespor |
| – | MF | Michael Babatunde | 24 December 1992 (aged 21) | 4 | Volyn Lutsk |
Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo and 22 more players, that’s the motto, even though other players won’t like the sound of that. Portugal have a solid defense and some very talented midfield players. However, all eyes will be on the most recent Ballon d’Or winner, who is hoping that the jokes about him dancing around after his garbage time goal in the Champions League Final will go away if he has a great World Cup.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Eduardo | 19 September 1982 (aged 31) | 33 | Braga |
| 2 | DF | Bruno Alves | 27 November 1981 (aged 32) | 71 | Fenerbahçe |
| 3 | DF | Pepe | 26 February 1983 (aged 31) | 57 | Real Madrid |
| 4 | MF | Miguel Veloso | 11 May 1986 (aged 28) | 47 | Dynamo Kyiv |
| 5 | DF | Fábio Coentrão | 11 March 1988 (aged 26) | 43 | Real Madrid |
| 6 | MF | William Carvalho | 7 April 1992 (aged 22) | 3 | Sporting |
| 7 | FW | Cristiano Ronaldo (c) | 5 February 1985 (aged 29) | 110 | Real Madrid |
| 8 | MF | João Moutinho | 8 September 1986 (aged 27) | 66 | Monaco |
| 9 | FW | Hugo Almeida | 23 May 1984 (aged 30) | 54 | Beşiktaş |
| 10 | MF | Vieirinha | 24 January 1986 (aged 28) | 7 | VfL Wolfsburg |
| 11 | FW | Éder | 22 December 1987 (aged 26) | 7 | Braga |
| 12 | GK | Rui Patrício | 15 February 1988 (aged 26) | 29 | Sporting |
| 13 | DF | Ricardo Costa | 16 May 1981 (aged 33) | 18 | Valencia |
| 14 | DF | Luís Neto | 26 May 1988 (aged 26) | 7 | Zenit Saint Petersburg |
| 15 | MF | Rafa Silva | 17 May 1993 (aged 21) | 2 | Braga |
| 16 | MF | Raul Meireles | 17 March 1983 (aged 31) | 73 | Fenerbahçe |
| 17 | MF | Nani | 17 November 1986 (aged 27) | 73 | Manchester United |
| 18 | MF | Silvestre Varela | 2 February 1985 (aged 29) | 22 | Porto |
| 19 | DF | André Almeida | 10 September 1990 (aged 23) | 3 | Benfica |
| 20 | MF | Rúben Amorim | 27 January 1985 (aged 29) | 11 | Benfica |
| 21 | DF | João Pereira | 25 February 1984 (aged 30) | 35 | Valencia |
| 22 | GK | Beto | 1 May 1982 (aged 32) | 7 | Sevilla |
| 23 | FW | Hélder Postiga | 2 August 1982 (aged 31) | 67 | Lazio |
Russia
They have the best manager in the tournament, but will that be enough? Russia have a strong side that disappointed in Euro 2012 after a brilliant start. They did very well in the qualifiers and seem to be quite stocked in every position but without anyone that stands out in terms of the usual definitions of world class or brilliant. That sounds like maybe, possibly, enough for a round of 16 or quarterfinals, but nothing more.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Igor Akinfeev | 8 April 1986 (aged 28) | 67 | CSKA Moscow |
| 12 | GK | Yuri Lodygin | 26 May 1990 (aged 24) | 2 | Zenit Saint Petersburg |
| 16 | GK | Sergey Ryzhikov | 19 September 1980 (aged 33) | 1 | Rubin Kazan |
| 2 | DF | Aleksei Kozlov | 16 November 1986 (aged 27) | 10 | Dynamo Moscow |
| 3 | DF | Georgi Shchennikov | 27 April 1991 (aged 23) | 3 | CSKA Moscow |
| 4 | DF | Sergei Ignashevich | 14 July 1979 (aged 34) | 95 | CSKA Moscow |
| 6 | DF | Andrei Semyonov | 24 March 1989 (aged 25) | 1 | Terek Grozny |
| 13 | DF | Vladimir Granat | 22 May 1987 (aged 27) | 4 | Dynamo Moscow |
| 14 | DF | Vasili Berezutski | 20 June 1982 (aged 31) | 77 | CSKA Moscow |
| 22 | DF | Andrey Yeshchenko | 9 February 1984 (aged 30) | 11 | Anzhi Makhachkala |
| 23 | DF | Dmitri Kombarov | 22 January 1987 (aged 27) | 21 | Spartak Moscow |
| 7 | MF | Igor Denisov | 17 May 1984 (aged 30) | 42 | Dynamo Moscow |
| 8 | MF | Denis Glushakov | 27 January 1987 (aged 27) | 26 | Spartak Moscow |
| 10 | MF | Alan Dzagoev | 17 June 1990 (aged 23) | 31 | CSKA Moscow |
| 15 | MF | Roman Shirokov (c) | 6 July 1981 (aged 32) | 40 | Krasnodar |
| 17 | MF | Oleg Shatov | 29 July 1990 (aged 23) | 6 | Zenit Saint Petersburg |
| 20 | MF | Viktor Fayzulin | 22 April 1986 (aged 28) | 18 | Zenit Saint Petersburg |
| 5 | FW | Yuri Zhirkov | 20 August 1983 (aged 30) | 59 | Dynamo Moscow |
| 9 | FW | Aleksandr Kokorin | 19 March 1991 (aged 23) | 20 | Dynamo Moscow |
| 11 | FW | Aleksandr Kerzhakov | 27 November 1982 (aged 31) | 79 | Zenit Saint Petersburg |
| 18 | FW | Aleksei Ionov | 18 February 1989 (aged 25) | 5 | Dynamo Moscow |
| 19 | FW | Aleksandr Samedov | 19 July 1984 (aged 29) | 16 | Lokomotiv Moscow |
| 21 | FW | Maksim Kanunnikov | 14 July 1991 (aged 22) | 2 | Rubin Kazan |
South Korea
Park Chu-Young and Lee Keun-Ho are the best players on a experienced side that has a nice blend of players from Asian leagues and Europe (mostly Germany), and are hoping to make it out of the group stage for only the third time in their World Cup history, making the competition every time since 1986.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | MF | Ha Dae-Sung | 2 March 1985 (aged 29) | 13 | Beijing Guoan |
| 5 | DF | Kim Young-Gwon | 27 February 1990 (aged 24) | 20 | Guangzhou Evergrande |
| 15 | MF | Park Jong-Woo | 10 March 1989 (aged 25) | 10 | Guangzhou R&F |
| 17 | MF | Lee Chung-Yong | 2 July 1988 (aged 25) | 54 | Bolton Wanderers |
| 3 | DF | Yun Suk-Young | 13 February 1990 (aged 24) | 3 | Queens Park Rangers |
| 16 | MF | Ki Sung-Yueng | 24 January 1989 (aged 25) | 58 | Sunderland |
| 10 | FW | Park Chu-Young | 10 July 1985 (aged 28) | 63 | Watford |
| 9 | FW | Son Heung-Min | 8 July 1992 (aged 21) | 24 | Bayer Leverkusen |
| 19 | FW | Ji Dong-Won | 28 May 1991 (aged 23) | 27 | FC Augsburg |
| 20 | DF | Hong Jeong-Ho | 12 August 1989 (aged 24) | 24 | FC Augsburg |
| 13 | MF | Koo Ja-Cheol (c) | 27 February 1989 (aged 25) | 36 | Mainz 05 |
| 22 | DF | Park Joo-Ho[57] | 16 January 1987 (aged 27) | 13 | Mainz 05 |
| 2 | DF | Kim Chang-Soo | 12 September 1985 (aged 28) | 8 | Kashiwa Reysol |
| 14 | MF | Han Kook-Young | 19 April 1990 (aged 24) | 9 | Kashiwa Reysol |
| 6 | DF | Hwang Seok-Ho | 27 June 1989 (aged 24) | 3 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima |
| 4 | DF | Kwak Tae-Hwi | 8 July 1981 (aged 32) | 34 | Al-Hilal |
| 23 | GK | Lee Bum-Young | 2 April 1989 (aged 25) | 0 | Busan I’Park |
| 11 | FW | Lee Keun-Ho | 11 April 1985 (aged 29) | 63 | Sangju Sangmu |
| 1 | GK | Jung Sung-Ryong | 4 January 1985 (aged 29) | 60 | Suwon Bluewings |
| 12 | DF | Lee Yong | 24 December 1986 (aged 27) | 11 | Ulsan Hyundai |
| 18 | FW | Kim Shin-Wook | 14 April 1988 (aged 26) | 26 | Ulsan Hyundai |
| 21 | GK | Kim Seung-Gyu | 30 September 1990 (aged 23) | 5 | Ulsan Hyundai |
| 7 | MF | Kim Bo-Kyung | 6 October 1989 (aged 24) | 27 | Cardiff City |
Spain
The World champions and also two-time European champions seem to be coming in a bit weaker than before. The tiki-taka is no longer the most efficient football style in the world, and Spain have that 3-0 loss to Brazil in the Confederation Cup probably sitting somewhere in the back of their minds. However, this is still a team filled with stars on defense and the midfield, bringing in 14 players from Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | MF | Santi Cazorla | 13 December 1984 (aged 29) | 62 | Arsenal |
| 9 | FW | Fernando Torres | 20 March 1984 (aged 30) | 107 | Chelsea |
| 22 | DF | César Azpilicueta | 28 August 1989 (aged 24) | 6 | Chelsea |
| 21 | MF | David Silva | 8 January 1986 (aged 28) | 79 | Manchester City |
| 12 | GK | David de Gea | 7 November 1990 (aged 23) | 0 | Manchester United |
| 13 | MF | Juan Mata | 28 April 1988 (aged 26) | 32 | Manchester United |
| 4 | MF | Javi Martínez | 2 September 1988 (aged 25) | 16 | Bayern Munich |
| 2 | DF | Raúl Albiol | 4 September 1985 (aged 28) | 46 | Napoli |
| 23 | GK | Pepe Reina | 31 August 1982 (aged 31) | 31 | Napoli |
| 5 | DF | Juanfran | 9 January 1985 (aged 29) | 6 | Atlético Madrid |
| 7 | FW | David Villa | 3 December 1981 (aged 32) | 94 | Atlético Madrid |
| 17 | MF | Koke | 8 January 1992 (aged 22) | 7 | Atlético Madrid |
| 19 | FW | Diego Costa | 7 October 1988 (aged 25) | 1 | Atlético Madrid |
| 3 | DF | Gerard Piqué | 2 February 1987 (aged 27) | 60 | Barcelona |
| 6 | MF | Andrés Iniesta | 11 May 1984 (aged 30) | 95 | Barcelona |
| 8 | MF | Xavi | 25 January 1980 (aged 34) | 131 | Barcelona |
| 10 | MF | Cesc Fàbregas | 4 May 1987 (aged 27) | 88 | Barcelona |
| 11 | FW | Pedro | 28 July 1987 (aged 26) | 38 | Barcelona |
| 16 | MF | Sergio Busquets | 16 July 1988 (aged 25) | 64 | Barcelona |
| 18 | DF | Jordi Alba | 21 March 1989 (aged 25) | 25 | Barcelona |
| 1 | GK | Iker Casillas (c) | 20 May 1981 (aged 33) | 153 | Real Madrid |
| 14 | MF | Xabi Alonso | 25 November 1981 (aged 32) | 109 | Real Madrid |
| 15 | DF | Sergio Ramos | 30 March 1986 (aged 28) | 115 | Real Madrid |
Switzerland
A strong Swiss team in a much more comfortable group than the one they had in 2010, with players coming from the Bundesliga, Italy and their own local league. The squad has a nice blend of experience and youth, with most of their strength residing in their midfield thanks to Inler, Shaqiri and others, although there should be plenty of creativity to be seen from this side unlike four years ago.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Diego Benaglio | 8 September 1983 (aged 30) | 56 | VfL Wolfsburg |
| 21 | GK | Roman Bürki | 14 November 1990 (aged 23) | 0 | Grasshopper |
| 12 | GK | Yann Sommer | 17 December 1988 (aged 25) | 6 | Basel |
| 22 | DF | Fabian Schär | 20 December 1991 (aged 22) | 5 | Basel |
| 20 | DF | Johan Djourou | 18 January 1987 (aged 27) | 44 | Hamburger SV |
| 6 | DF | Michael Lang | 8 February 1991 (aged 23) | 5 | Grasshopper |
| 4 | DF | Philippe Senderos | 14 February 1985 (aged 29) | 53 | Valencia |
| 3 | DF | Reto Ziegler | 16 January 1986 (aged 28) | 35 | Sassuolo |
| 13 | DF | Ricardo Rodríguez | 25 August 1992 (aged 21) | 20 | VfL Wolfsburg |
| 2 | DF | Stephan Lichtsteiner | 16 January 1984 (aged 30) | 62 | Juventus |
| 5 | DF | Steve von Bergen | 10 June 1983 (aged 31) | 40 | Young Boys |
| 15 | MF | Blerim Džemaili | 12 April 1986 (aged 28) | 33 | Napoli |
| 16 | MF | Gelson Fernandes | 2 September 1986 (aged 27) | 47 | SC Freiburg |
| 10 | MF | Granit Xhaka | 27 September 1992 (aged 21) | 25 | Borussia Mönchengladbach |
| 8 | MF | Gökhan Inler (c) | 27 June 1984 (aged 29) | 71 | Napoli |
| 7 | MF | Tranquillo Barnetta | 22 May 1985 (aged 29) | 73 | Eintracht Frankfurt |
| 14 | MF | Valentin Stocker | 12 April 1989 (aged 25) | 23 | Basel |
| 11 | MF | Valon Behrami | 19 April 1985 (aged 29) | 47 | Napoli |
| 23 | MF | Xherdan Shaqiri | 10 October 1991 (aged 22) | 32 | Bayern Munich |
| 18 | FW | Admir Mehmedi | 16 March 1991 (aged 23) | 20 | SC Freiburg |
| 9 | FW | Haris Seferović | 22 February 1992 (aged 22) | 10 | Real Sociedad |
| 19 | FW | Josip Drmić | 8 August 1992 (aged 21) | 6 | 1. FC Nürnberg |
| 17 | FW | Mario Gavranović | 24 November 1989 (aged 24) | 10 | Zürich |
United States
A transnational squad for the USA, always coming in with bigger expectations than they should, as Jurgen Klinsmann sees 2018 as a more realistic target for their future success. It hasn’t helped him in the public opinion’s court that he didn’t include Landon Donovan in the squad, but there’s enough experience even without him. The question is – is there enough talent?
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | MF | Michael Bradley | 31 July 1987 (aged 26) | 85 | Toronto FC |
| 12 | GK | Brad Guzan | 9 September 1984 (aged 29) | 25 | Aston Villa |
| 1 | GK | Tim Howard | 6 March 1979 (aged 35) | 99 | Everton |
| 20 | DF | Geoff Cameron | 11 July 1985 (aged 28) | 26 | Stoke City |
| 17 | FW | Jozy Altidore | 6 November 1989 (aged 24) | 69 | Sunderland |
| 11 | MF | Alejandro Bedoya | 29 April 1987 (aged 27) | 27 | Nantes |
| 21 | DF | Timothy Chandler | 29 March 1990 (aged 24) | 12 | 1. FC Nürnberg |
| 23 | DF | Fabian Johnson | 11 December 1987 (aged 26) | 21 | 1899 Hoffenheim |
| 16 | MF | Julian Green | 6 June 1995 (aged 19) | 2 | Bayern Munich |
| 6 | DF | John Brooks | 28 January 1993 (aged 21) | 4 | Hertha Berlin |
| 7 | DF | DaMarcus Beasley | 24 May 1982 (aged 32) | 115 | Puebla |
| 9 | FW | Aron Jóhannsson | 10 November 1990 (aged 23) | 8 | AZ |
| 10 | MF | Mikkel Diskerud | 2 October 1990 (aged 23) | 19 | Rosenborg |
| 13 | MF | Jermaine Jones | 3 November 1981 (aged 32) | 41 | Beşiktaş |
| 14 | MF | Brad Davis | 8 November 1981 (aged 32) | 16 | Houston Dynamo |
| 3 | DF | Omar Gonzalez | 11 October 1988 (aged 25) | 19 | Los Angeles Galaxy |
| 15 | MF | Kyle Beckerman | 23 April 1982 (aged 32) | 36 | Real Salt Lake |
| 22 | GK | Nick Rimando | 17 June 1979 (aged 34) | 14 | Real Salt Lake |
| 18 | FW | Chris Wondolowski | 28 January 1983 (aged 31) | 20 | San Jose Earthquakes |
| 2 | DF | DeAndre Yedlin | 9 July 1993 (aged 20) | 4 | Seattle Sounders FC |
| 8 | FW | Clint Dempsey (c) | 9 March 1983 (aged 31) | 104 | Seattle Sounders FC |
| 5 | DF | Matt Besler | 11 February 1987 (aged 27) | 16 | Sporting Kansas City |
| 19 | MF | Graham Zusi | 18 August 1986 (aged 27) | 22 | Sporting Kansas City |
Uruguay
No one will be surprised this time if Uruguay have a great tournament after making the semifinal in 2010 and winning the 2011 Copa America. However, three years have past. Diego Forlan is in his twilight footballing years, and so are other many key players. Everything will fall on the shoulders of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani this time, two of the best strikers in the world.
| No. | Pos. | Player | DoB/Age | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Fernando Muslera | 16 June 1986 (aged 27) | 57 | Galatasaray |
| 2 | DF | Diego Lugano (c) | 2 November 1980 (aged 33) | 93 | West Bromwich Albion |
| 3 | DF | Diego Godín | 16 February 1986 (aged 28) | 76 | Atlético Madrid |
| 4 | DF | Sebastián Coates | 7 October 1990 (aged 23) | 14 |  Nacional |
| 5 | MF | Walter Gargano | 23 July 1984 (aged 29) | 62 | Parma |
| 6 | MF | Álvaro Pereira | 28 November 1985 (aged 28) | 56 | São Paulo |
| 7 | MF | Cristian Rodríguez | 30 September 1985 (aged 28) | 72 | Atlético Madrid |
| 8 | FW | Abel Hernández | 8 August 1990 (aged 23) | 12 | Palermo |
| 9 | FW | Luis Suárez | 24 January 1987 (aged 27) | 77 | Liverpool |
| 10 | FW | Diego Forlán | 19 May 1979 (aged 35) | 109 | Cerezo Osaka |
| 11 | FW | Christian Stuani | 12 October 1986 (aged 27) | 9 | Espanyol |
| 12 | GK | Rodrigo Muñoz | 22 January 1982 (aged 32) | 0 |  Libertad |
| 13 | DF | Jorge Fucile | 19 November 1984 (aged 29) | 41 | Porto |
| 14 | MF | Nicolás Lodeiro | 21 March 1989 (aged 25) | 26 | Botafogo |
| 15 | MF | Diego Pérez | 18 May 1980 (aged 34) | 89 | Bologna |
| 16 | DF | Maxi Pereira | 8 June 1984 (aged 30) | 89 | Benfica |
| 17 | MF | Egidio Arévalo Ríos | 1 January 1982 (aged 32) | 54 | Morelia |
| 18 | MF | Gastón Ramírez | 2 December 1990 (aged 23) | 28 | Southampton |
| 19 | DF | José María Giménez | 20 January 1995 (aged 19) | 5 | Atlético Madrid |
| 20 | MF | Álvaro González | 29 October 1984 (aged 29) | 42 | Lazio |
| 21 | FW | Edinson Cavani | 14 February 1987 (aged 27) | 61 | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 22 | DF | Martín Cáceres | 7 April 1987 (aged 27) | 56 | Juventus |
| 23 | GK | Martín Silva | 25 March 1983 (aged 31) | 4 | Vasco da Gama |