We look at the 32 sides who are hoping for World Cup glory at the finals in South Africa next summer.
We look at the 32 teams heading for the World Cup finals
There are 32 teams with their sights set on World Cup glory after qualifying for the finals in South Africa next summer.
Here we look at the sides preparing to line up for football's showpiece event.
ALGERIA
Coach: Rabah Saadane
Star player: Karim Ziani
Previous appearances: 1982 (first round), 1986 (first round)
Chances: Qualifiers for the second time after eliminating Africa's continental champions Egypt, Saadane's men are defensively solid and are unlikely to be on the end of any thrashings in South Africa.That said, qualification for the last 16 looks too much to ask.
ARGENTINA
Coach: Diego Maradona
Star player: Lionel Messi
Previous appearances: 1930 (runners-up), 1934 (first round), 1958 (first round), 1962 (first round), 1966 (quarter-finals), 1974 (second round), 1978 (winners), 1982 (second round), 1986 (winners), 1990 (runners-up), 1994 (second round), 1998 (quarter-finals), 2002 (first round), 2006 (quarter-finals).
Chances: Qualification was a bumpy ride in the extreme and included a 6-1 hammering by Bolivia, but if Maradona can get the balance right between motivator and tactician then Argentina are equipped to reach the semi-finals, or even win it.
AUSTRALIA
Coach: Pim Verbeek
Star player: Tim Cahill
Previous appearances: 1974 (first round), 2006 (second round).
Chances: Impressive under Guus Hiddink at the 2006 finals, they will believe they have a good chance to at least match their run to the last 16 in South Africa if they get a favourable draw.
BRAZIL
Coach: Dunga
Star player: Kaka
Previous appearances: 1930 (first round), 1934 (first round), 1938 (semi-finals), 1950 (runners-up), 1954 (quarter-finals), 1958 (winners), 1962 (winners), 1966 (first round), 1970 (winners), 1974 (fourth place), 1978 (third place), 1982 (second round),. 1986 (quarter-finals), 1990 (second round), 1994 (winners), 1998 (runners-up), 2002 (winners), 2006 (quarter-finals).
Chances: Dunga endured criticism early in his reign but Brazil have now augmented their finesse with power and strength. Explosive on the counter-attack and a threat from every set-piece - attacking or defending - their greater World Cup pedigree in comparison to Spain means the Selecao arguably head to South Africa as favourites.
CAMEROON
Coach: Paul Le Guen
Star player: Samuel Eto'o
Previous appearances: 1982 (first round), 1990 (quarter-finals), 1994 (first round), 1998 (first round), 2002 (first round).
Chances: Cruised through qualifying but will still be hugely reliant on the talismanic Eto'o up front. The second round looks to be about the limit of what they can achieve.
CHILE
Coach: Marcelo Bielsa
Star player: Alexis Sanchez
Previous appearances: 1930 (first round), 1950 (first round), 1962 (third place), 1966 (first round), 1974 (first round), 1982 (first round), 1998 (first round).
Chances: A solid unit under the clever coaching of Argentinian Bielsa, but even with the talents of Sanchez and Matias Fernandez it is difficult to see them progressing beyond the group phase.
DENMARK
Coach: Morten Olsen
Star player: Christian Poulsen
Previous appearances: 1986 (second round), 1998 (quarter-finals), 2002 (second round).
Chances: Not the exciting prospect they were when Olsen was playing back in 1986, but a strong defensive base which includes Daniel Agger, Simon Kjaer and Poulsen in front of them will make them hard to beat. A good bet for a second-placed group finish and a last 16 exit.
ENGLAND
Coach: Fabio Capello
Star player: Wayne Rooney
Previous appearances: 1950 (first round), 1954 (quarter-finals), 1958 (first round), 1962 (quarter-finals), 1966 (winners), 1970 (quarter-finals), 1982 (second round), 1986 (quarter-finals), 1990 (semi-finals), 1998 (second round), 2002 (quarter-finals), 2006 (quarter-finals).
Chances: Stormed through qualification under Capello, whose winning pedigree in club football suggests a more ruthless and focused England are a good bet for at least a semi-final place.
FRANCE
Coach: Raymond Domenech
Star player: Franck Ribery
Previous appearances: 1930 (first round), 1934 (first round), 1938 (quarter-finals), 1954 (first round), 1958 (third place), 1966 (first round), 1978 (first round), 1982 (fourth place), 1986 (third place), 1998 (winners), 2002 (first round), 2006 (finalists)
Chances: Struggled through qualifying and secured their place thanks to Thierry Henry's handball in the play-off victory against the Republic of Ireland. Coach Domenech continues to make mystifying tactical decisions and it remains to be seen whether the undoubted strength of France's squad is enough to overcome that handicap, but on the face of it the last 16 might be their limit this time.
GERMANY
Coach: Joachim Low
Star player: Michael Ballack
Previous appearances: 1934 (third place), 1938 (first round), 1954 (winners), 1958 (fourth place), 1962 (quarter-finals), 1966 (runners-up), 1970 (third place), 1974 (winners), 1978 (second round), 1982 (runners-up), 1986 (runners-up), 1990 (winners), 1994 (quarter-finals), 1998 (quarter-finals), 2002 (runners-up), 2006 (third place).
Chances: Perennial strong performers in tournaments, Low's side are sure to be contenders again in South Africa. If the likes of Ballack, Miroslav Klose and Mario Gomez click then a quarter-final spot could be the very least they could expect.
GHANA
Coach: Milovan Rajevac
Star player: Michael Essien
Previous appearances: 2006 (second round)
Chances: The Black Stars are a sound unit with their top stars playing at the very highest level in Europe. A repeat of their 2006 success would be an excellent achievement, though.
GREECE
Coach: Otto Rehhagel
Star player: Theofanis Gekas
Previous appearances: 1994 (first round)
Chances: Rehhagel's super-defensive tactics astonishingly prevailed in the 2004 European Championships and they secured their second World Cup finals place by beating Ukraine in a play-off. A no-thrills passage to the last 16 is a possibility but they are surely too one-dimensional to go any further.
HOLLAND
Coach: Bert van Marwijk
Star player: Wesley Sneijder
Previous appearances: 1938 (first round), 1974 (runners-up), 1978 (runners-up), 1990 (second round), 1994 (quarter-finals), 1998 (fourth place), 2006 (second round)
Chances: The Oranje made light work of qualification and some brilliant displays at Euro 2008 - including a comprehensive 3-0 win over world champions Italy - underlined once again that they can beat anyone on their day. The question, as ever, is consistency. A last-eight place would surely be the minimum goal.
HONDURAS
Coach: Reinaldo Rueda
Star player: David Suazo
Previous appearances: 1982 (first round).
Chances: Rueda's men have some top-level European experience with the likes of Suazo based in Italy and Wilson Palacios performing well at Tottenham, but it would be a big shock if Honduras made it to the second round.
ITALY
Coach: Marcello Lippi
Star player: Andrea Pirlo
Previous appearances: 1934 (winners), 1938 (winners), 1950 (first round), 1962 (first round), 1966 (first round), 1970 (runners-up), 1974 (first round), 1978 (first round), 1982 (winners), 1986 (second round), 1990 (third place), 1994 (runners-up), 1998 (quarter-finals), 2002 (second round), 2006 (winners).
Chances: So many of the 2006 side are still in place under Lippi, the man who led them to glory in Germany. The question is whether they will have enough in the tank to become the first side to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962. The semi-finals look like being the end of the road for the Azzurri this time.
IVORY COAST
Coach: Vahid Halilhodzic
Star player: Didier Drogba
Previous appearances: 2006 (first round).
Chances: Man for man the Elephants look about the best side representing Africa next year and could match Cameroon's achievements of 1990 by reaching the last eight.
JAPAN
Coach: Takeshi Okada
Star player: Shunsuke Nakamura
Previous appearances: 1998 (first round), 2002 (second round), 2006 (first round)
Chances: Qualified without too much difficulty but a young side, augmented by the experience of the likes of Espanyol playmaker Nakamura, are unlikely to get beyond the first stage.
MEXICO
Coach: Javier Aguirre
Star player: Cuauhtemoc Blanco
Previous appearances: 1930 (first round), 1950 (first round), 1954 (first round), 1958 (first round), 1962 (first round), 1966 (first round), 1970 (quarter-finals), 1978 (first round), 1986 (quarter-finals), 1994 (second round), 1998 (second round), 2002 (second round), 2006 (second round).
Chances: Aguirre revived El Tricolor's qualifying campaign after the disastrous reign of Sven-Goran Eriksson, but they have never been beyond the second round outside Mexico, and the conditions in South Africa are hardly likely to be conducive to them changing that statistic.
NEW ZEALAND
Coach: Ricki Herbert
Star player: Ryan Nelsen
Previous appearances: 1982.
Chances: The All Whites ensured a truly global event by qualifying as the Oceania region's representative, but few would back them to get beyond the group stage.
NIGERIA
Coach: Shaibu Amodu
Star player: John Obi Mikel
Previous appearances: 1994 (second round), 1998 (second round), 2002 (first round).
Chances: Internal strife could be the greatest threat to the Super Eagles' hopes, with Amodu expected to be dumped before the finals in favour of a foreign coach. Unlikely to reach the last 16.
NORTH KOREA
Coach: Kim Jong-Hun
Star player: Jong Tae-Se
Previous appearances: 1966 (quarter-finals)
Chances: Plenty of attention will fall on the North Koreans, who for political and social reasons will be one of the great curiosities of the finals. On the pitch, their qualification was secured thanks to their tight defence and while they are highly unlikely to get to the last 16, it is equally difficult to imagine them losing their shape at any point and getting hammered.
PARAGUAY
Coach: Gerardo Martino
Star player: Nelson Haedo Valdez
Previous appearances: 1930 (first round), 1950 (first round), 1986 (second round), 1998 (second round), 2002 (second round), 2006 (first round).
Chances: At their fourth World Cup in a row, Martino's side are a good bet to secure a place in the last 16. Valdez and midfielder Cristian Riveros are their star performers, with a solid defence still the base from which they operate.
PORTUGAL
Coach: Carlos Queiroz
Star player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Previous appearances: 1966 (third place), 1986 (first round), 2002 (first round), 2006 (fourth place).
Chances: As a group the current generation does not quite compare to that of Luis Figo, Rui Costa et al but in Ronaldo they possess arguably the finest player on the planet. Would be disappointed not to get to the last eight in South Africa.
SERBIA
Coach: Raddy Antic
Star player: Dejan Stankovic
Previous appearances: 2006
Chances: Qualified ahead of France and with quality through the spine of the team in the shape of Nemanja Vidic, Stankovic and the giant Nikola Zigic up front, they would be a good bet for a last-16 place, and possibly a quarter-final.
SLOVAKIA
Coach: Vladimir Weiss
Star player: Marek Hamsik.
Previous appearances: None.
Chances: World Cup debutants who possess plenty of individual talent as well as team spirit, but a lack of past finals pedigree could mean they end up in a difficult group with minimal chance to progress.
SLOVENIA
Coach: Matjaz Kek
Star player: Robert Koren
Previous appearances: 2002 (first round)
Chances: Stunned Russia in the play-offs to progress but barring a very kind group draw that will surely be the end of the line for Kek's side.
SOUTH AFRICA
Coach: Carlos Alberto Parreira
Star player: Steven Pienaar
Previous appearances: 1998 (first round), 2002 (first round)
Chances: 'Bafana Bafana' need to ride the wave of enthusiasm that is sure to greet their World Cup hosting because their form in the build-up has been pretty dire, with Parreira returning to the post after compatriot Joel Santana failed to convince. A last-16 berth is surely the best they can hope for.
SOUTH KOREA
Coach: Huh Jung-Moo
Star player: Park Ji-Sung
Previous appearances: 1986 (first round), 1990 (first round), 1994 (first round), 1998 (first round), 2002 (fourth place), 2006 (first round)
Chances: Better equipped to progress from the group phase this time around than in Germany. They are usually physically very well drilled and that stamina should stand them in good stead in the heat of competition.
SPAIN
Coach: Vicente del Bosque
Star player: Fernando Torres
Previous appearances: 1934 (quarter-finals), 1950 (fourth place), 1962 (first round), 1966 (first round), 1990 (second round), 1994 (quarter-finals), 1998 (first round), 2002 (quarter-finals), 2006 (second round).
Chances: Chronic World Cup underachievers in the past, Spain have never been better placed to become world champions having broken their habit of freezing at major finals in emphatic fashion by winning Euro 2008. There is quality all over the pitch and they pose the biggest threat to Brazil.
SWITZERLAND
Coach: Ottmar Hitzfeld
Star player: Tranquillo Barnetta
Previous appearances: 1934 (quarter-finals), 1938 (quarter-finals), 1950 (first round), 1954 (quarter-finals), 1962 (first round), 1966 (first round), 1994 (second round), 2006 (second round).
Chances: In Hitzfeld the Swiss could not wish for a manager with greater nous, and they should get to the second round and maybe even the last eight. Playmaker Barnetta and young goalscorer Eren Derdiyok are the men to watch.
UNITED STATES
Coach: Bob Bradley
Star player: Landon Donovan
Previous appearances: 1930 (third place), 1934 (first round), 1950 (first round), 1990 (first round), 1994 (second round), 1998 (first round), 2002 (quarter-finals), 2006 (first round).
Chances: Performed well in the Confederations Cup and Bradley's side possess plenty of players with top-level experience in England and Germany. They would be disappointed not to make it to the last eight.
URUGUAY
Coach: Oscar Washington Tabarez
Star player: Diego Forlan
Previous appearances: 1930 (winners), 1950 (winners), 1954 (fourth place), 1962 (first round), 1966 (quarter-finals), 1970 (fourth place), 1974 (first round), 1986 (second round), 1990 (second round), 2002 (first round).
Chances: World Cup play-off regulars in recent years, Uruguay will be tough opponents for anyone and will be targeting a place in the last 16.
