Brazil The Current holders and five time winners of the World Cup, they are the only team to have appeared in EVERY World Cup since the tournament started in 1930. Star Player With a team with as much quality as Brazil how can you pick one star player? But my pick for the Brazilian player to shine is Ronaldo. This man is close to breaking Peles record for Brazil and that would indeed by some achievement as we all know what a legend Pele is to the game. Team Captain Cafu. The only man to have appeared in three successive World Cups up until now and he is looking to make it a fourth. This man has strong leadership skills and is just the man to motivate his Brazilian team mates as the look to defend their trophy. My Prediction Winners France The 1998 winners of the World Cup and the team that was shocked in the 2002 World Cup when they didnt even so much as score a goal. Star Player Without a shadow of a doubt the man to watch in the French squad would be Thierry Henry. Henry finished 4th in the Premiership with Arsenal this season as will as picking up a runners up medal in the UEFA Champions league and will definitely be a scouted player. Team Captain - Zinedine Zidane. The midfielder came out of retirement in August 2005 and helped them reach Germany after a shaky start. But is he good enough to replicate the feats of 1998? My Prediction Semi Finals England The team that has undoubtedly the most attention from the media. Never excelled to their of 1966, 40 years later they look to repeat history. Star Player The star player for England should be Wayne Rooney. This is provided he is fully recovered from the foot injury he sustained on the last day of the EPL season. Rooney has the ability to strike fear into the hearts of defenders and will do so if given the slightest chance. Team Captain - David Beckham. A gay icon and a pop-star husband... oh, and a multi-million pound galactico with a golden right-foot who likes nothing better than delivering on the biggest stage. There was a lot of rumors flying around that Beckham would not be the Captain of the World Cup but that responsibility should fall on to the shoulders of the likes of Steven Gerrard. Having not been a Captain at club level one must wonder ho Beckham got the job in the first place. My Prediction - Quarter Finals Italy 3 Times winners of the competition in the past but in recent years havent really preformed on the big stage. Is 2006 the year for them? Star player Fiorentinas Luci Toni is the man to watch having scored 36 goals for his club side to take them to 4th place in the Italian league and to claim the European golden boot. Team Captain The 32-year-old Juve defender Fabio Cannavaro will be playing in his third finals. My Prediction Semi Finals Germany This years hosts of the competition and the surprise finalists of the 2002 tournament. They always say never count out the Germans and with it being on their home turf dare you? Star Player Chelseas new signing of Michael Ballack will definitely stand out compared to the rest of the German team. He is a World Class midfielder and definitely knows the ins and outs of the game. Team Captain - Michael Ballack, who is reportedly set to sign for Chelsea, is the embodiment of all things good about German football. Yet opinion in his home country seems oddly divided over whether he is over-rated. Who said charity begins at home? My Prediction Quarter Finals Spain A Team that always impresses in qualification but when it comes to the big stage itself they never seem to perform. Is this the year that Spain can reign? Star Player Spains star man would be Real Madrid Striker Raul. Despite havine Ronaldo and Robinho, Raul still makes it into the Real Madrid starting line up and this alone stats what a quality player he must be. Team Captain - Real Madrid striker Raul is Spain's most capped outfield player, all-time leading scorer and the team's talisman and his goal-scoring return from a cruciate knee ligament injury has been welcomed. My Prediction Quarter Finals |
