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Brazil

FIFA World Ranking: 1st

Brazil

Record five-time champions Brazil made sure of qualification with a 3-1 win over arch-rivals Argentina in the South American qualifiers. The Samba Kings remain the only country to qualify for each and every single World Cup tournament till date. Despite easily qualifying for the World Cup, the Brazilian side this time out have hardly set pulses racing. Brazil have been more efficient rather than flamboyant under Dunga, with a team that tends to rely on power and quick counterattacks rather than the flair they are usually noted for. They warmed up nicely for South Africa 2010 with an unspectacular but effective win in the Confederations Cup 2009.

Dunga’s squad is, like every Brazilian side, a fearsome proposition, even with the exclusion of Ronaldinho and Adriano. Goalkeeper Julio Cesar and defenders Maicon and Lucio are three of the world’s best in their position, and coming off the back of a treble-winning season with Inter Milan, will be hoping to maintain their impeccable records and fine form. In Barcelona star Dani Alves and Lyon’s Michel Bastos, the Selecao have two of the most talented wing-backs around, while Benfica’s Luisao and Roma center-back Juan have also been hugely impressive at club level and during the qualification process.

In midfield, Dunga will most likely deploy two defensive midfielders, with Gilberto Silva and Felipe Melo being the players who were used most often during their qualification campaign. Ahead of them, the talisman Kaka has not been in his finest form over the past few months, but even so, it would be foolish to underestimate him. Up front, Luis Fabiano has been an efficient and potent striking force for the national team over the past few years, while Manchester City reject Robinho seems to display his finest form at the international level. On the bench, Brazil have numerous superstars who can come on and change a game – Julio Baptista, Elano, Nilmar and Grafite are all proven goalscorers playing for some of the top clubs in Europe, while defensively, Thiago Silva and Josue provide great cover should they be called upon.

Even without the flamboyant spark that the Brazilians are normally expected to possess, this team will not be easy to beat, and while some of their stars are not yet household names, anything less than a top four finish would be seen as a failure back home. Fortunately, the Brazilians have repeatedly shown that they are capable of grinding out results as and when required, and are certainly one of the favorites to take the Cup home.

Key Player: Kaka

One of the world’s best players in the past decade, Kaka has won more or less every major title on the world stage, including the 2002 World Cup, two Confederations Cups, the UEFA Champions League, and personal honours like the Ballon D’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award. A versatile attacking midfielder who is known for his accurate passing, deadly shots and incisive combination play, Kaka is also the second most expensive player in the world, with Real Madrid paying AC Milan an astronomical fee of approximately €60 million for his services last summer. Kaka will be expected to provide the spark for Brazil this time around, and is the only member of the famed ‘Magic Quartet’ of 2002 who is still in the squad, with Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Adriano all missing out on a place. If he has a good tournament, there is little doubt that Brazil can live up to the massive expectations that surround them.

What they said

“We have to learn to live with the favourites' tag. We mustn't let it turn into something negative, as it has done in previous years." – Kaka is determined not to let the expectation ahead of the tournament affect Brazil’s hopes.

What we think

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 despite being drawn in a tough group. It is impossible to write off the Brazilian side, and they will certainly be expected to reach the last four at the very least. The beauty of the World Cup, however, is that nothing is certain, and given that they are in the Group of Death, it is not entirely implausible that we may see an early Brazil exit.