Top 5 Contenders to Win 2014 World Cup

The 2014 FIFA World Cup will take place in Brazil which is also known as the land of soccer. Brazil seemed to be the most appropriate place to host the biggest soccer/football forum on the entire planet. Brazil has, is, and always will be a soccer powerhouse. With legends like Pele, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Zico and hundreds of legendary players Brazil has established itself as the constant favorite to win every competition they enter.
With Brazil having couple of mediocre world cups (2006 and 2010), the tension is mounting on Selecao to bring home the cup. However are some other contenders that have shown significant evidence that they can be a legitimate contender to win the cup. Bellow we will examine the top 5 contenders to win the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. (You might be surprised by one or two of the entries).

Argentina has been on the verge of glory for the past 20 years. With quality players and coaches the Argentinians have always been a favorite to win the World Cup, however they have been living in the shadows of their Brazilian neighbors who have literally dominated the World Cup competition for several decades now.
The days of Maradona, are long gone and now the throne has been passed on to one of the greatest soccer players of all time: Lionel Messi. However there is a saying is soccer: "One player cannot make you a champion", and this is because soccer is a team effort. The sooner the Argentinian players realize that they cannot be always relying on Messi the sooner the Argentinian team will have a chance at greatness. With quality players like Messi, Mascherano, Aguero, di Maria, Higuain and bunch of other world class players the Argentinians are looking to cause trouble in Brazil.
This may just be the year of Argentina, and the fact is that they are more than capable of getting to the World Cup final and even winning it. Can Argentina raise the World Cup once again (last time was 1986 with Maradona), can Messi staple himself as the greatest soccer player that has ever played the game? We will find out in the summer of 2014!

How can we not include Spain? The World/European Cup champions. Spain has been dominating world soccer for the past 6-7 years and that is in part because of the huge progress that Bracelona FC has had on club level. The Spanish team includes some of the best players of our generation including Ramos, Casillas, Torres, Mata, Xavi, Iniesta and so many more. Who will be selected to represent La Furia Roja, we still can't say but one thing is for sure: the Spanish team will be a key player in the upcoming 2014 World Cup.
Elimination before the final will be devastating to Spain, as the players and all the fans have been accustomed to unprecedented success lately. However critics say that many teams already have decoded the Spanish style and won't be hard for teams like Germany or Brazil to overcome the otherwise powerful Spanish defense. Can the Spanish win back to back World Cups? Very doubtful! Main reason is because the team is old, Xavi and Iniesta can still bring magic to the field, but can they last the full 90mins? A semi-final would be a great accomplishment for the Spanish team, but winning it all might be a little challenging.

When it comes down to soccer, we can't miss the well oiled German machine. Germany has and always will be considered a favorite in large soccer forums. The power of the German team does not lay on single individuals (even though they are very talented), it lays on the team work. The Germans have always had a great team, with players in the past like Klinsmann, Beckenbauer, Muller and so many more talented players the Germans have cemented themselves at the top of the soccer hierarchy.
No doubt the Germans will be in contention for the title, a semi-final would be something that the Germans will be happy with, however they can definitely make the final There are very few teams that have the German spirit, and willingness to never give up in no matter what situation the team is in. Therefore the Germans should be considered one of the top 3 potential candidates to win the World Cup.

Italy is the second most probable team to win the 2014 World Cup according to many experts. There are many reasons why the Italian team is considered one of the favorites to win the entire tournament. Italy, just like the previously mentioned teams have been a soccer powerhouse with players like Del Piero, Buffon, Baggio, Zoff and lots more players with legendary status in the soccer hall of fame. Just like Spain and Germany, the Italians are getting a bit old, however with talents like Balotelli, Di Natale,Giovinco, Pirlo, Diamanti and Marchisio the Italian team has gotten the perfect combination of talent, age and experience. This Italian team will be dangerous in the upcoming World Cup.
A final is where the Italians will most likely find themselves, and nobody will be surprised if they win it all. Italy has been one of the most unpredictable teams in the past several years, as they are experiencing ups and downs. However with the right mixture of talent and luck they might be able to lift the most desired trophy in the world of soccer: the World Cup!

Obviously this doesn't come as a surprise. The Brazilian team has not won the World Cup since 2002 and its time for them to finally win it back. The Brazilians are the most decorated national soccer team, as they've won more World Cups than anyone else. The right combination is in place for Brazil to make a run at the cup, as they will be playing in front of their fans (probably the most loyal/fanatic fans in the realm of soccer). Failure is simply not an option for Selecao, as they need to win this World Cup. Quite honestly everyone is expecting them to win it, and it wouldn't be a surprise whatsoever.
So who would be the leader of the Brazilian team? It's time for Neymar to finally take the role of the long awaited leader that he can be, and lead Brazil to the "promised land". However just like in Argentina`s case, other players need to step up their game and Brazil has to play as a team, not an individual entity. There are key players to Brazil`s success such as Damiao, Pato, Andre Santon, Robinho,David Luiz, Thiago Silva and etc.
Can the Brazilians get to Maracana (the legendary recently renovated stadium), where the record attendance is nearly 200,000 fans, and can they actually win once at the final. Both questions can be answered with a sure YES! Brazil will have all the right components to be a World Cup champion once again, and regain the somewhat lost dominance in the world of soccer for the past ten years or so.