It's the dream of all 32 nations involved in the 2014 World Cup to lift the trophy in Brazil. Unfortunately for some, the reality of achieving such a remarkable feat is harsher than heat in Manaus.
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More than a handful of teams possess enough quality to make a run to the final, but only five nations are complete enough to win it. Below is a countdown of the five national teams favored to be world football's crown jewel.
5. Germany (Odds: 11/2)
Germany has the talent to win its fourth World Cup title in 2014, but injuries remain a concern for head coach Joachim Loew. How much key contributors like Sami Khedira (knee), Manuel Neuer (shoulder), Philipp Lahm (ankle), Bastian Schweinsteiger (knee) and Marcel Schmelzer (knee) can give their country will ultimately determine Germany's fate.
4. Italy (Odds: 22/1)
Italy are the definition of "tricky." The national team has all the abilities to make a World Cup run like the one they made in 2006, or even a tournament run similar to the one in 2012 (European Cup), but they can also bomb out of the group stage ala 2010. The injury to midfielder Riccardo Montolivo has hampered their odds, but Cesare Prandelli has the quality to surprise in Brazil.
3. Argentina (Odds: 4/1)
Lionel Messi. Angel Di Maria. Gonzalo Higuain. Perhaps no nation possesses a more potent attack than Argentina. Defending, however, remains a concern and could be the one thing preventing the two-time World Cup champions from lifting a third. But unlike their European counterparts, the Argentinian national team should benefit greatly from competing on familiar soil.
2. Brazil (3/1)
It shouldn't be assumed that the host nation will win the World Cup. If that were the case, Brazil would've been crowned kings in 1950, not Uruguay. For some, Brazil's demolition of Spain in the 2013 Confederations Cup is more than enough to justify Felipe Scolari's men as clear-cut favorites, but no Confederations Cup winner has ever gone on to win the following year. History is not on Brazil's side.
1. Spain (6/1)
The Spanish national team was doubted in 2008. They went on to win the European Cup. They were doubted in 2010. They went on to win the World Cup in South Africa. Same story, same result for the 2012 European Cup. It should come as no surprise, but doubts once again surround Spain. No European nation has ever won a World Cup on South American soil, but no South American soil has ever hosted the once-in-a-generation quality of La Roja.
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Note: Odds taken from Bovoda Betting
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