Spain is back to defend its 2010 World Cup title, and will have most of the same roster this go around. La Furia Roja also won the Euro 2012 title, and is ranked as the #1 team in the world. David Silva, Andres Iniesta and Diego Costa figure to make big impacts this summer. The Netherlands faced Spain in the 2010 final, and will be bringing the likes of Arjen Robben, Robin Van Persie and Rafael van der Vaart to Brazil for another shot. Chile is currently ranked higher than the Dutch, and talented players like Arturo Vidal and Alexis Sanchez could make waves in Group B. Australia will have to pull a rabbit out of its hat to qualify for the knockout stages.

This might be the most wide-open of group, with only Columbia looking like a clear front-runner. Radamel Falcao, Jackson Martinez, and Fredy Guarin lead the 4th ranked team. The Ivory Coast, home of Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure, qualified for its third straight World Cup and hope to reach the knockout stages for the first time. Japan reach the round of 16 last go around behind the standout play of Keisuke Honda, while Greece will depend on Giorgos Samaras to claim that second place spot in the group.

Three of the four teams in this group have won the World Cup, and Uruguay has what it takes to do it all again. Luis Suarez and Christian Ramirez are two of the best and their positions, and will have their hands full when they try to cut through the Italian defense. Italy has won the title four times and will have big-time names like Mario Balotelli, Andrea Pirlo and Giorgio Chelleini in the Azzurri blue this time around. England is searching for its first win since 1966, and you'll recognize footballers like Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Leighton Baines. Costa Rica will have a big mountain to climb to battle these world soccer giants.

Switzerland was looked upon by many as the weakest of the top seeds, but the Swiss have now qualified for the last three World Cups out of UEFA. France is the biggest name in the group, but is coming of its worst World Cup performance in history in South Africa. Regardless, players like Franck Ribery, Karim Benzema, and Hugo Lloris should help get deep into the tournament. Ecuador has now made three of the last 4 World Cups behind Captain Antonio Valencia, while Honduras has qualified but has never won a World Cup match.

Argentina seems to have gotten a cake walk into the knockout stages, picking up a group with no other top-tier national team. Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and the rest of the Argentinians are one of the favorites to win it all. Bosnia and Herzegovina are a solid team and are probably the favorites to get that second spot, and you'll recognize the big man up top as Manchester City's Edin Dzeko. The Nigerian team has some players soccer fans will know as well, including John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses of Chelsea. Iran will be hoping for a miracle.

One of the toughest groups of the tournament is led by Germany, who finished in third place in the 2010 World Cup. Currently ranked #2 in the world, the Germans have a plethora of world-class players, including Manuel Neuer, Mario Gotze, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Philipp Lahm. Portugal is one of the toughest teams to play as well, as they are captained by perhaps the best player in the world: Cristiano Ronaldo. The United States breezed through the World Cup qualifying, but both they and Ghana will have their hands full trying to knock off either of the big guns.

The Belgians are a hot pick to reach the finals of the tournament, only four years after not even qualifying in 2010. The emergence of stars like Christian Benteke, Eden Hazard, Jan Vertonghen and Thibaut Courtois has propelled Belgium into powerhouse status, and the rest of Europe is starting to look over their shoulders. South Korea is a threat every time it's on the pitch, reaching the semifinals in 2002. Algeria and Russia are both good squads that could upset a big team if things fell their way for day.