Germany will mark Saudi Arabias fourth successive appearance at the World Cup but they are still trying to emulate the success achieved in the 1994 finals.
World Cup 2006 Preview – Brazil
What else is there to be said about Brazil? They are the only team to have participated in every World Cup finals and are five times winners in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. They have also finished as runners up twice in 1950 and 1998.
World Cup 2006 Preview – South Korea
South Korea shocked the football world four years ago when they beat Italy and Spain to reach the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup.
World Cup 2006 Preview – Croatia
Croatia enter their third successive finals and will look for a repeat of the heroics of 1998 rather than the embarrassment of 2002.
World Cup 2006 Preview – Spain
Spain, yet again, are tipped as dark horses for the World Cup and 2006 will finally end years of disappointment and this generation of players will fulfil their undoubted potential. But they wont. For all their individual talent they can never motivate themselves to rise to the challenge.
World Cup 2006 Preview – Czech Republic
The Czech Republic may be ranked by FIFA as the second best team in the world behind Brazil and the best in Europe but they made hard work of qualifying for the finals.
World Cup 2006 Preview – Sweden
Sweden battled their way through an awkward qualifying group which included Croatia, Bulgaria, Hungary and Iceland and qualified as one of the two best placed runners-up.
World Cup 2006 Preview – Ecuador
Ecuador qualified for their second World Cup finals in succession on the back of a remarkable home record which included victories over both Brazil and Argentina.
World Cup 2006 Preview – Switzerland
Switzerland qualified from the same group as Group F opponents France and also remained unbeaten in 10 qualifying matches, with four wins and six draws.
World Cup 2006 Preview – France
France were required to call on the cavalry to ensure qualification to the finals. Stuck in fourth place in their group, retired veterans Zinedine Zidane, Claude Makelele and Lilian Thuram returned to the side in an attempt to turn around the fortunes of the failing side.
World Cup 2006 Preview – Togo
First-time World Cup qualification for the tiny west African nation was such a great achievement the countrys president declared a national holiday to celebrate.
World Cup 2006 Preview – Costa Rica
Costa Rica are living proof that when it comes to football, size does not matter.