Brazil (Group F)

Team founded: 1914 (affiliated 1923)

World Cup Participations: 17 (1930, 1934, 1938, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002)

World Cup Honors: five-time FIFA World Cup winners (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002), two-time FIFA World Cup runners-up (1950, 1998), two-time finishers in 3rd place (1938, 1978)

Titles: seven-time Copa America winners (1919, 1922, 1949, 1989, 1993, 1997, 1999); four-time Pan American Cup winners (1963, 1975 with Mexico, 1979, 1987)

Coach: Carlos Alberto Parreira (nationality: Brazilian)

Team Captain: Cafu (AC Milan)

The Squad
Goalkeepers
Rogerio Ceni (Sao Paulo)
Julio Cesar (Inter Milan)
Dida (AC Milan)

Defenders
Cafu (AC Milan)
Roberto Carlos (Real Madrid)
Cicinho (Real Madrid)
Cris (Olympique Lyon)
Gilberto (Hertha Berlin)
Juan (Bayer Leverkusen)
Lucio (Bayern Munich)
Luisao (Benfica)

Midfielders
*Edmilson (Barcelona) - got cut due to injury a few days before the World Cup
Mineiro (São Paulo) - substitution of Edmilson
Emerson (Juventus)
Juninho Pernambucano (Olympique Lyon)
Kaka (AC Milan)
Ricardinho (Corinthians)
Ze Roberto (Bayern Munich)
Gilberto Silva (Arsenal)

Forwards
Adriano (Inter Milan)
Fred (Olympique Lyon)
Robinho (Real Madrid)
Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
Ronaldinho (Barcelona)


Ranking: 1

Qualifiers:
Won the South American qualifiers ahead of Argentina, losing only twice in 18 games.

Schedule:
June 13 v Croatia (Berlin) Final Score: 1 - 0
June 18 v Australia (Munich) Final Score 2 - 0
June 22 v Japan (Dortmund)


The Odds: The preclusive favorite to win again, thanks to the inexhaustible depth of its roster, including four superstar strikers. Detractors say the team members act like they’re born to win, and that their defense is suspect (though it didn’t seem that way in their qualifiers), and the players respond by winning, over and over. But can the Seleção (“The Selected”) suffer a common fate of teams with so much talent that they — especially their egos — stumble over one another? When you’ve won the whole thing five times, and are the only squad to make it to every single World Cup final, being a bit cocky makes some sense. Its leader is Cafu, the only man ever to play in three consecutive finals, and he's reqady to make it four. With Ronaldo and Ronaldinho ("Little Ronaldo") only the beginning of their arsenal, they are an awe-inspiring squad.

Updates:

Ronaldo sustained blisters due to ill-fitting boots – are you kidding?! Then, just before the cup, he has become ill and missed training two days before the team's kick-off. It's the latest of a series of injuries for the Real Madrid star, and exemplifies why the fate of even an outright favorite can become unsettled.