As usual when it comes to the World Cup it's almost impossible to choose a winner out of all the candidates out there, especially because everyone would like to watch its own team performing well and the fact that the torunament it's played in such a short amount of time (a month) always has a few surprises, but that's why the World Cup is the biggest sport event in the planet, and that's why it's so exciting. Now, there are a lot of candidates to consider and here is my list:
Brazil: They are the favourite this year for a good reason: one of the most impressive teams in terms of players, they showed that are very unlikely to fail in the great occasions, and in the last 4 WC only France was able to beat them (twice), not bad at all. Furthermore, in a more than impressive performance in the Confederation Cup, that people might say doesn't really matter at all, they showed more consistency than any other team, and had a really safe qualification in South America. But as other people mentioned, often the favourite doesn't come back home with the cup.
Spain: They have absolutely the most impressive team of the competition, with top class players and play great footbal, the win against France 2-0 tonite showed once again why they are first in the FIFA World Ranking (which I agree, it's the most flawed system in the world). But again, even if they are the European Champions, they still failed to show that winning attitude in the Confederation Cup that teams like Germany and Italy always show in the big competitions. That's why I still got my doubts about Spain (except 2008, they failed to reach semifinals in any World Cup or European Cup since Euro 1984, where they lost against France in the final) and remember that they didn't play against any of the big contenders in Euro 2008 before the final except for Italy, and they beat them only in the penalty kicks.
Italy: I'm sure a lot of people think that Italy doesn't have the slightest chance to win the World Cup but I guess they thought the same 4 years ago. It's true, their qualification stage was everything but impressive, but that has always been the case (remember the qualification to France 98 with a diffucult victory against Russia 1-0 in 97). They still got the same coach, who was definitely a fundamental factor in 2006, but the team has suffered the departure of a lot of the big names (Nesta, Totti...) and the coach didn't show much appreaciation for the possible replacements (Balotelli, Cassano, Rossi, and so on). They should manage to get to the quarter finals and then everything can happen.
Germany: Again, they are a case pretty similar to Italy, never the biggest candidates, but always managed to get impressive results, especially in the last years (final 02, semifinal 06, final 08). If they don't fail to pass a really hard group stage in my opinion, they might go really far in the tournament. Still, their defeat against Argentina today doesn't put them in a good position, but you can never call Germany out.
Argentina: I do understand why they should be considered one of the favourites, but if they don't change the coach... i don't know what to think, Maradona is the only coach in the world that with one of the most impressive teams out there still manages to lose. Still, he's got the momentum rite now and tonite's win showed it again. If he can really manage that team (how come he doesn't let Cambiasso play? OMG) than Argentina really has to be feared, biut again, that's a big "if".
Netherlands: This is another of those teams that is always considered one of the favourites, but than they always fail to show what they got in the big competitions. Still an impressive team.
England: Rememebr people that they got Capello this time, who is definitely a winner, they are my favourites this year, really, and the team is doing so well rite now.
Portugal: if they couldn't win with the best team they ever had at home (2004) than they are not gonna win just because of Cristiano Ronaldo.
African candidate: they showed in the last African Cup, there's only one candidate with the possibilities of doing well, and that's Egypt, ops they are not in the World Cup, too bad...
One last stat: no European team won outside of Europe and no non-European team won in Europe, except for Brazil in 1958 in Sweden, well a long time ago.
Since I'm Italian I'm gonna hope Italy is gonna win again, even though it's unlikely, it's the madness of the World Cup.
Sometimes even if you know what you are going to lose, you got to go fight. That's part of being a man. Eikichi Onizuka
