New Delhi: Despite all protests and controversies
in the host nation Brazil, FIFA World Cup is due to
begin tomorrow with much fanfare and will
continue to hog the limelight, all around the
globe, for the next one month. The world`s
biggest single sporting extravaganza will officially
kick-off from June 12, when the host nation will
lock horns with Croatia in the opening match of
the tournament.
Brazil, the host nation, is the only country to have
participated in every edition of the tournament
and this time also they are one of the top
contenders to lift the trophy.
In the 20th edition of the World Cup, 32 teams
will fight for the the prestigious trophy in 64
matches, which will take place in 12 stadiums
across Brazil. The final match will be held on July
13 at the historic Maracana stadium.
Apart from the gruelling battles on the field,
another important aspects would be the
temperature and goal line technology. Where heat
and humidity can play crucial roles during the
20th edition, the goal line technology, which will
be used for the very first time in the history of the
tournament, will be a special feature for the lovers
of the sport.
Defending champions Spain are the likely
favourites to defend their title but the other teams
which are also ranked high apart from the host
nation are Germany, Netherlands and Argentina.
But the team that might come out as a dark
horse of the tournament would be Belgium which
are highly capable of winning their maiden title.
Top players, to be more precise, strikers who
would be closely watched in this edition are Edin
Zenko (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Miroslav Klose
(Germany), Romelu Lukaku (Belgium), Mario
Mandžukic (Croatia), Wayne Rooney (England),
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) and Lionel Messi
(Argentina) that can give the opposition defenders
sleepless nights.
So, as the football carnival is about to kick-off,
just be prepared to see some thrilling action on
the ground for the next one month..