In theory, each of the 208 nations belonging as of 2011 to FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, has a chance to field a World Cup soccer team. In practice, the three years of qualifying games held in each of FIFA's six geographic regions bring only 32 teams to the quadrennial event. Since its 1930 inauguration, a handful of powerhouses have typically qualified for the World Cup, dominated and ultimately won.
Brazil
Historically the most graceful of teams, the "Little Canaries," so named for their yellow and green uniforms (or kits, in soccer parlance), are the only team to qualify for all 19 World Cups held as of 2010. They are assured also of making the 2014 World Cup, via the automatic invitation to the host nation. Brazil's honor roll of superstars, from Pele and Romario to Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, has led it to five championships on soccer's biggest stage: in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. Brazil knows how to play nice too, winning the Fair Play award in 1982, 1986, 1994 and 2006 for its sportsmanship and lack of fouling. Fans create a movable party at every World Cup, waving the national flag and drumming to accompany the team's samba-like moves.
Italy
Known for bunkering defensive play that can be dull to watch despite its technical proficiency, the Azzurri, or "Blues," have as of 2010 won the World Cup four times, on home soil in 1934 and abroad in 1938, 1982 and 2006. In their 2006 victory in Germany, a free kick by Zinedine Zidane gave France the lead early in the first half; Marco Materazzi netted the equalizer for Italy with a header minutes later. In overtime, Materazzi and Zidane had a confrontation --- reportedly ignited by Materazzi's remark about Zidane's sister --- and Zidane head-butted the Italian and was ejected from the game. Italy won a penalty shootout over a Zidane-less France, 5-3, and took home the Cup.
Germany
Excellence in passing marked the German path to three World Cup victories, the most recent in 1990 in Italy. Germany could not, however, find its way past Brazil in 2002, finishing second. Earlier in the '02 Cup, held in Japan and Korea, a controversial no-call on an apparent German hand ball resulted in the denial of an apparent goal by the United States and helped send Germany into the semifinals. In 2006, Germany finished third as host nation after Brazil and France. In 2010, a team the German press derided as too young and untested roared into third place on the back of Thomas Mueller, only 20 years old, who won the Adidas Golden Shoe award for the most goals and assists, with five and three, respectively. West Germany won the tournament in Switzerland in 1954 and in 1974 at home, beating a favored Netherlands team led by Johan Cruyff.
Spain
La Furia Roja, the "red fury" in their scarlet kit trimmed in yellow, has only one championship, but that was a thing of beauty in the 2010 World Cup. Spain's endless geometry of interlocking triangle passing lured the Netherlands into a foul-riddled final. Spain, which earlier had eked past Portugal, Paraguay and Germany by 1-0 margins, defeated the Netherlands by the same score on a kick by Andrés Iniesta, a midfielder who played professionally for Barcelona, in overtime. Barcelona contributed six players, and Real Madrid two more, to the starting 11 players on Spain's national team.
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