With men like Bixente Lizarazu and Lilian Thuram in defence and the sharp goalkeeper Fabien Barthez in the posts, coach Roger Lemerre is the envy of his peers in Korea/Japan. Manchester United's Mikaël Silvestre with captain Marcel Desailly in the centre are a deadly pair. Zinedine Zidane, the man who sank Leverkusen to lift Real Madrid in the just ended Champions League in Glasgow, UK, will be a terror to many a defender. Arsenal's skilled Patrick Vieira will only demand that the very best opponent should break the French magic.

Team 2002:
1. Rame Ulrich
2. Candela Vincent
3. Lizarazu Bixente
4. Vieira Patrick
5. Christanval Philippe
6. Djorkaeff Youri
7. Makelele Claude
8. Desailly Marcel
9. Cisse Djibril
10. Zidane Zinedine
11. Wiltord Sylvain
12. Henry Thierry
13. Silvestre Mikael
14. Boghossian Alain
15. Thuram Lilian
16. Barthez Fabien
17. Petit Emmanuel
18. Leboeuf Frank
19. Sagnol Willy
20. Trezeguet David
21. Dugarry Christophe
22. Micoud Johan
23. Coupet Gregory

Past Achievements:

But they should not be underestimated. The Lions came through arguably the toughest group in the continental qualifiers. Cameroon in its World Cup debut upset Argentina in 1994. Most of Senegal's players are based in France, while others are dotted all over the continent, a fact the French cannot ignore.

Men to look out for are the 21-year-old El Hadji Diouf, who plays for Lens. At the African Cup of Nations, Diouf lead his team gallantly, winning the African footballer of the year title. Khalilou Fadida of Auxerre is just another of Senegal's firepower.

Team 2002:
1. Carini Fabian
2. Mendez Gustavo
3. Lembo Alejandro
4. Montero Paolo
5. Garcia Pablo
6. Rodriguez Dario
7. Guigou Gianni
8. Varela Gustavo
9. Silva Dario
10. O Neil Fabian
11. Magallanes Federico
12. Munua Gustavo
13. Abreu Sebastian
14. Sorondo Gonzalo
15. Olivera Nicolas
16. Romero Marcelo
17. Regueiro Mario
18. Morales Richard
19. Bizera Joe
20. Recoba Alvaro
21. Forlan Diego
22. De Los Santos Gonzalo
23. Elduayen Federico

Past Achievements:

This is the home team of the legendary goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel. Denmark qualified for its third World Cup appearance by thrashing Iceland 6-0 last October. Most of the Danish team is made of home-based stars. But there are internationals like Thomas Gravesen of Everton and goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen of Sunderland. From AC Milan comes Thomas Helveg and Serie A mate, Martin Jorgensen of Udinese.

For skills, the Danes are depending on coach Morten Olsen assisted by Michael Laudrup, both former crowd pullers on the soccer field.

Team 2002:
1. Sorensen Thomas
2. Tofting Stig
3. Henriksen Rene
4. Laursen Martin
5. Heintze Jan
6. Helveg Thomas
7. Gravesen Thomas
8. Gronkjaer Jesper
9. Tomasson Jon Dahl
10. Jorgensen Martin
11. Sand Ebbe
12. Jensen Niclas
13. Lustu Steven
14. Jensen Claus
15. Michaelsen Jan
16. Kjaer Peter
17. Poulsen Christian
18. Lovenkrands Peter
19. Rommedahl Dennis
20. Bogelund Kasper
21. Madsen Peter
22. Christiansen Jesper
23. Nielsen Brian

Achievements:

They are considered favourites for the 2002 Cup even above holders France. For so long have they had that title of favourite, but this year, they want it to be different. Despite a vibrant national league, Spain has never transformed that into World Cup success, never competing in a final. International success remains elusive for this soccer crazy nation.

But with recent club success, Real Madrid: UEFA Champions League winners, 1998 and 2000; Valencia: UEFA Champions League runners-up, 2000 and 2001; Alaves: UEFA Cup runners-up 2001, Spain promises to go for only the gold.

Team 2002:
1. Iker Casillas
2. Curro Torres
3. Juanfran
4. Helguera Ivan
5. Puyol
6. Hierro Fernando
7. Raul
8. Baraja
9. Morientes Fernando
10. Tristan Diego
11. De Pedro
12. Luque Albert
13. Ricardo
14. Albelda
15. Romero
16. Mendieta Gaizka
17. Valeron Juan Carlos
18. Sergio
19. Xavi
20. Nadal
21. Luis Enrique
22. Joaquin
23. Contreras Pedro


Achievements:

This little-heard-of nation among the greats of world soccer has still managed it better than big names like the Netherlands.

Slovenia has defied the odds and thanks to coach Srecko Katanec. They say his name means "lucky" but it is through more than luck that Katanec has brought Slovenia to Korea/Japan 2002. So hard and united has the team worked to see their nation gain a respectable 28 ranking in the FIFA World rankings. Considering that they only became a separate nation from Yugoslavia in 1991, it is beyond just good fortune to be at the World Cup. Should they get as far as June 25, they will be more than just Independence Day to celebrate.

Team 2002:
1. Simeunovic Marko
2. Sankovic Goran
3. Milinovic Zeljko
4. Vugdalic Muamer
5. Galic Marinko
6. Knavs Aleksander
7. Novak Doni
8. Ceh Ales
9. Osterc Milan
10. Zahovic Zlatko
11. Pavlin Miran
12. Dabanovic Mladen
13. Rudonja Mladen
14. Gajser Sasa
15. Tavcar Rajko
16. Tiganj Senad
17. Pavlovic Zoran
18. Acimovic Milenko
19. Karic Amir
20. Ceh Nastja
21. Cimirotic Sebastjan
22. Nemec Dejan
23. Bulajic Spasoje

Achievements:

Another small nation, another successive World Cup final. Landlocked between giants Brazil and Argentina, world cup 2002 is a big deal for this nation of 5.7 million people.

While its neighbours play football in every small town, 90 per cent of Paraguay's football is played in the capital city Asuncion, a city of under a million people. This is their first show at the World Cup finals.

But the team will have to do without inspirational goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert. Chilavert, 35, was given a four-game ban for spitting at Brazil's Roberto Carlos during a qualifier in August.

Still the squad has brought unprecedented respectability to Paraguay's footballers. Forget Brazil, says Argentina coach Marcelo Bielsa whose team was in the same qualifying group as Paraguay, "Paraguay were the toughest rivals we faced in the qualifying tournament."

Coach Carlos Queiroz, who took Portugal to the world under-20 championship title in 1991, was in charge of a South African before Jomo Sono took over. Sono is one of the finest players that South African football has ever produced.

Known as 'Black Prince of South African Soccer', an icon for the black South Africans during the apartheid area, was once a team mate with Pele at New York Cosmos. After an embarrassing quarter-final exit from the African Cup of Nations at the hands of Mali, South Africa plans to make it good at the World Cup.

Sono will be counting on European-based Quinton Fortune (Manchester United), striker Benni McCarthy (FC Porto) and Shaun Bartlett (Charlton Athletic).

An unconvincing 3-0 victory against lowly Venezuela in their final Conmebol match last November gave them an open ticket to Korea/Japan 2002. It is unimaginable that the home of the world's most famous player, Pele, would miss a World Cup.

Brazil has recently gone through a number of crises as its millionaire footballers have to choose between club and country at crucial times. More so, the European game, where most of the players are, is so structured it does not allow for art, style and flair-the hallmark of Brazilian football. It was evident in the qualifiers as players tried to find their feet.

But Brazil is Brazil. Football is their number one religion, and the World Cup the Cathedral. The lineup has a formidable force not least among them Cafú, Emerson (AS Roma), Roque Júnior (AC Milan), Roberto Carlos (Real Madrid); Rivaldo (Barcelona), Edilson (Flamengo), Ronaldo (Internazionale Milan), and Denilson (Real Betis).

But they never gave up and in 1996, they were reward with their first UEFA European Championship in 1996 appearance. This improved to a quarter-final game in 2000, and now the Turks want to leave a print on the World Cup.

Though they have the unpleasant honour of opening their campaign by playing Brazil, coach Senol Gunes' team is set to bring out the best. Inter Milan's Hakan Sukur is the best known player, but there is goalkeeper Rustu Recber of Fenerbachce and Aston Villa's Alpay Ozalan. Ozalan single-handedly brought victory him when he scored a hat-trick against Macedonia in the qualifiers.

After 44 years, 67 matches with 26 opponents, coach Bora Milutinovic has finally steered China on course to Korea/Japan 2002. The expectations are high. With over 1.2 billion people, China simply has the largest fan base at the World Cup.

Milutinovic's team steamrolled through Asia's qualifying games in a convincing and impressive manner. Fortune was also on their side. Theirs was seen as the easier group with the likes of Maldives and Indonesia. China won five and drew one of their first six games to guarantee a place in Korea/Japan 2002.

For the likes of Hao Haidong, Fan Zhiyi and Ma Mingyu, all vets of past campaigns, there is a lot expected. That aside, this World Cup will be the icing on the football cake they have been baking a while.

But it was an easy ride to Korea/Japan 2002. First, they met the lowly Barbados who sent them low with a 2-1 defeat, forcing Costa Rica to go for play offs with Guatemala. Costa Rica picked form, and did something no other CONCACAF team has ever accomplished-they won at Guillermo Caneda stadium in Mexico City. After a shaky start, the Ticos finally had their bearing. There was no looking back.

In Korea/Japan, Alexander Guimares's must rise higher than its last games, if it is to make Costa Rica proud.