The Argentina national football team (Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Argentina)
represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine
Football Association (AFA), the governing body for football in Argentina.
Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head
coach is Alejandro Sabella. The team is currently fourth in the FIFA World Rankings.
La Selección (national team), also known as the Albicelestes (sky blue and whites),
has appeared in four World Cup finals, including the first final in 1930, which
they lost 4–2 to Uruguay. Argentina won in their next final in 1978, beating the
Netherlands 3–1. Argentina, led by Diego Maradona won again in 1986, a 3–2 victory
lover West Germany. Their most recent World Cup final was in 1990, which they
lost 1–0 to Germany by a much disputed penalty. Argentina's World Cup winning
managers are César Luis Menotti in 1978, and Carlos Bilardo in 1986.
Argentina has been very successful in the Copa América, winning it fourteen
times and also winning the 'extra' South American Championships in 1941,
1945 and 1946. The team also won the FIFA Confederations Cup and the Kirin Cup,
both in 1992, and an Argentine team (with only three players of over 23 years
of age included in the sauad) won the Olympics football tournaments in Athens
2004 and Beijing 2008.
Argentina and France are the only two national teams that have won the three
most important men's titles recognized by FIFA: the World Cup, the Confederations
Cup, and the Olympic tournament. They have both also won their respective
continental championship (Copa América for Argentina, and UEFA European Football
Championship for France).
Argentina is known for having rivalries with Brazil, Uruguay, Germany and England
due to historic occurrences with one another throughout Football history.
Argentina also won six of the 14 football competitions at the Pan American Games,
winning in 1951, 1955, 1959, 1971, 1995 and 2003.
In March 2007, Argentina reached the top of the FIFA World Rankings for the first time.
Argentina are the current Unofficial Football World Champions, having defeated
the previous titleholders, Sweden, in a friendly on 6 February 2013.
Brazil
The Brazil national football team (Portuguese: Seleção Brasileira)
represents Brazil in international men's football. Brazil is administered
by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), the governing body for
football in Brazil. They have been a member of the International Federation
of Association Football (FIFA) since 1923 and member of the South American
Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) since 1916.
Brazil is the most successful national football team in the history
of the FIFA World Cup, with five championships: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and
2002, followed by Italy. They are also the most successful team in the FIFA
Confederations Cup with four titles. Brazil are the current holders of the
FIFA Confederations Cup after winning the 1997, 2005, 2009, and 2013 edition
of the tournament. Brazil is the only national team to have played in every
World Cup.
Brazil national football team has the all-time highest average Football
Elo Ranking in the world with 2010.8, and the second all-time highest
Football Elo Ranking in the world, with 2153 in 1962, just behind the Hungarian
Golden Team of 1954. Its achievements have led many commentators, experts and
former players to consider the Brazil national football sides of 1958, 1970 and
1982 among the best ever international sides in world football. The national team are currently ranked number 1 in the World Football Elo
Ratings[4] and 9 in the FIFA World Ranking.
Brazil is the only team to have won the world cup in four different continents:
once in Europe (1958 Sweden), once in South America (1962 Chile), twice in
North America (1970 Mexico and 1994 United States) and once in Asia (2002
Korea/Japan). They also share with Spain a record of 35 consecutive official
matches undefeated.A common quip about football is: "Os ingleses
inventaram, os brasileiros o aperfeiçoaram" ("The English invented it, the
Brazilians perfected it").
Brazil is scheduled to host the 2014 World Cup and therefore are automatically
qualified for the tournament.
England
Roy Hodgson’s management of the England team comes under scrutiny this week,
with the panel asking whether the debacle surrounding Rio Ferdinand’s
withdrawal from the national squad could have been avoided.
Gabriele Marcotti, Rory Smith, Stewart Robson and Matt Hughes
(from Montenegro) also discuss England’s precarious position in their
World Cup qualifying group and whether the generation of commanding
English centre-backs is a thing of the past.
The panel also suggest that Scotland and Wales are punching below their
weight and debate whether football has a problem with drugs - recreational
or performance-enhancing.
Germany
The Germany national football team (German: Die deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft)
is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since
1908. It is governed by the German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball-Bund),
founded in 1900. From 1950 to 1990, it was essentially the team of West Germany,
as the DFB is based in Frankfurt, located in the former West Germany. Under Allied
occupation and division, two other separate national teams were also recognized by FIFA:
the Saarland team (1950–1956) and the East German team (1952–1990). Both have been
absorbed along with their records by the current national team. The official
name and code "Germany FR (FRG)" was shortened to "Germany (GER)" in 1990.
Germany is one of the three most successful national teams in international
competitions, having won a total of three World Cups (1954, 1974, 1990) and
three European Championships (1972, 1980, 1996). They have also been runners-up
three times in the European Championships, four times in the World Cup, and have
won a further four third places. East Germany won Olympic Gold in 1976.
Germany is the only nation to have won both the men's and women's World Cups.
The current coaching staff of the national team include head coach Joachim Löw,
assistant coach Hans-Dieter Flick, goalkeeper coach Andreas Köpke, athletic coach
Shad Forsythe, athletic coach Oliver Bartlett, scout Urs Siegenthaler, sporting
director Robin Dutt, and team manager Oliver Bierhoff.
Italy
The Italian national football team (Italian: Nazionale italiana di calcio),
represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian
Football Federation (FIGC), the governing body for football in Italy. Italy's
performance in international play makes it one of the best national teams in the world.
It is the second most successful national team in the history of the World
Cup behind Brazil (5), having won 4 titles (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006), also
appearing in two finals (1970, 1994), reaching a third place (1990) and a
fourth place (1978). They have also won a European championship (1968),
as well as appearing in two other finals (2000, 2012), one Olympic football
tournament (1936) and two Central European International Cups. Italy's highest
finish at the Confederations Cup was in 2013, when the squad achieved a third
place finish.
The national football team is known as the "Azzurri," from the traditional
colour of Italian national teams and athletes representing Italy. Azure blue
(azzurro, in Italian) comes from the "Azzurro Savoia" (Savoy Blue), the colour
traditionally linked to the royal dynasty which unified Italy in 1861, and
maintained in the official standard of the Italian President.
The team does not have a designated "home stadium" like certain national teams.
The primary training ground is at the FIGC headquarters in Coverciano, Florence
and the team plays their home matches at various stadiums throughout Italy.
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