Michael (Zonal Marking) Cox ranks the clubs qualified for the WC.
http://www.theguardian.com/football/...inalists-rated
1) Spain
Spain's reputation has suffered because of their Confederations Cup defeat, their poor record in friendlies and an underwhelming qualification campaign, but in stark contrast to their previous reputation, they now guarantee good performances at major tournaments. They're weaker than 2010 in defence and up front, but Vicente Del Bosque's midfield can still control matches like no one else. MC
2) Brazil
There are still doubts over the defence, particularly the space left behind the full-backs, and coping with the pressure of playing at home in front of an expectant (and perhaps protesting) public will not be easy, but the evidence of the Confederations Cup was that Luiz Felipe Scolari is beginning to shape a team that could lift a sixth title. JW
3) Argentina
After years of trying to ram as much of their attacking talent as possible into the team, Argentina at last have, in Alejandro Sabella, a coach who is clear-sighted and ruthless enough to cull attacking stars and provide a platform for Lionel Messi and then fill in the gaps. JW
4) Germany
Jogi Löw's squad becomes more impressive with every passing year. With attacking midfielders such as Marco Reus, Toni Kroos, Mario Götze, Julian Draxler, Mesut Özil, Lukas Podolski, Thomas Müller and André Schürrle, Löw has experimented without a centre-forward. On paper, Germany have improved at the back, but Sweden scored seven goals against them in two matches. MC
5) Italy
Cesare Prandelli can depend upon fine performances from his Juventus-inspired backline, and from reliable midfielders such as Andrea Pirlo, Daniele De Rossi and Thiago Motta. Up front is the unpredictable area: if Mario Balotelli behaves, Giuseppe Rossi stays clear of injury, Stephan El Shaarawy rediscovers last season's form and Daniel Pablo Osvaldo gets back to his best, Italy are contenders. MC
6) Holland
Louis van Gaal's side have received little attention but a 17-match unbeaten run suggests he has found balance and harmony, not always present in the Dutch squad. Robin van Persie, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben remain key players but youngsters such as Kevin Strootman and Jeremain Lens make this a more typically Dutch side than in 2010. MC
7) Portugal
Only eliminated by eventual winners and fierce rivals Spain in the past two major tournaments, Portugal's situation has become a cliche: a solid defence, a technically impressive midfield, talented wingers but no top-class striker. Paulo Bento's gameplan is about getting the best from Cristiano Ronaldo – in the 3-2 win over Sweden, Hugo Almeida and Nani were essentially permanent decoys. MC
8. Colombia
José Pekerman, the ghosts of Argentina's 2006 exit to Germany not yet laid to rest, has created a fluid and attacking Colombia side based around a dynamic and creative midfield and the profound attacking abilities of Radamel Falcao. With Jackson Martínez, James Rodríguez and Teó Gutiérrez, creativity shouldn't be an issue; the defence is rather more suspect. JW
9. Uruguay
Uruguay have two great assets: the front pairing of Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani, and the management of Oscar Washington Tabárez. He walks with a stick now and age is catching up with him but el Maestro remains one of the most astute coaches in the world, a master of shutting games down. JW
10. France
The emergence of Paul Pogba and Raphaël Varane, plus late developers such as Mathieu Valbuena, Laurent Koscielny and Olivier Giroud, means Didier Deschamps has a truly excellent squad. But problems with harmony remain and Deschamps has struggled to find a cohesive starting XI. With France likely to be handed a tough draw, success on home soil in 2016 remains more realistic. MC
11. Belgium
That they have an extraordinary generation of players is not is dispute. What is less certain is how they will perform under the pressure of a tournament environment, particularly given the lack of experience of their coach, Marc Wilmots. As such, they remain something of an unknown quantity: they may be very good, but they may not. JW