A B C D
E F G H
World Cup team capsules
EUROPE
Austria
Seventh appearance. Best performances: Third in 1954. Fourth in 1934.
Toni Polster's goals (41 in 87 appearances) were the main reason behind Austria's qualification. Now the team hopes to improve on a first-round elimination in 1990.
Belgium
10th appearance. Best performance: Fourth in 1986.
Fifth time in a row in finals, and midfielder Franky Van Der Elst is in his fourth. But the top two players are Luis Oliveira and Luc Nilis. Belgium relies on a feverish work ethic rather than technical ability.
Bulgaria
Seventh appearance. Best performance: Fourth in 1994.
One more time for Hristo Stoichkov, Yordan Letchkov, Ivailo Yordanov, Emil Kostadinov, Lyuboslav Penev, Krasimir Balakov and Trifon Ivanov. After taking their team to fourth in 1994, these are among the veterans back to try and improve in '98.
Croatia
First appearance.
Midfielder Robert Prosinecki and forwards Davor Suker and Alen Boksic were in Yugoslavia's lineup in 1990 and Croatia has reached the finals in their first attempt. Coach Miroslav Blazevic uses players from clubs in Spain, Italy and England, including Zvonimir Boban, Aljosa Asanovic and Slaven Bilic.
Denmark
Second appearance. Best performance: Second round in 1986.
The Danes will rely heavily on the Laudrup brothers, Brian and Michael, and the goalkeeping of Peter Schmeichel. The Danes won the European Championship in 1992, yet still don't look as strong as when they reached the European semifinals in 1984.
England
10th appearance. Best performances: Winner in 1966. Fourth in 1990. Quarterfinals in 1954, 1962, 1970, 1986.
Gone is the old-fashioned system of long high balls to tall front men. Coach Glenn Hoddle has improved the team's technical ability. Paul Gascoigne is the lone survivor from World Cup '90 and he i surrounded by talented passers, shooters and dribblers in David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Steve McManaman and finisher Alan Shearer. David Seaman is one of the world's best goalkeepers.
France
Ninth appearance. Best performances: Third in 1958, 1986. Fourth in 1982.
Aime Jacquet has some of the top talent in Europe, but struggles to make the best use of it. France has a strong, well-organized defense starring Marcel Desailly alongside Laurent Blanc. Didier Deschamps anchors the midfield, while Emmanuel Petit and Zinedine Zidane provide the flair and create chances for the talented Youri Djorkaeff.
Germany
14th appearance. Best performances: Winner in 1954, 1974, 1990. Runner-p in 1966, 1982, 1986. Third in 1934, 1970. Fourth in 1958. Quarterfinals in 1962, 1994.
Germany was ousted in the 1994 quarterfinals by Bulgaria and coach Berti Vogts is under pressure for a strong rebound performance. A hugely experienced team features five of the victorious 1990 squad: Jurgen Kohler, Stefan Reuter, Jurgen Klinsmann, Andy Moller and Thomas Hassler. Won the 1996 European Championship.
Italy
14th appearance. Best performances: Winner in 1934, 1938, 1982. Runner-up in 1970, 1994. Third in 1990. Fourth in 1978.
Coach Cesare Maldini will rely on typically tight defense and standout goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi. Creativity will come from AC Milan's Demetrio Albertini, Gianfranco Zola and Alessandro Del Piero, but there appears to be no place for 1994 hero Roberto Baggio.
Netherlands
Seventh appearance. Best performances: Runner-up in 1974, 1978. Quarterfinals in 1994.
An immensely talented team that needs some stability. A strike force of Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Kluivert supported by Marc Overmars, Edgar Davids and Clarence Seedorf makes the Dutch a threat, but they often don't work as a team.
Norway
Third appearance. Best performance: Never made it past first round.
With at least nine players from England's Premier League, Norway may appear like an English club. Longtime coach Egil Olsen, who leaves after the finals, has fast-moving, strong-tackling players with experience. Tall forwards Jostein Flo and Tore Andre Flo will be set up by Stig-Inge Bjornebye, while the defense looks solid with Gunnar Halle and Henning Berg.
Romania
Seventh appearance. Best performance: Quarterfinals in 1994.
A last shot at the title for Gheorghe Hagi, Marius Lacatus and other veterans. But this looks like their best chance. Going 9-0-1 in qualifying games, the Romanians scored 37 goals and yielded three. Hagi, Lacatus, midfielder Dan Petrescu and forwards Viorel Moldovan and Adrian Ilie have been in exceptional form.
Scotland
Eighth appearance. Best performance: Never made it past first round.
A solid defense and reliable goalkeepers Jim Leighton and Andy Goram are strong points. Contrast that with a modest scoring record -- few players are capable of unlocking opposition defenses. Team captain Gary McAllister and midfielder John Collins try to set up goals for Kevin Gallacher.
Spain
10th appearance. Best performance: Fourth in 1950. Quarterfinals in 1986, 1994.
Veteran goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta heads for his fourth World Cup in a row. In front of him, Miguel Angel Nadal and Albert Ferrer maintain a solid defense supported by Fernando Hierro. Young forward Raul Gonzales will be the main scorer, but might lack support.
Yugoslavia
Ninth appearance. Best performances: Semifinal in 1930. Fourth in 1962. Quarterfinals in 1954, 1958, 1990.
Rapidly redeveloping. An abundance of talent in midfield and on attack, featuring forward Dejan Savicevic, Vladimir Jugovic and Pedrag Mijatovic, who scored seven times in two games against Hungary. The defense has free-kick expert Sinisa Mihajlovic.
SOUTH AMERICA
Argentina
13th appearance. Best performances: Winner in 1978 and 1986. Runner-up in 1930, 1990. Quarterfinals in 1966.
Won its final seven qualifiers following a shaky start. In the post-Maradona era, Argentina is led by a nucleus of stars from the Spanish and Italian Leagues: Juan Veron, Ariel Ortega, Gabriel Batistuta and Hernan Crespo.
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Brazil
16th appearance. Best performances: Winner in 1958, 1962, 1970 and 1994. Runner-up in 1950. Third in 1938 and 1978. Fourth in 1974. Quarterfinals in 1954 and 1986.
Mario Zagallo, who coached the team to the title in 1970, is back with a team that may be more talented than the one that won the '94 title. Ronaldo, the 21-year-old forward who was FIFA's player of the year in 1996, is the leader and '94 star Romario may pair with him up front. Other returnees include goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel along with Cafu, Aldair, Dunga, Mauro Silva and Leonardo.
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Chile
Seventh appearance. Best performance: Third in 1962.
Banned from qualifying for the 1994 tournament after goalkeeper Roberto Rojas faked an injury in a qualifier against Brazil in 1989. Star forward Marcelo Salas may sign with Manchester United.
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Colombia
Fourth appearance. Best performance: Second round in 1990.
A flop at the '94 tournament, losing to the United States in the first round. Carlos Valderrama with the blond mop of hair is still the leader. The core of the team is back, including forwards Faustino Asprilla and Anthony De Avila and midfielder Freddy Rincon. Defender Wilmer Cabrera got the goal that clinched the World Cup berth.
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Paraguay
Fifth appearance. Best performance: Second round in 1986.
The team's star is flamboyant goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert, considered among the best in the world. He also takes free kicks and penalty kicks and has scored 28 goals in his career.
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NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA
AND CARIBBEAN
Jamaica
First appearance.
The "Reggae Boyz" became the first Caribbean team to qualify since Haiti in 1974. Prime Minister P.J. Patterson presented each member of the team with a free plot of land for a home site and declared a public holiday the day after the clincher. Brazilian Rene Simoes is the coach, and forward Deon Burton scored in four of the last five qualifying matches.
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Mexico
11th appearance. Best performances: Quarterfinals in 1970 and 1986.
Bora Milutinovic, who coached the U.S. team at the '94 World Cup, led Mexico through qualifying but was fired last week. Back from the '94 World Cup team are flamboyant goalkeeper Jorge Campos and forward Alberto Garcia Aspe. Carlos Hermosillo, and Luis Garcia also are standouts.
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United States
Sixth appearance. Best performance: Semifinals in 1930.
Struggled in qualifying, putting coach Steve Sampson's job in jeopardy before getting scoreless tie at Mexico and win at Canada to clinch berth. Core of team is same as '94, with forwards Eric Wynalda, Ernie Stewart and Roy Wegerle; midfielders John Harkes and Cobi Jones; defenders Marcelo Balboa and Alexi Lalas. Kasey Keller and Brad Friedel both solid in goal. Appears Tab Ramos will miss the tournament due to knee injury, but Claudio Reyna, who missed '94 Cup with hamstring pull, has been a standout lately.
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AFRICA
Cameroon
Fourth appearance. Best performance: Quarterfinals in 1990.
The Indomitable Lions are only African team to reach quarterfinals. Cameroon failed to win a match in 1994. Coaching job currently shared by four Cameroonians but a new foreign coach will probably be hired soon. Top players are goalkeeper Jacques Songo'o, defender Pierre Wome and forwards Patrick Mboma and Salomon Olembe.
Morocco
Fourth appearance. Best performance: Second round in 1986.
Led by former French coach Henri Michel, Morocco became first African nation to qualify for a fourth time. The Moroccans also qualified in 1970, '86 and '94 and reached the second round in Mexico by topping its group before losing to eventual champion West Germany.
Nigeria
Second appearance. Best performance: Second round in 1994.
Known as the Eagles, Nigeria lost to eventual finalist Italy after leading with two minutes to go in '94. The Eagles won the gold medal at 1996 Olympics, beating powerful Brazil in the semifinals and Argentina in the final. Team coaching position is vacant and Emmanuel Amunike may miss the tournament following knee surgery. Forward Nwankwo Kanu is back from heart surgery.
South Africa
First appearance.
"Bafana Bafana" (Boys) returned in 1992 from two-decade ban from international soccer because of apartheid and won the African Nations Cup at home in 1996. Clive Barker is the coach and top players are midfielder Doctor Khumalo, defender Mark Fish and forward Phil Masinga.
Tunisia
Second appearance. Best performance: Didn't make it past first round.
Runner-up to South Africa in 1996 African Nations Cup. Won a tough qualifying group that included Egypt, Namibia and Liberia. Top players are goalkeeper Chokri el Ouaer and forward Zoubeir Beya.
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ASIA
Iran
Second appearance. Best performance: Never made it past first round.
After losing to Japan in overtime of the Asia third-place playoffs, the Iranians overcame a two-goal deficit in the final 15 minutes to beat Oceania champion Australia and gain the final qualifying spot. Karim Bagheri and Khodadad Azizi scored the two goals that put Iran in the tournament for the first time since 1978. Coach Valdir Vierra of Brazil took over for the final three qualifies and awaits word on whether his contract will be extended.
Japan
First appearance.
Very close to making it in 1986, when they lost to South Korea in the final qualifying round, the Japanese have two star players, Kazu Miura and former Brazilian Wagner Lopes. A 2-0 victory in Seoul and a 5-1 crushing of Kazakhstan earned them a playoff against Iran, and substitute Masayuki Okano's overtime goal got the Japanese to France.
Saudi Arabia
Second appearance. Best performance: second round in 1994.
Led by German coach Otto Pfister, Saudis hope to better their 1994 debut. They looked impressive during qualifying, with a 9-3-2 record, although eight second-round goals from eight games indicates a lack of scoring.
South Korea
Fifth appearance. Best performance: Never made it past first round.
Co-host of the 2002 World Cup with Japan, the South Koreans went 3-1 in first round, were unbeaten in the second and already had clinched a spot before their first loss, 2-0 at home to Japan. Coached by Cha Bum-kun, South Korea has a lively forward in Choi Yong-soo.
NEXT ROUNDS: Round of 16 || Quarter-finals || Semi-finals
GROUP A: Brazil, Morocco, Norway, Scotland
GROUP B: Austria, Cameroon, Chile, Italy
GROUP C: Denmark, France, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
GROUP D: Bulgaria, Nigeria, Paraguay, Spain
GROUP E: Belgium, Holland, Mexico, South Korea
GROUP F: Germany, Iran, United States, Yugoslavia
GROUP G: Colombia, England, Romania, Tunisia
GROUP H: Argentina, Croatia, Jamaica, Japan