Qualification
Brazil qualified automatically as Host Nation.

The current crop
Fully aware of the enormous burden of expectation sure to surround A Verde e Amarelo, the national set-up have put in place an intense preparatory process featuring friendly clashes against fellow members of the global elite. This approach has been underlined by meetings with opponents of the calibre of Argentina, France,  Netherlands, England, and Italy. However, in their first major test on the road to 2014, Brazil crashed out of the 2011 Copa America at the quarter-final stage, eliminated by Paraguay. Following the silver medal campaign in the  Olympic Football Tournament London 2012, by the end of the year head coach Mano Menezes was replaced by 2002 FIFA World Cup champion Luiz Felipe Scolari, who is in charge of cutting the rough edges of a team that has gone through a major rejuvenation over the last few years.

The key players
After rising rapidly to superstar status at club side Santos, striker Neymar is already being hailed as a man capable of playing a key role for the five-time world champions come the next FIFA Confederations Cup. Currently among the supporting cast in attack are another couple of youngsters:, Oscar, and Lucas, while Barcelona’s Dani Alves is a lung-bursting presence on the flank. Between the sticks, Julio Cesar exudes confidence and security to the rest of the backline. Just ahead of the veteran goalkeeper, Thiago Silva provides leadership and great skills alongside David Luiz.

Coach: Luiz Felipe Scolari

Best performances in a FIFA competition: FIFA World Cup Sweden 1958, Chile 1962, Mexico 1970, USA 1994, Korea/Japan 2002 (Winners), FIFA U-20 World Cup Mexico 1983, USSR 1985, Australia 1993, UAE 2003 (Winners), FIFA U-17 World Cup Egypt 1997, New Zealand 1999, Finland 2003 (Winners), FIFA Confederations Cup Saudi Arabia 1997, Germany 2005, South Africa 2009 (Winners)

Former stars: Garrincha, Pele, Ronaldo