The World Cup has been contested every four years since 1930, but the sport of soccer has been notoriously slow to catch on in the States.

With one of the most talented sides in American history and every match being shown on ESPN, however, all signs point unprecedented growth in popularity throughout the nation. To those a bit late to the 80-year-old worldwide party, we offer a one-stop guide for choosing your allegiances for the month long tournament.

Group E

Cameroon

FIFA Ranking: 19

Root for Cameroon if you: Like home-field advantages. The “Indominable Lions” were the first team to tour South Africa after apartheid ended. South Africa had been banned by FIFA from international matches during the 80s thanks to their corrupt government, and Cameroon’s tour was their first glimpse of soccer stars in over a decade. Expect the host fans to throw their support behind this talented squad.

Player to watch: Samuel Eto’o. Eto is one of the finest strikers in the world and recently won his second straight European Champions League title, the first with Barcelona and the other with Inter Milan. The striker, who first made an appearance for the national team at age 15 in 1997, got in a recent media feud with past Cameroonian great Roger Milla. One gets the feeling that it is now or never for Eto’o to guide his team into the latter stages of the World Cup.

Denmark

FIFA Ranking: 36

Root for Denmark if you: Prefer a balanced attack. “Danish Dynamite” harkened back to their glory days in the 80s to overcome a stacked qualification group to get to South Africa, overcoming favored squads Portugal and Sweden. The squad achieved the feat without a true star, however, and the same will be true if they achieve a positive result in this balanced group.

Player to watch: Nicklas Bendtner. The Arsenal-based forward is the closest thing that the Danes have to a standout. The team relies on pressuring defense and a balanced passing attack to get wins, but to have an extended stay at the World Cup they will need a bit of magic up-front; the responsibility falls largely on the shoulders of Bendtner.

Japan

FIFA Ranking: 45

Root for Japan if you: Enjoy unpredictability. Japan was the first team to qualify for South Africa, rolling through qualification and looking like a true threat. In the run-up to the finals, however, the “Blue Samurai” faltered and were unimpressive in their final few tune-up games. Despite being written off as a sleeper, this technically sound team has proven that they can beat anyone when at their best.

Player to watch: Shunsuke Nakamura. The aging winger has recently fallen out of favor with Japan’s coaching staff, but he is still capable of producing shock goals when given the opportunity. The argument over whether he finds his way out of the doghouse and onto the field will be a major talking point on the Pacific Rim.

Netherlands

FIFA Ranking: 4

Root for the Netherlands if you: Are a Buffalo Bills fan. Much like their infamous American football counterparts, the Dutch consistently have had one of the most talented squads but have never taken home the Cup. The Netherlands are blessed with maybe their finest team since the famous “Clockwork Orange” teams of the 1970s and have their eyes on doing what even that legendary team could not: deliver a World Cup to Holland.

Player to watch: Robin van Persie. The star goal threat reportedly launched a stunning attack on fellow front man Dirk Kuyt in the lead up the World Cup, asking the team’s manager to drop the Liverpool forward from the squad. Van Persie’s comments raised eyebrows around the soccer world, and whether the chemistry between the two still exists may make or break the Dutch’s chances.

Group F

Italy

FIFA Ranking: 5

Root for Italy if you: Are a fan of the theatre. The Italians treat soccer as an art, with their players filling the roles of actors. The positive side is that fans of the “Azzurri” treat the game with the utmost reverence. The negative side is that at times its players, especially striker Alberto Gilardino, take their roles as actors too seriously attempting to draw fouls.

Player to watch: Gianluigi Buffon. There is one thing that Italy takes more seriously than diving and defensive soccer, and that is winning. Italy is second only to Brazil in titles, and rides into South Africa as the defending champions. Goalkeeper Buffon is a major reason why, and one of the finest stoppers in the world leads a veteran-heavy squad—five of their starting 11 are age 30 or above—in search of a record tying fifth World Cup trophy.

New Zealand

FIFA Ranking: 78

Root for New Zealand if you: Want to stop following the World Cup after the group stages. It would take a minor miracle for the “All Whites” to progress into the Round of 16 and even a draw against any of their opponents would make their tournament a success. Maybe this team should borrow “The Haka”—their rugby squad’s famous pregame ritual–to fire themselves up and to intimidate opponents because they will need every advantage that they can get.

Player to watch: Ryan Nelsen. The veteran defender and captain is New Zealand’s only world class player. He plies his trade in the English Premier League for Blackburn Rovers and will be hoping that his big game experience rubs off on his teammates.

Paraguay

FIFA Ranking: 31

Root for Paraguay if you: Like teams who overcome adversity. “La Albirroja” cruised through South American qualification and were tabbed by some as a challenger to the title. Star forward and leading scorer Salvador Cabañas was shot in the head in a Mexico City bar in January, however, and suddenly Paraguay’s attention was turned fully toward the tragedy. Cabañas has made a remarkable recovery and, while he won’t be playing in the tournament, the team has recovered their form.

Player to watch: Roque Santa Cruz. Once one of the most promising strikers in South America, an ill-fated big money move to Manchester City saw the forward spend most of 2009-2010 on the bench. How his talents are utilized by his national team and how he adjusts to being on the field again will be instrumental in recovering the goals lost by the Cabañas shooting.

Slovakia

FIFA Ranking: 34

Root for Slovakia if you: Enjoy first timers. “The Fighting Jondas” are participating in their first World Cup as an independent nation after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993. The nation split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, with the former having much more success on the soccer pitch. Neighboring Slovakia will be reveling in the fact that they beat out their old rivals in qualifying and look to carry over that momentum into the Cup.

Player to watch: Marek Hamšík. The 22-year-old attacking midfielder has creative ability rivaling that of any young player in the world and will spark most of Slovakia’s attacks. This wide-open group more than likely pits Slovakia against Paraguay for the second advancing spot, and look for Hamšík to make the difference.

Group G

Brazil

FIFA Ranking: 1

Root for Brazil if you: Are a New York Yankees fan. The finest soccer nation in the world is the favorite yet again coming into the World Cup. The five-time world champions have eschewed their traditional entertaining style of play in favor of a more defensive approach, but the results have remained positive. Head coach and former legendary defender Dunga has received mixed reviews at home because of this shift in emphasis, but a sixth title would silence those critics.

Player to watch: Maicon. The left back is a jack-of-all-trades for this talented side and dictates the tempo by making runs into the attack from his position in the defense. He is arguably the best defender in the tournament, and how he balances getting into the attack and shutting down opposing runs is a major factor in the Brazilian game plan.

Ivory Coast

FIFA Ranking: 26

Root for the Ivory Coast if you: Enjoy watching a “Golden Generation.” This term is used to describe the once in a lifetime talent of a nation and is a fitting moniker for “The Elephants.” Blessed with a group of players surprising for such a small nation and especially for one ravaged by a recent civil war, the chance to make a splash on the world stage may never again come for the Ivory Coast.

Player to watch: Didier Drogba. The talismanic striker seemed to have been ruled out of the World Cup after what looked to be a fractured arm in an early June friendly, but now looks fit to play. While supplied with a wealth of talent, this squad has never turned it into success in a major tournament. The Ivory Coast will need Drogba’s goal-scoring exploits if it hopes to get out of arguably the toughest group in the field.

North Korea

FIFA Ranking: 105

Root for North Korea if you: Like mystery. The isolated nation of North Korea has been shielded to outsiders for decades and this shroud of mystery has carried over to their national team. Little is known about this squad—they conducted their practices in South Africa closed to the media and under the watch of armed guards. This anonymity also fosters unpredictability, for the “Chollima” will hope to use this element of surprise to pull off an upset as unlikely as the one in 1966 when they shocked Italy.

Player to watch: Jong Tae-se. The “Asian Wayne Rooney” predicted a shock win over Brazil in a rare press conference during the run-up to the tournament. If any North Korean player has the ability to make such a improbability happen, it is Tae-se, whose strikes from distance will have to hit their mark for his team to even make the game competitive.

Portugal

FIFA Ranking: 3

Root for Portugal if you: Enjoy a one-man show. Cristino Ronaldo may have lost the title of world’s best player to Lionel Messi this year, but he is still in the prime of his career and will be involved in every offensive foray for “A Selecção.” Portugal limped into qualification, needing a playoff victory over Bosnia/Herzegovina to make the field, but have recently returned to the form that makes them a legitimate title contender.

Player to watch: Ronaldo. The winger looked anything but the finest player in the world during qualification, failing to notch a single goal during the process. For Portugal to dream of its first World Cup title, it will need Ronaldo at his otherworldly best.

Group H

Chile

FIFA Ranking: 18

Root for Chile if you: Were a fan of the “seven seconds or less” Phoenix Suns teams. If Mike D’Antoni was a soccer coach, his team would play exactly like Chile. “La Roja” do not worry about how many goals they give up, as long as they score one more. It makes for an entertaining brand of soccer that will earn them fans around the world, provided they make an extended run. Mark their June 25 showdown with Spain on your calendar if you want to see a flurry of goals.

Player to watch: Alexis Sánchez. Known as “El Niño Maravilla”—the wonder boy—in Chile, the 21-year-old striker is one of the most exciting players in the tournament. A candidate for breakout player, his goal scoring exploits and trickery with the ball personify Chile’s high-octane attack.

Honduras

FIFA Ranking: 38

Root for Honduras if you: Believe in sport as a unifier. Honduras has been in turmoil since its president took power without public support. While the soccer team cannot lift the military rule off of the Central American country, it can give its citizens a much needed diversion. A header from United States defender Jonathan Bornstein to draw with Costa Rica ensured Honduras’ place in South Africa on the final day of qualification and became a Honduran national hero.

Player to watch: Wilson Palacios. The bruising midfielder has dedicated this World Cup to his younger brother, who was kidnapped and murdered in an attempt to gain ransom money. Palacios will play a crucial role in shutting down the potent attacks of Honduras’ group rivals, and his strength after his family tragedy will be a powerful motivational factor for “Los Catrachos.”

Spain

FIFA Ranking: 2

Root for Spain if you: Enjoy the “beautiful game.” “La Furia roja” are a soccer fan’s dream side, with seemingly limitless talent and an entertaining flair to their game. The finest passing team in the tournament, Spain is stocked with world class players from the front to the back. Untimely injuries and exceedingly high expectations back home caused a dip in form early in the year, but they have recently looked like the contenders they were expected to be.

Player to watch: Andrés Iniesta. The diminutive winger stands only 5-foot, 7-inches, but is Spain’s biggest contributor in the midfield. He joins with fellow Barcelona man Xavi to form the heart of the Spanish offense and when their chemistry is flowing the attack goes with it. A recent thigh muscle injury caused all of Spain to collectively hold its breath, but Iniesta looks to be back to full strength heading into the Cup.

Switzerland

FIFA Ranking: 24

Root for Switzerland if you: Don’t like surprises. Another team that reflects the ideology of its nation, the Swiss play with a tame, no-nonsense approach. “Schweizer Nati” beat who they are supposed to beat, and lose when they are expected to. A weak qualifying group did little to test this side, but their ability to get results will place them in contention in this balanced group.

Player to watch: Alexander Frei. The captain and leading goal-scorer will be called upon to provide the offense for Switzerland. In such an attack heavy group, the squad will need Frei to live up to expectations if they hope to progress to the second round.

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