The 2014 World Cup begins on Thursday with Brazil versus Croatia. Below are predictions for which teams will make it out of the group stage and who has the best chance to win the 2014 World Cup.
Predictions
Group A Winner: Brazil (HNGN, ESPN, NJ.com)
Group A Runner-Up: Croatia (HNGN)
Expectations are on Brazil to advance from their group, thanks in part to their home advantage. Neymar is one of the best players in the world, and despite a mediocre season with Barcelona, he is expected to lead his country deep in the tournament.
Group B Winner: Spain (HNGN, ESPN, NJ.com)
Group B Runner-Up: Chile (HNGN)
Spain is the reigning World Cup champions, and they're expected to make a run in the tournament behind their best player, midfielder Andres Iniesta.
Group C Winner: Ivory Coast (HNGN), Colombia (ESPN, NJ.com)
Group C Runner-Up: Colombia (HNGN)
Ivory Coast has forward Didier Drogba and midfielder Yaya Toure, who's coming off a stellar season with Manchester City. They'll be neck-and-neck with Colombia for the top spot in Group C.
Group D Winner: Italy (ESPN), Uruguay (HNGN, NJ.com)
Group D Runner-Up: Italy (HNGN)
While Italy will be in contention for the top spot behind midfielder Andrea Pirlo, Uruguay has a potent three-prong attack -- as pointed out by NJ.com -- that features forward Luis Suarez, Diego Forlan and Edinson Cavani.
Group E Winner: France (ESPN), Switzerland (HNGN, NJ.com)
Group E Runner-Up: France (HNGN)
France is a favorite to top Group E, but I like Switzerland leaping ahead of the group standings by the end of the first round.
Group F Winner: Argentina (HNGN, ESPN, NJ.com)
Group F Runner-Up: Nigeria (HNGN)
Argentina has forward Lionel Messi, who's reportedly finally healthy and expected to bounce back from a subpar season with Barcelona.
Group G Winner: Germany (HNGN, ESPN, NJ.com)
Group G Runner-Up: Portugal (HNGN)
I think Germany can ultimately overcome the loss of midfielder Marco Reus. They have enough talent but will need consistency throughout from midfielder Mario Gotze and forward Miroslav Klose. Portugal, meanwhile, has forward Cristiano Ronaldo to help guarantee Portugal advances from this year's Group of Death.
Group H Winner: Belgium (HNGN, ESPN, NJ.com)
Group H Runner-Up: Russia (HNGN)
Forward Romelu Lukaku and midfielder Eden Hazard are the biggest names on the Belgium roster and could make headlines in this year's Cup.
2014 World Cup Winner: Germany (HNGN), Brazil (ESPN), Argentina (NJ.com)
For the complete first-round schedule, along with live streaming and radio broadcast information, visit HERE.
