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HOW IT WORKS

We conducted a poll of Eurosport-Yahoo! writers, asking them to rank each team based on their expected performance if the World Cup were to start tomorrow. We then took an average mark from the poll results to create this list. The tournament draw is not taken into account - it is an assessment of performance level, not likelihood of success.

We will publish revised rankings each week, with countries moving up and down based on friendly results, injuries, scandals and other factors.

WORLD CUP POWER RANKINGS - Top 12:

1 (3) - Spain - Coach Vicente del Bosque must have been delighted to see Xavi aiding and abetting Lionel Messi's wonder show for Barcelona against Arsenal.

2 (1) - Brazil - Brazil's lack of an alternative to Kaka in a playmaking position has prompted calls for youngsters Neymar and Paulo Henrique Ganso to be called up - a huge gamble to take for Dunga.

3 (2) - Netherlands - Arjen Robben returned to action with a bang while Wesley Sneijder continues his fantastic form. All seems to be well in the Dutch camp, at least for the moment.

4 (5) - Argentina - Diego Maradona says Lionel Messi is 'playing with Jesus' but the onus now falls on the coach himself to get the best out of the Barcelona man in an Argentina shirt.

5 (6) - Germany - Alex Ferguson thinks "typical Germans" are adept at influencing referees in big matches. If there's an ounce of truth in that, it cannot be good news for their upcoming opponents.

6 (4) - England - Amid the doom and gloom surrounding English club's Champions League failures this week, there is at least a ray of light for Fabio Capello - no final for his players and more time to rest.

7 (8) - Italy - The mercurial Francesco Totti is considering a dramatic return to the international scene, a move which would surely give the Azzurri a massive boost.

8 (7) - France - This is an exciting time for French football and those involved in the all-Gallic Champions League quarter-final between Bordeaux and Lyon will have gained some vital big match experience.

9 (9) - Portugal - Never mind Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani's impressive wing displays of late mean the Portuguese side will be able to call on another classy attacking option if needed.

10 (12) - Serbia - A 3-0 victory over fellow finalists Japan in a friendly in Osaka was impressive, doubly so given that coach Radomir Antic was without his overseas-based players.

11 (10) - USA - The US are desperately short in attack and the news that Brian Ching may return to fitness before the finals is hardly reassuring.

12 (11) - Ivory Coast - How long will the Sven effect last? So far, it's still there, but will it still be come June?

AND THE REST:

13- Ghana, 14- Mexico, 15- Chile, 16- Paraguay, 17- Cameroon, 18- Australia, 19- Uruguay, 20- Denmark, 21- Greece, 22- South Korea, 23- South Africa, 24- Switzerland, 25- Nigeria, 26- Slovenia, 27- Japan, 28- Slovakia, 29- Algeria, 30- Honduras, 31- North Korea, 32- New Zealand.

As the countdown continues to the big kick-off in South Africa, we rank the contenders from one to 32.