2014 FIFA World Cup: Top 5 teams that can spring a surprise in Brazil

The 2014 FIFA World Cup is only 241 days away and the likes of Germany, Brazil and Spain are already being touted as favourites.

But no tournament is complete without the underdog, and there quite a few teams – across all the qualifying regions – who are making a good case of taking the most watched sporting spectacle by the scruff of the neck.

Below is a list of teams who can spring a genuine surprise at 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil:

Alberto Zaccheroni, coach of Japan, leads the celebrations with the squad after the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Australia at Saitama Stadium on June 4, 2013 in Saitama, Japan. (Getty Images)

Asia (AFC) – Japan

The island nation was the first team to qualify for the World Cup; a feat they also achieved during the two previous tournaments.

Alberto Zaccheroni has a really young squad on his hands with the average age of the squad 26 years. But that along with some lackadaisical defending was their undoing at the 2013 Confederations Cup, as they returned home with a goal difference of minus five and no points to show for.

However, what the lack at the back, they make up going forwards. Japan has bundles of attacking flair with the likes of Shinji Kagawa, Keisuke Honda and Shinji Okazaki feeding off the services of their most capped player in Yasuhito End?.

If the quartet combines to devastating effect, the Asian giants could better their tournament best performance of the quarter-finals.

Marc Wilmots (up), head coach of Belgium celebrates the win and qualification for World Cup after the match vs. Croatia on October 11, 2013 in Zagreb, Croatia. (Getty Images)

Europe (UEFA) - Belgium

Marc Wilmots’ team has taken the footballing world by storm.

The average age of Belgium’s golden generation is just 25 and their young squad boasts great camaraderie.

Ranked 54^th in the world two years ago, they now lie in sixth place, having qualified for Brazil – for the first time since 2002 – with a game to spare. They are also unbeaten with eight wins and a draw.

Belgium’s squad is so gifted that their second eleven could make the knock-out stages. They have two promising players for almost every position on the field: Simon Mignolet and Thibaut Courtois in goal and the likes of Jan Vertonghen, Thomas Vermaelen, Vincent Kompany and Daniel Van Buyten amongst others vying for a centre-back slot.

Further up their midfield is packed with the likes of Axel Wistel, Marouane Fellaini and Eden Hazard and up front they have Christian Benteke and Romelu Lukaku with the versatility of Kevin Mirallas and Moussa Dembele adding an extra dimension to their attack.

Safe to say nobody will be taking the Red Devils lightly, who finished fourth in 1986.

Didier Drogba (C) and teammates celebrate after goal during the World Cup 2014 African zone qualifier against Senegal at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium in Abidjan on october 12, 2013. (Getty Images)

Africa (CAF) – Ivory Coast

Les Éléphants are just one win away from Brazil after they defeated Senegal 3-1 in their first leg playoff.

With the second leg on 16^th November, Ivory Coast would look to put things to bed and qualify for their third straight World Cup

During their previous two appearances, they were placed in a so-called “Group of Death”, but come 2014 they would hope to make it past the group stages.

Even with an average age of 27, their squad has the right blend of youth and experience and will look to their core of Kolo Toure, Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba to cause a few upsets.

Touted as favourites, Sabri Lamouchi’s men lost to eventual winners Nigeria in their 2013 African Cup of Nations quarterfinal.

So Brazil will undoubtedly present them with the opportunity to right many a wrong, and they surely do look up for it.

Radamel Falcao celebrates after scoring against Chile during their Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup South American qualifier in Barranquilla, Colombia, on October 11, 2013. (Getty Images)

South America (CONMEBOL) – Colombia

The last time Los Cafeteros made it to the World Cup was in 1998, at a time when they were one of the giants of the game.

But after years of disappointment, they have managed to pull things together under Jose Pekerman. And under the former Argentina manager, Colombia has managed to score 25 goals in their qualifying group.

With skipper Mario Yepes and an average age of 28, they will bring bags of experience with them to Brazil. But what will obviously be on show is their attacking flair.

Pekerman loves to spread play wide, so the likes of Fredy Guarín and James Rodriguez will bomb forward to provide able support to Radamel Falcao and Jackson Martinez.

That fearsome quartet will look to send Colombia past their previous best of the quarterfinals, as they would look to put the pain of past failings behind them.

Jürgen Klinsmann talks with players during a training session for the US Men’s National Soccer Team in advance of their game vs Jamaica at Sporting Park on October 9, 2013 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Getty Images)

North, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF) – USA

Jürgen Klinsmann has galvanised the United States football team. The German has instilled a mentality of steel in his players that saw them go on an impressive 12-game win streak; three short of Spain’s all-time record.

Having qualified (for the seventh successive time) with a game to spare, they can afford to rest key players and that gives the manager the opportunity to experiment as the talent pool is rather untested.

They do have experienced campaigners like Tim Howard, DaMarcus Beasley, Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan, who form the core of the side, whose average age is 28.

It would come as no surprise if this hard-working outfit made it past the group stages or made it as far as the quarters for that matter.

For under their 49-year-old manager they are a well-oiled machine, that knows how to get the job done.