World Cup Kaká and Brazil

Five-time winners will face a tough start to their 2010 World Cup campaign against Portugal and Ivory Coast

Is this an omen of sorts? Brazil, the five-times winners of the World Cup, will start their 2010 finals campaign at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, where the historic climax of the Rugby World Cup took place in 1995. Back then, it was South Africa's most imposing stadium. Next summer it will probably be overshadowed by a new generation of spectacular purpose-built or reconditioned arenas, but it seems an appropriate location for the heirs of Pelé, Jairzinho, Romario, Ronaldo and the rest to begin their challenge.

Brazil may need all the omens they can get, since they occupy the closest thing in the 2010 draw to a group of death, but they may count themselves fortunate to be kicking off with a match against North Korea, whose only previous appearance in the finals came in 1966, when they achieved a stunning elimination of Italy in their final group game before making a quarter-final exit after losing 5-3 to Eusébio's Portugal.

Next for Brazil in Group G come Ivory Coast, complete with Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and YaYa and Kolo Touré, on paper the strongest of the African contenders, full of experience at the highest level of European club football and certain to be highly motivated by the thought of carrying the flag for the host continent. And finally Brazil will meet Portugal, who only scraped into the finals by way of the play-offs but, barring further injuries, will have Cristiano Ronaldo back in the team and, despite the question marks over Carlos Queiroz's qualities as a head coach, will be pushing hard for a place in the last 16.

Read More