RUSSIA 2018 : 5 National teams that could win the World Cup

On June 14, the football fans will descend on Russia for the 2018 World Cup. Although there will be 32 teams competing at the tournament, the likelihood of some of the nations such as Saudi Arabia or Peru winning the Jules Rimet Trophy is slim.

Just eight teams have won the 20 World Cup tournaments that have been held. Will a new nation win it in 2018 or will a previous winner repeat?Let's look at five past winners who look likely of winning it again this year.

Germany

The reigning World Cup champions, Germany come into the tournament as the No. 1 ranked team. Germany is seriously stacked with talent at all positions except striker. The team is still reliant on Mario Gomez, but Joachim Low could turn to 22-year-old RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner for goals. Elsewhere on the pitch, Germany have talent at all positions. The team has so many good players, having a world-class No. 9 may not be that important.

Brazil

The No. 2 ranked team in the world, Brazil are aiming for their sixth World Cup win. Brazil's progression in the tournament really depends on Neymar. The team relies heavily on the Paris Saint-Germain forward. If he can stay fit in the tournament, Brazil should make it to the semifinals again. Brazil are loaded with attacking talent, but defensively they are suspect. Don't forget Germany's dismantling of Brazil at the 2014 World Cup, 7-1, in the semifinals.

Argentina

Argentina struggled mightily in CONMEBOL qualifying and needed Lionel Messi to carry them through. Argentina are a wild card despite the obvious talent. The reason for their status as a wild card is due to the Jorge Sampaoli's team is extremely inconsistent. If the team can find a way in which Messi isn't totally reliant on Messi, Argentina have a great chance of winning the tournament.

France

When the World Cup kicks off in June, it will 20 years since France last won the tournament. France have a solid mixture of experienced players and young stars. The team's potential is through the roof, but some of the club's top stars – Paul Pogba – are not in form currently. The team's biggest weakness could be its defence. Otherwise, France's midfield, attack and goalkeeping are some of the strongest in Russia.

Spain

The winners of the 2010 World Cup, Spain are bringing through some exciting new players that weren't available during the 2014 tournament in Brazil. Julen Lopetegui's team still relies on experienced defenders Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique. Despite the age of both, Ramos and Pique can still perform at a high level. The midfield has equal amounts of youth and experience while the attack will rely on Diego Costa to get the goals. The 2018 World Cup in Russia should see Spain get past the group stage, which they didn't do last time around.