Three Underdogs at the 2014 FIFA Wolrd Cup

The 2014 FIFA World Cup is still a few months away, but the majority of teams have already bought their tickets to next summer's football festival. With fans' and players' expectations being higher than ever, an event of such magnitude is bound to generate a lot of talking points and predictions. This article takes the spotlight away from the likes of Brazil, Spain, Argentina and Germany, and focuses on three European teams that could spring a surprise in Brazil by reaching at least the semi-finals. Besides the breathtaking action on the pitch, the football World Cup 2014 brings plenty of betting opportunities for sharp punters. The teams that are featured in this article will have generous odds to go far in the competition, so keep an eye on them after you're done reading.

Belgium –After a disappointing Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, Belgium's manager Mark Wilmots has finally made a group of very talented individuals to play like a real team. Few can argue that Belgium's current core of footballers is the best the country has seen in its football history, but question marks have always remained over the spirit and chemistry of the squad. The "Red Devils" are covered in every area of the pitch with top-class players that earn their trade in England, Spain and Germany. Led by the emblematic captain Vincent Company, the Belgians can advance to the later stages of tournament.

Players to watch: Eden Hazard, Romel Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois.

England – The inclusion of England in this list may raise a few eyebrows, but apart from being ridiculously overhyped by the local press, "Three Lions" have done nothing of notice at the previous tournaments to suggest they deserve the "favourites" tag. Today the overall feeling towards England is one of excitement, but also caution. Roy Hodgson is doing a great job blending young talent with experienced guns. England has been more direct, vibrant and pleasant to watch at the end of the qualifying campaign, but Wayne Rooney and co will have to do a lot more if they want to finally break the quarter-finals spell and advance to the last four.

Players to watch: Jack Wilshere, Andros Twonsend and Leighton Baines

Russia­– They may not have glamorous players lightening up the top football leagues, but with Fabio Capello in charge, Russia will definitely be a hard nut to crack. The team has good balance, plenty of experienced heads and several young talents with enormous potential. Many of the current players have already tasted in 2008 the final stages of a big event, when they deservedly beat the Netherlands in a pulsating encounter to reach the semi-finals. Under Capello, Russia has the necessary tactical nous and mentality to progress to the semis.

Players to watch: Alexander Kokorin, Roman Shirokov, Alan Dzagoev

We've mentioned three European teams that are worth paying attention to at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. If you're one of the punters who eagerly anticipates the upcoming matches, this site offers valuable insights and articles on the World Cup betting, including comprehensive bookies' reviews and betting strategies.