CRISTIANO RONALDO

Country: Portugal

Age: 29

Position: FW

Caps: 110

Goals: 49

It took a dramatic two-leg playoff against Sweden, including four goals by Ronaldo himself, to book Portugal’s place in the tournament. As much as it pains many football fans that Swedish superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be missing this year, it would have been a slightly awkward international tournament without the reigning winner of the Balon d’Or, La Liga pichichi of the 13/14 season and winner of the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid C.F. Portugal’s all-time top scorer will be hoping to captain his team to glory in what could be his last chance to lift the historical trophy.

LUIS SUAREZ

Country: Uruguay

Age: 27

Position: FW

Caps: 77

Goals: 39

The English Premier League’s standout player of the 13/14 season by far, Luis Suarez will be attempting to replicate his deadly attacking Liverpool form for Uruguay in Brazil. Suarez is known for his notorious antics on the pitch, not to mention the blatant handball that stopped a certain goal for Ghana in the 2010 World Cup that cost Ghana advancement to the semifinals, but he is older now and some might say that he has matured. What’s certain is that fans will be expecting the same fire he plays with for Liverpool be blazing when he plays for his national team.

THIBAUT COURTOIS

Country: Belgium

Age: 22

Position: GK

Caps: 15

Goals: 0

At the age of 22 and since the past couple of seasons, Courtois has been widely considered to be a future legendary goalkeeper. Courtois was an easy pick for the Belgium World Cup squad, due to an impressive 20 clean sheets for Atletico Madrid this season and a shiny new La Liga winners’ medal. Hoping for clean sheets in Brazil, Courtois will be shielded by tanks at the back named Vincent Kompany, Thomas Vermaelen and Daniel Van Buyten. A towering figure standing at 1.98m (6’6”), Courtois will be a source of confidence and security between the two posts.