Confederations Cup kicks-off on Saturday

The FIFA Confederations Cup is a tournament held every four years

The FIFA Confederations Cup is a tournament held every four years

by FIFA for national teams. It involves the 6 holders of each FIFA Confederation competition (UEFA, Conmebol, Concacaf, CAF, AFC, OFC). This competition is often said to not be a tournament that international teams takes very seriously. However it’s a chance for many players to show their talent and potential as it is held during the summer transfer window.

This year’s Confed Cup is being hosted by Brazil who will also be the hosts of next year’s World Cup. The teams featuring includes host Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Spain, Italy, Uruguay, Nigeria and Tahiti. These teams are places in two groups where the top two from each group advancing to the semifinals and the winners of the semifinals advancing to the final. There will also be a third-place playoff match which will take place before the final of the competition.

Host Brazil are heavy favourites but World and European Champions Spain will be looking to capture another major international trophy which would be their fourth consecutive major trophy. The Italians will always make a run for it while Japan and Uruguay may cause a few surprises in this tournament.

This competition will give an indication of how prepared Brazil are to host the 2014 World Cup. Many star names will be on show and thus is expected to attract a large audience for most if not all of the games.