World Cup Team Names: Every Country's Nickname and Meaning

One of the most fascinating aspects about the World Cup and international soccer is that the countries each have their own unique nicknames. It's not enough to just represent the country... the team name itself has to capture the imagination.

Many countries have team names that reflect the colors and style of their jerseys, and their flags. Others have as many as three or four different nicknames for their soccer teams. Typically, the better the team, the more nicknames it might have. Brazil for example has at least 5 team nicknames for the national team, and it's perhaps not a coincidence then that they have won 5 World Cup championships.

Here's a look at the official team names, nicknames and the meaning behind it for every team in the 2010 World Cup. The 2010 World Cup team nicknames are presented by country alphabetically. Explanations or translations are provided when necessary.

Algeria - The Desert Foxes

Argentina - La Albiceleste (the White and Sky Blue, the national colors)

Australia - The Socceroos (A fantastic combination of kangaroos, soccer, and Aussie sensibility)

Brazil - A Selecao (the Selection); The Samba Kings; Verde-Amarela (Green and Yellow); Canarinho (Little Canary); Scratch du Oro (the Golden Squad)

Cameroon - Les Lions Indomables (The Indomitable Lions)

Chile - La Roja (The Red One); El Equipo de Todos (Everbody's Team)... how did Chile with zero World Cup championships get two nicknames?

Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) - Les Elephants (This translation is a shocker... the Elephants, and it's an appropriate enough name for a country with Ivory in its name)

Denmark - The Danish Dynamite; Olsen-Banden (The Olsen Gang); Olsens Elleve (Olsen's Eleven)... the multiple nicknames here stem from unabashed love for longtime coach Morten Olsen.

England - The Three Lions

France- Les Bleus (The Bleu Cheeses, er, I mean... the Blues); L'Equipe Tricolore (The Tri-color Team, apparently disregarding the many other countries with three colors in their flag)

Germany - Die Manschaft (the Team, a very creative name for a very creative people)

Ghana- The Black Stars

Greece - Galanoleyki (The blue and white, representing the colors); the Phalanx (after the old, unbreakable troop formation); Ethniki (the National Team)... here multiple nicknames stem from a general disagreement about what to call the team, and a limited record of international success

Honduras - Los Catrachos (the Hondurans... appropriately enough); La Bicolor (The Double Colored, for the country's colors)

Italy - The Azzurri (The Blue... yes, international soccer teams love the color blue)

Japan - The Samurai Blue (international soccer's love of blue, combined with Japanese tradition)

Korea DPR (North Korea) - The Chollima (The Thousand-Mile Horse, a mythical winged horse)

Korea Republic (South Korea) -Taegeuk Jeonsa (The Taegeuk Warriors, Taegeuk being similar to the concept of yin and yang, the symbol of which is found on their flag)

Mexico - El Tri (The Three, for the colors of the flag... I tried to warn France that there were others)

Netherlands - The Oranje (The Orange); The Flying Dutchmen; La Naranja Mecanica (Clockwork Orange)

New Zealands - The All Whites (The country's national rugby team is the All Blacks)

Nigeria - The Super Eagles

Paraguay - Guaranies (An indigenous people from South America); La Abirroja (The White and Red)

Portugal - Seleccao das Quinas (National Team of the Five)

Serbia - The White Eagles (Take that, Nigeria)

Slovakia - Repre; The Fighting Jondas

Slovenia - Zmajceki (Dragons; also The Green Dragons)

South Africa- Bafana Bafana (The Boys)

Spain- La Furia Roja (The Red Fury); La Furia (The Fury); La Furia Espanola (The Spanish Fury)

Switzerland- The Schweizer Nati (The Swiss National Team)

Uruguay ­- La Celeste (The Sky Blue); La Celeste Olimpica (The Olympic Sky Blue), Charruas (indigenous South American peoples)

USA - The Yanks (sadly enough for fans in Red Sox Nation)