THE WORLD Cup of football, to some the greatest show on earth, to others undoubtedly the greatest single-sport spectacle on the planet, kicks off in Munich, Germany, on Friday.

Between then and when it comes to an end in Berlin on Sunday, July 9, the world, the entire world, football fans or not, are looking forward to some exciting play and to the parade of skills by the world's best players.

The question one everyone's lips, however, is this: who will win the Cup?

Will it be perennial favourites Brazil, will it be their neighbours and arch rivals Argentine, will it be England or Holland, will it be Italy, France or Portugal, will it be Spain or home team Germany, or will it be one of Africa's best - the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Angola, Tunisia or Togo?

The people's favourites, the book-makers' favourites, are once again five-time champions Brazil, and with players like Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Adriano, Kaka, Juninho, Robinho, Cafu, Cicinho, Roque and Roberto Carlos, with an outstanding goalkeeper Dida, the defending champions are red hot favourites to lift the title ­ and in style at that.

NOT AS YOUNG

As skilled as they are, as brilliant as the likes of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Adriano, Kaka, Juninho, Robinho, Roberto Carlos and Baptista are or may be, however, Ronaldo is not as young as he was at the last World Cup - and neither is Roberto Carlos.

On top of that, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Cicinho were far from their best while representing a disappointing Real Madrid this season, so too was Adriano representing an also disappointing Inter Milan, and one never knows, Brazil, the apparently invincible Brazil, may find title number six an elusive dream.

The second question, therefore, is this: who are capable of sending them home empty-handed?

As strong as Holland, with the likes of Edwin Van der Sar in goal, Ruud van Nistelrood, Arjen Robben, Robin Van Persie, Rafael van der Vaart, Phillip Cocu and young Dirk Kuyt, may be; as good as Italy, with veterans such as Alessandro del Piero, Francesco Totti, Gianluca Zambrotto, Alessandro Nesta and youngsters like Luca Toni and Daniele de Rossi, may be; as dangerous as France with players such as Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram and Patrick Veira, Thiery Henry, Claude Makelele and Louis Saha may be; and with all the possibilities of home team Germany led by Michael Ballack and also parading the likes of Miroslav Klose, Lucas Podolski, Torsten Frings, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Roberth Huth and young Bern Schneider, the two teams capable of knocking off Brazil are Argentina and England.

ARGENTINA STRONG

Argentina, two-time champions, are strong, in Juan Riquelme, Hernan Crespo, Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez and Javier Saviola, Pablo Aimar, Luis Gonzalez and Estaban Cambiasso, Roberto Ayala and Juan Pablo Sorin they boast some skilled forwards, midfield players and defenders, and although these things most times count for little on the big day, on top of that, they not only tied with Brazil in the South American zone at the end of the qualifying matches for the World Cup, but they also defeated them 3-1.

England, the 1966 champions, have disappointed so many times since then, but with a line-up of Paul Robinson, Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Ashley Cole, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney, if he is fit enough to play, they are a dangerous set.

Last time, lest it be forgotten, they were knocked out by Brazil - the eventual champions - and by a great goal by Ronaldinho at that.

World Cup 2006 promises to be an exciting affair, and like the United States' victory over England in 1950, North Korea's victory over Italy in 1966, Cameroon's victory over defending champions Argentina in 1990, Senegal's victory over defending champions France in 2002, and the disappearance of favourites Argentina after the first round also in 2002, there may be some stinging defeats and some shocking surprises. Especially with the likes of Michael Essien, Derek Boateng and Stephen Appiah turning out for Ghana, Emmanuel Adebayor representing Togo and Emmanuel Eboue, Kolo Toure and Didier Drogba in the Ivory Coast's line-up.

The way the betting is going, the way the experts are talking, if Brazil fail to win the Cup, it will be numbered among the biggest surprises in the history of the competition - probably even bigger than the U.S.'s shocker over England.

If Brazil get going, they will be awesome and unstoppable and only a foolish man would bet against them.

Argentina and England, however, are strong, they are fast and they are tough, some times the tough are the ones who conquer, and those who will cash in at the end of it all may well be those who, in their wisdom, place even a small bet on Argentina or England - the two countries with what appears the most balanced teams going into the contest.