If you want to play in the World Cup, here’s a tip – it helps to play in red, or white, or red and white. And it’s also preferable to have an eagle on your chest.
A quick scan of the nicknames for teams at the 2018 World Cup reveals no less than ten with red and/or white included and eagles – lots and lots of eagles.
There’s Super Eagles, Eagles of Carthage, Golden Eagles and just plain Eagles. Indeed four nations at this World Cup, including the hosts, have an eagle in their moniker and even Egypt, who are known as the Pharaohs, have an eagle on their flag.
Falcons rate a mention as do Lions – twice – and even kangaroos. Or Socceroos to be exact.
Sky blue is also popular (two teams), as is just blue (three) and green and yellow (both two as well).
TEAM MELLI MUSIC HYPE THREAD! pic.twitter.com/tYz1HHn4lB
— Dennis World Cup 2018 (@Agha_Zadeh) June 20, 2018
There is the curious (The Canal Men), to the bizarre (Red Devils) to the cute (Little Canary) to the endearing (Our Boys) – and if Danish Dynamite (Denmark) meet The Blazers (Croatia) you can be sure we are in for fireworks.
There is even four teams who just couldn’t come up with a name so settled on the very dull National Team.
Here below are the nicknames of all 32 World Cup teams. How many do you know?
Argentina La Albiceleste (The White and SkyBlues)
Australia The Socceroos
Belgium The Red Devils
Brazil Seleção (The Squad), Canarinho (Little Canary), Verde Amarela (The Green and Yellow)
Colombia La Tricolor (The Tricolors), Los Cafeteros (The Coffee Growers),
Costa Rica Los Ticos (The Ticos)
Croatia Vatreni (The Blazers)
Denmark Danish Dynamite
Regardless of the loss today, I’m still very proud of Egypt. The blood of the Pharoahs and the water of the Nile still runs in our veins, and Mohamed Salah has given us more than we could ever ask for in this match ⚽️🇪🇬 Thank you @MoSalah ❤️ #WorldCup2018 #EgyptVsRussia
— ✨ نورا✨ (@Nefertiti2328) June 19, 2018
Egypt The Pharaohs
England Three Lions
France Les Bleus
Germany Die Mannschaft, DFBElf (DFB Eleven), Nationalelf (national eleven)
Iceland Strákarnir okkar (Our Boys)
Iran Team Melli (National Team)
Japan Blue Samurai
Mexico El Tri (The Tri), El Tricolor (The Tricolor)
Morocco Atlas Lions
Nigeria Super Eagles
" ...we've put the last result past us and are working hard for the next game, it's the game of our lives," - #TyronneEbuehi #SoarSuperEagles #NGA #Team9jaStrong #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/MhCaCu7CzY
— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) June 24, 2018
Panama La Marea Roja (The Red Tide), Los Canaleros (The Canal Men),
Peru La Blanquirroja (The White and Red), Los Incas (The Incas)
Poland Białoczerwoni (The White and Reds), Orły (The Eagles)
Portugal A Seleção das Quinas (Selection of the Quinas); The Navigators
Russia The Golden Eagles, The National Team
Saudi Arabia aṣṢuqūr al‘Akhḍar (The Green Falcons), al‘Akhḍar (The Green)
Senegal Les Lions de la Téranga (The Lions of Teranga)
Serbia The White Eagles
If #Neymar gets a yellow card up against a very physical Serbia side (quelle surprise!), he would miss Brazil vs Germany in the R16 - if it happens.
— Seleção Brasileira (@BrazilStat) June 23, 2018
Déjà vu, anyone?
Spain La Furia Roja (The Red Fury), La Furia (The Fury), La Roja (The Red)
Sweden Blågult (The Blue Yellow)
South Korea Taegeuk Jeonsa (Taegeuk Warriors)
Switzerland A Team, Nati (National Team), Rossocrociati (Red Crosses)
Tunisia Eagles of Carthage
Uruguay La Celeste (The Sky Blue), Los Charrúas
