9 June sees the start of the 18th FIFA World Cup. So in preparation for the big event when I will be presenting weekly round ups from the serenity of Scotland lets take a look at the four categories of countries taking part, the former champions, the almost resident returnees, the return of absent friends after a break and the new kids on the block.

Hello...my old friends

Some countries just keep coming back and back for more fun at the big show. In fact just over half of the countries that featured in 2002 have returned this time. Of those 17 countires six were already covered in the returning champions section so here are the 11 others in order of length of continuous service.

Spain

Present since: 1982

Total Appearances: 11

Best Performance: 4th 1950 (Round Robin Final)

Spain are the longest running of the frequent returners never to have won the trophy. Indeed on Argentina, Italy and ever present Brazil have longer runs that this their seventh consequetive return to this World Cup. However with the exception of the round robin tournament in 1950 the Spanish seem to have a thing about failing at the Quarter Finals as they did in 1934, 1986, 1994 and 2002. They come to this World Cup again with a wealth of talent including a number who have been to the later stages of the Champion's league with either Spanish or English Clubs. However, they are usually slow starters in the first round tournaments which is why I tip workman-like Ukraine to pip them to Top spot in Group H.

DD's Prediction: Beaten in Second Round 2nd in Group

DD's Trivia Spot: Spain's continuous run in the World Cup runs from when they hosted the Tournament in 1982. Theirs is the longest of the three runs that have carried on since returning to host the World Cup the others are USA since 1990 and France since 1998.

South Korea

Present since: 1986

Total Appearances: 7

Best Performance: Semi-Final 2002

The better performers from last times co-hosts having reached the quarter-finals. However, they find themselves in group G with France and Switzerland. Former Dutch coach Dick Advocaat took over the helm in October last year after the team had lost twice to fellow returners Saudi Arabia in qualifying. Performance were flat and Advocaat made changes only 7 of the squad appeared in 2002 and the team is young but they have returned to the agressive style that saw them do so well last time. My tip to be an upset to the European apple cart.

DD's Prediction: Quarter Finalist Top of Group

DD's Trivia Spot: Korea have never won a World Cup finals game on foreign soil. A record that stretched to 14 games.

USA

Present since: 1990

Total Appearances: 8

Best Performance: Semi Final 1930

Ok jokes about the USA and soccer must be almost at an end. Although their FIFA world ranking of 5th is still dismissed by many they did reach the quarter-finals last time, their best since the 13 team inaugural World Cup saw them reach the last 4. They have in Brian Arena the longest serving national coach coming to this World Cup appointed after the 1998 tournament. However, the American's find themselves in a hard group against the Czechs, Italians making three of FIFA's top 13 meaning this group is guaranteed a top ranking first round failure. Mind you they got through against Portugal, Poland and hosts South Korea last time and the MLS has continued to improve in standard. However will that be enough?

DD's Prediction: 3rd in Group Highest FIFA ranked Casualities in First Round

DD's Trivia Spot: USA's first two games in the World Cup paid honour to that inaugural year 3-0 wins over Paraguay and Belgium. However, they were the wrong side of the class divide when both semi-finals finished 6-1, a score only replicated in the semi-finals once since.

Mexico

Present since: 1994

Total Appearances: 13

Best Performance: Quarter-Final 1970 and 1986

Another of the Original 13 and twice hosts. In last years Confederations Cup Mexico beat Brazil and drew with Argentina and Germany. Remember Denmark and Greece in the European Championships and Korea and Croatia in the last two World Cups. Well if Pele is saying he wishes the Brazilians could play with Mexico's organised style they must be doing something right. If they top their relatively easy group where only Portugal might trouble them they could eventually meet England in the Quarter Finals, which is where I see them going out to some spontanious flair from either Gerrard, Beckham or Lampard.

DD's Prediction: Quarter Finals Top of Group D

DD's Trivia Spot: The Azteca Stadium in Mexico was the place where the two greatest footballers of all time won the World Cup for the last time. Pele in 1970 and Maradona in 1986.

Saudi Arabia

Present since: 1994

Total Appearances: 4

Best Performance: Second Round 1994

Suadi Arabia have been ever present since they first qualified in 1994. This time they were unbeaten to get here including two wins over South Korea 2002's semi-finalists. While other countires boost many players in foreign leagues especially in Europe the Saudi's have only ever had two players in European Football and all the current crop play at home. There is usually doubt about the Saudi Coah entering Wolrd Cup and having let Agentinian Gabriel Calderon last December new incumbant Brazilian Marcos Paqueta is not secure with rumours already flying around about his sucessor. They will need to beat Tunisia in their opener to stand any chance but warm up defeats to Belgium, Turkey and the Czechs suggest they might not overcome Spain and Ukraine.

DD's Prediction: 3rd in Group

DD's Trivia Spot: Only skipper Sami Al Jaber has played any football outside his home country; a brief spell with Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2000.

Paraguay

Present since: 1998

Total Appearances: 7

Best Performance: Second Round 1986, 1998, 2002

Don't rule out the Paraguay team in qualifying they wore out some excellent results 1-0 at home 0-0 away to Argentina and 0-0 at home to Brazil. Like England they are anxiously waiting for the recovering of their star striker Roque Santa Cruz who has been out of action since last October. However, they fellow Bundesliga star Nelson Valdez ably holding the Paraguayian attack together. At the back Jose Luis Chilavert has retired but has been successfully repalced by Justo Villar who had those staggering performances in qualification. They could make it hard for England and Sweden defending well and might yet turn out as the surprise in Group B.

DD's Prediction: 3rd in Group

DD's Trivia Spot: Their first choice centre backs Carlos Gamarra and Julio Careres would be at an 8 inch (20 cm) disadvantage should Peter Crouch play for England on Saturday 10 June being only 5'11" to Crouch's 6'7".

Croatia

Present since: 1998

Total Appearances: 3

Best Performance: Semi-Final 1998

Croatia topped Sweden's qualifying group. However, their play has displayed a lack of quality in midfield which will cause problems against both Brazil and Japan. Coach Zlatko Kranjcar led Dinamo Zagreb to two doubles and NK Zagreb to a title but on all three occassions was out of the club less than three months later. Whether his coching style with less quality than his predessors will achieve anything this month is debatable.

DD's Prediction: 3nd in Group

DD's Trivia Spot: Coach Zlatko Kranjcar was the first player to lead out newly independent Croatia in a match against the USA in 1990.

Tunisia

Present since: 1998

Total Appearances: 4

Best Performance: First Round

Tunisia are the only returning Africans from the last World Cup but having won the African Nations Cup in 2004 they were the team to beat. Indeed they are the only African nation with any previous experience having first appeared in Argentina in 1978. Goals are not a problem as Tunisia as they were the second highest scorers in the African qualification tournament. The Tunisians have looked for players with any connetions to the country to strengthen the squad and as a result found a number of French born players. In Francileudo dos Santos and Jose Clayton they also have two Brazilians. Clayton is the free kick specialist and like Roberto Carlos is a Brazilian born palyer liable to make surging runs into the box, he scored 5 in qualifying.

DD's Prediction: 4th in Group

DD's Trivia Spot: Jose Clayton is nicknamed the Roadrunner due to his speed.

Japan

Present since: 1998

Total Appearances: 3

Best Performance: Second Round 2002

Japan have been Continental Champions on the last two occasions and are consistantly the top ranked Asian nation. It still hurts that co-hosts South Korea went further last time out. This time Brazil legend Zico is sitting in their dugout and like Sven Goran Eriksson will experience facing his homeland in the group matches. They have a great deal of talented midfielders but their strikers are producing a lack of goals. With Brazil clearly favourites in their group the game on 18 June with Croatia should prove crucial. If Japan can dominate in midfield as they should it should enable them to progress the the second round.

DD's Prediction: 2nd Round 2nd in Group

DD's Trivia Spot: In their first World Cup in 1998 Japan were drawn in a group with fellow debutants Croatia. They have failed to win any World Cup Finals game outside their homland losing all three of their games in France.

Sweden

Present since: 2002

Total Appearances: 8

Best Performance: Runners Up 1958

Henrik Larson and Zlatan Ibrahimovic will again combine as a potent strike force before the hero of Celtic park retires from international football after this tournament. However, their defence is also strong in the last four qualification tournaments they have only conceded 11 goals in 36 games, that comes to one goal every 294 minutes. However, it was the two they conceded to Croatia in two 1-0 defeats that were their only points dropped in qualifying. Any of three teams could realistically progress from this group and I give the Swedes the edge over Paraguay for that second spot.

DD's Prediction: 2nd Round 2nd in Group

DD's Trivia Spot: Ok the Swedes must hate the sight of UK teams in their World Cup Group it is England for the 2nd tournament running, but in 1990 they had Scotland and in 1958 Wales.

Poland

Present since: 2002

Total Appearances: 7

Best Performance: Semi-Final 1974, 1982

Poland have been drawn in the hosts group for the second tournament running. They will also not be mentioning the war and also the fact that they have never beaten the Germans on a football field. In 2002 they got trouched in their first two games before picking up a consolation win against the USA. This time they qualified scoring 27 goals in their 10 games and face their easiest game first. The midfield lacks a ball winner and the defence has proved far from secure.

DD's Prediction: 3nd in Group

DD's Trivia Spot: Midfielder Euzebiusz Smolarek is propably dreaming of emulating his father Wlodzimierz who was part of the Polish team that came 3rd in 1982 the year after he was born.

Costa Rica

Present since: 2002

Total Appearances: 3

Best Performance: Second Round 1990

A familiar face to the English game Paulo Wanchope is Costa Rica's top goalscore with 43 in his 67 appearances. The team will be wanting to forget their first round exit in 2002. Their Brazilian born coach Alexandre Guimares has been in Costa Rica for 35 years and has geled the experience of Wanchope, Luis Marin and Ronaldo Gomez with some new stars Carlos Hernandez and Christian Bolanos to prove effective moving forward. However, like group A opponents Poland they are vulnerable at the back, but neither as much as Ecuador. For the potential striking ability the Costa Rican's may have a slight edge in the crunch match.

DD's Prediction: 2nd Round 2nd in Group

DD's Trivia Spot: Paula Wanchope is about to follow the Ian Wright and Maradona path into television hosting his own chat show.

Ecuador

Present since: 2002

Total Appearances: 2

Best Performance: First Round

Ecuador need a result in this tournament to prove that they can preform at sea level and are not just altitude specialists. Their only win away in qualifying came against Bolivia, while only Peru and Uruquay took points off them at home. Thus they finished third to Brazil and Argentina to get to Germany. But as 2004 showed lower altitude seemed to result in a lower level of performance. Also they do not have it easy in their group with both Germany and Poland laying in their natural conditions and Costa Rica using an attack similarly used to the conditions. They may struggle again to make an impression and only just sneaked a win against a University team in their final build up game.

DD's Prediction: 4th in Group

DD's Trivia Spot: Quito where Ecuador play their home internationals is 9,300 ft (2,850 m) above sea level. Their Group matches are scheduled for Gelsenkirchen 100m, Hamburg sea level and Berlin 34m.