Outlook: Saudi Arabian fans prefer to remember the glory days of 1994, when it advanced to the second round in its first-ever World Cup. For the rest of the world, it's tough to forget the 8-0 whopping that Germany put on the Saudis in 2002. So which Saudi team will show up in Germany in 2006? The surprise team of '94, or the team with an 0-6 record in the past two World Cups? Advancing to the second round seems unlikely, but the Saudis are getting better. They went undefeated in World Cup qualifying, and goalkeeper Mabrouk Zaid and midfielder Yasser al-Qahtani are two excellent players.

Spain

FIFA World Ranking: 5

Coach: Luis Aragones

2006 qualifying: Finished second to Serbia & Montenegro in Group 7, then eliminated Slovakia in home-and-away playoff.

2002 Finish: Lost to South Korea in second round.

Key Players: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid/Spain), Luis Garcia (Liverpool/England)

Outlook: The quintessential World Cup underachiever, can Spain finally shed the demons this summer? The talent is definitely there, but it's always there, and Spain's best finish is still fourth place in 1950. This group is definitely winnable for the Spaniards, however. While Spain features a starting 11 littered with talent, the bulk of the pressure will surely be heaped on 22-year-old Atletic Madrid striker Fernando Torres, one of the most feared strikers in the Spanish league.

Tunisia

FIFA World Ranking: 21

Coach: Roger Lemerre

2006 qualifying: Won Africa's Group 5, 6-1-3

2002 Finish: Eliminated in group play

Key Players: Hatem Trabelsi (Ajax/Netherlands), Jose Clayton (Qatar SC/Qatar)

Outlook: Making a third straight World Cup appearance, this may finally be Tunisia's year to advance. Confident after winning the African Cup of Nations in 2004, and coached by Roger Lemerre, who led France to the Euro 2000 title, Tunisia is primed to play the spoiler role. Its strength is definitely on defense. Led by outside backs Hatem Trabelsi and Jose Clayton, a naturalized Brazilian, Tunisia should be able to handle opponents' pressure up the flanks. Centrally, 6-foot-4 defender Radhi Jaidi will definitely be an asset both offensively and defensively.

Ukraine

FIFA World Ranking: 45