World Cup 2014: 5 New Nations to Watch For in Brazil

With consecutive World Cups separated by four years, every edition of the world's most popular tournament sees a plethora of new players.

The approaching 2014 World Cup in Brazil is no exception, as many of the world's most talented stars are young enough to be preparing for their first run at the most prized trophy in football.

However, next summer's tournament has taken this youth theme to another level, with some of the most interesting national teams composed almost entirely of prodigies.

As a result, some of the biggest sleeper teams that have a chance to make a mark in Brazil are new to this stage, either returning to the World Cup for the first time in a while or making a debut.

Who are these teams? And what should one expect from them come next summer in Brazil?

Here are five 2010 World Cup absentees to watch for in 2014.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Over the past two major tournaments, Bosnia and Herzegovina established itself as a threat while barely missing out on the final tournaments.

In each, the Bosnians finished second in tough groups, losing out to Spain in the 2010 World Cup and France in Euro 2012 before losing out to Portugal in each playoff.

However, the Europeans are poised to finally break through this barrier, as they have raced to a three-point lead on Greece in their 2014 World Cup qualifying group.

Almost more impressively, Bosnia and Herzegovina has amassed an incredible goal differential of 20 through just six matches, showcasing their incredible attack and sturdy defense throughout.

Behind captain and Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, Bosnia and Herzegovina could be preparing for a deep run in Brazil.

Ecuador

One of the biggest surprises of World Cup qualifying thus far has been Ecuador's fantastic play in the CONMEBOL qualifying group.

The Ecuadorians have had weak performances in major tournaments since their run to the 2006 World Cup Round of 16, getting eliminated from the group stage in both the 2007 and 2011 Copa America tournaments and failing to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

However, Ecuador's squad has come up huge in this qualifying campaign, pushing the nation to the brink of qualification.

Behind incredible home form that has seen them drop two points in seven matches (through a draw to Argentina), Ecuador sits in third place in the group, five points clear of the playoff spot with four matches to play.

With the added emotional effect of Christian "Chucho" Benitez's tragic death spurring this side on, Ecuador could be ready for a deep run next summer.

Iran

Over the past several years, Iran has established itself as a perpetually underachieving national football team.

Despite entering the 2006 World Cup with a high ranking, they barely recorded a point in their group, finishing last behind the likes of Angola.

Incredibly, the Iranians one-upped that performance in 2010, as they failed to qualify for South Africa behind the likes of North Korea and Saudi Arabia.

This time around, though, Iran was able to overcome adversity, defeating South Korea in its final group match to qualify for Brazil.

The Iranian squad has a nice blend of young talent, like 25-year-old Standard Liege striker Reza Ghoochannejhad, and veteran leadership, like captain Javad Nekounam.

While coach Carlos Queiroz's tactics might make it difficult for them to make a very deep run in the tournament, Iran could earn a surprising berth in the knockout stage given the right group.

Colombia

With a seven-point gap between them and the playoff spot in the CONMEBOL qualifying group, Colombia looks poised to qualify for its first World Cup in 16 years.

The Colombians have come so close to qualifying in each of the past three qualification processes, always finishing just out of the running.

However, with the finishing of Radamel Falcao spurring them on this time, Colombia has pushed its way up to second in South America's group, just three points off of Argentina's pace with a match in hand.

While Falcao might take all the plaudits for the goals he puts in, the South American nation has quietly established an incredible core of players around him.

Barring some sort of disaster in terms of injuries or the draw, expect Colombia to be around at least through the quarterfinals.

Belgium

For the past several years, there have been whispers of a coming revolution in Belgium's national team.

That came to fruition this past year, as the Belgians suddenly took over the Premier League and established themselves as a serious threat to the top sides in Brazil.

Chelsea's Eden Hazard, Tottenham's Jan Vertonghen and Moussa Dembele, Aston Villa's Christian Benteke and Everton's Kevin Mirallas all joined their clubs last summer and had great seasons that established them as world-class stars.

Meanwhile, Marouane Fellaini, Romelu Lukaku, Simon Mignolet and Vincent Kompany also had fine seasons at their respective English sides.

Thanks to these progressions in club play, the national team has taken incredible strides forward over the past year.

After disappointing qualifying campaigns for the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, Belgium has come out firing in qualification for the World Cup, establishing a three-point lead on Croatia in what might be the toughest UEFA group.

Thanks to their goal difference of 11, the Belgians look likely to win their group and head to Brazil with a full head of steam.

Perhaps the depth of its squad could be a little better past the superstars that make up their base core, but barring injury, Belgium just might be one of the biggest threats heading into next summer.

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