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There are 32 nations competing in the FIFA World Cup 2010. However, they do not all have nicknames. (And some of the nicknames, often given to them by opposing teams, are inflammatory as well as derogatory.) One nickname of the U.S. team is the "Yankees" or the "Yanks". England's team is sometimes called the "Brits".

The Portuguese are "the Navigators". The nickname was borrowed from the "real" Portuguese navigators (XV-XVI centuries) who crossed the oceans around the globe, and the dangerous "Cape Bojador" (not far from Capetown, so, not far from the Cup).

A full list taken from Associated Content (www.associatedcontent.com/article/5478524/world_cup_team_names_every_countrys_pg2.html?cat=14) can be found below.

  1. Algeria - The Desert Foxes
  2. Argentina - La Albiceleste (the White and Sky Blue, the national colors)
  3. Australia - The Socceroos (A fantastic combination of kangaroos, soccer, and Aussie sensibility)
  4. Brazil - A Selecao (the Selection); The Samba Kings; Verde-Amarela (Green and Yellow); Canarinho (Little Canary); Scratch du Oro (the Golden Squad)
  5. Cameroon - Les Lions Indomables (The Indomitable Lions)
  6. Chile - La Roja (The Red One); El Equipo de Todos (Everbody's Team)... how did Chile with zero World Cup championships get two nicknames?
  7. Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) - Les Elephants (This translation is a shocker... the Elephants, and it's an appropriate enough name for a country with Ivory in its name)
  8. Denmark - The Danish Dynamite; Olsen-Banden (The Olsen Gang); Olsens Elleve (Olsen's Eleven)... the multiple nicknames here stem from unabashed love for longtime coach Morten Olsen.
  9. England - The Three Lions
  10. France- Les Bleus (The Bleu Cheeses, er, I mean... the Blues); L'Equipe Tricolore (The Tri-color Team, apparently disregarding the many other countries with three colors in their flag)
  11. Germany - Die Manschaft (the Team, a very creative name for a very creative people)
  12. Ghana- The Black Stars
  13. Greece - Galanoleyki (The blue and white, representing the colors); the Phalanx (after the old, unbreakable troop formation); Ethniki (the National Team)... here multiple nicknames stem from a general disagreement about what to call the team, and a limited record of international success
  14. Honduras - Los Catrachos (the Hondurans... appropriately enough); La Bicolor (The Double Colored, for the country's colors)
  15. Italy - The Azzurri (The Blue... yes, international soccer teams love the color blue)
  16. Japan - The Samurai Blue (international soccer's love of blue, combined with Japanese tradition)
  17. Korea DPR (North Korea) - The Chollima (The Thousand-Mile Horse, a mythical winged horse)
  18. Korea Republic (South Korea) -Taegeuk Jeonsa (The Taegeuk Warriors, Taegeuk being similar to the concept of yin and yang, the symbol of which is found on their flag)
  19. Mexico - El Tri (The Three, for the colors of the flag... I tried to warn France that there were others)
  20. Netherlands - The Oranje (The Orange); The Flying Dutchmen; La Naranja Mecanica (Clockwork Orange)
  21. New Zealands - The All Whites (The country's national rugby team is the All Blacks)
  22. Nigeria - The Super Eagles
  23. Paraguay - Guaranies (An indigenous people from South America); La Abirroja (The White and Red)
  24. Portugal - Seleccao das Quinas (National Team of the Five)
  25. Serbia - The White Eagles (Take that, Nigeria)
  26. Slovakia - Repre; The Fighting Jondas
  27. Slovenia - Zmajceki (Dragons; also The Green Dragons)
  28. South Africa- Bafana Bafana (The Boys)
  29. Spain- La Furia Roja (The Red Fury); La Furia (The Fury); La Furia Espanola (The Spanish Fury)
  30. Switzerland- The Schweizer Nati (The Swiss National Team)
  31. Uruguay ­- La Celeste (The Sky Blue); La Celeste Olimpica (The Olympic Sky Blue), Charruas (indigenous South American peoples)
  32. USA - The Yanks (sadly enough for fans in Red Sox Nation)
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Q: What are the nicknames of the 32 teams participating in the FIFA World Cup 2010?
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