Hristo Stoichkov- Bulgaria, 1994

Davor Suker- Croatia, 1998

Hasan Sas- Turkey, 2002
The last three World Cups has seen teams from nowhere entering the semi-finals and bagging the third spot. Hristo Stoichkov’s Bulgaria in 1994, Davor Suker’s Croatia in 1998, and Hasan Sas’s Turkey in 2002.
So who will surprise in this World Cup? Could we finally see the African countries breaking into the last four. Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Tunisia, or Angola. Maybe Paraguay will emerge from the shadows of Brazil and Argentina. Or Mexico. And even Iran. But this trend is what makes the WC so intriguing to watch. And Brazil.