World Cup sponsors pressure FIFA after latest Qatar 2022 bribery allegations

Japanese electronics giant Sony said in light of the latest allegations on Sunday that it expected an "appropriate" investigation. Last week, Britain's The Sunday Times newspaper revealed what it said was evidence, including bank transfers and emails, that Qatari former top level football executive Mohamed Bin Hammam had bribed senior football administrators to support his country's 2022 World Cup Bid. In this Sunday's edition, the newspaper said in a story based off the same information that Bin Hammam had used his contacts to arrange government-level talks to arrange a bilateral natural gas deal that would have been "potentially worth millions of dollars to Thailand." It also claims it has documents showing that Bin Hammam was invited to meet with then-Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in 2010 to discuss "bilateral relations in sport" just weeks before Russia and Qatar were awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively. In a statement published by the Sunday Times, Sony said it wanted an investigation into how Qatar won the rights to host the world's biggest sporting event. "As a FIFA partner, we expect these allegations to be investigated appropriately," the company said. "We continue to expect FIFA to adhere to its principles of integrity, ethics and fair play across all aspects of its operations." Fellow World Cup sponsor Adidas said in a separate statement that "the negative tenor of the public debate around FIFA at the moment is neither good for football nor FIFA and its partners." Beckenbauer drawn into scandal The latest Sunday Times report also involves German football legend Franz Beckenbauer in the scandal, along with UEFA President Michel Platini. Five months after Qatar was awarded the World Cup, the newspaper said Beckenbauer was invited to Doha along with executives from shipping and energy company ER Capital Holding. The company told The Sunday Times that the meeting was about a possible cooperation between Qatar and the maritime shipping industry, but no deal had been struck at the time. Beckenbauer, who in 2010 sat on the powerful FIFA Executive Committee that voted to award Qatar the World Cup, said Sunday he "never worked for Qatar or Bin Hammam." His management, however, confirmed to the DPA news agency that the former footballer and coach worked for ER Capital Holding from April 2011 to March 2014 as a consultant and ambassador. The newspaper also claimed Bin Hammam had arranged an October 2010 meeting for Platini with Qatar's bid committee in the Swiss city of Nyon. Platini slammed The Sunday Times, saying the newspaper was trying to "tarnish" his reputation. Qatar hits back The Qatari government has denied Bin Hammam was connected to the country's bid to host the World Cup. The Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy said Sunday it stands by a statement made last week denying any wrongdoing in its efforts to be awarded the tournament. "Qatar has won the bid on its merits and we are confident that at the end of the appropriate process, the award of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will stand," it said. FIFA has already banned Bin Hammam for life over accusations he paid bribes to win votes for the FIFA presidency. While that ban was later overturned, another was imposed for conflicts of interest. This year's World Cup kicks off on Thursday in Brazil. A FIFA investigation into Russia and Qatar's winning bids by former US prosecutor Michael Garcia is set to be presented in July, a week after the World Cup final.

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World Cup sponsors pressure FIFA after latest Qatar 2022 bribery allegations

Japanese electronics giant Sony said in light of the latest allegations on Sunday that it expected an "appropriate" investigation. Last week, Britain's The Sunday Times newspaper revealed what it said was evidence, including bank transfers and emails, that Qatari former top level football executive Mohamed Bin Hammam had bribed senior football administrators to support his country's 2022 World Cup Bid. In this Sunday's edition, the newspaper said in a story based off the same information that Bin Hammam had used his contacts to arrange government-level talks to arrange a bilateral natural gas deal that would have been "potentially worth millions of dollars to Thailand." It also claims it has documents showing that Bin Hammam was invited to meet with then-Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in 2010 to discuss "bilateral relations in sport" just weeks before Russia and Qatar were awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively. In a statement published by the Sunday Times, Sony said it wanted an investigation into how Qatar won the rights to host the world's biggest sporting event. "As a FIFA partner, we expect these allegations to be investigated appropriately," the company said. "We continue to expect FIFA to adhere to its principles of integrity, ethics and fair play across all aspects of its operations." Fellow World Cup sponsor Adidas said in a separate statement that "the negative tenor of the public debate around FIFA at the moment is neither good for football nor FIFA and its partners." Beckenbauer drawn into scandal The latest Sunday Times report also involves German football legend Franz Beckenbauer in the scandal, along with UEFA President Michel Platini. Five months after Qatar was awarded the World Cup, the newspaper said Beckenbauer was invited to Doha along with executives from shipping and energy company ER Capital Holding. The company told The Sunday Times that the meeting was about a possible cooperation between Qatar and the maritime shipping industry, but no deal had been struck at the time. Beckenbauer, who in 2010 sat on the powerful FIFA Executive Committee that voted to award Qatar the World Cup, said Sunday he "never worked for Qatar or Bin Hammam." His management, however, confirmed to the DPA news agency that the former footballer and coach worked for ER Capital Holding from April 2011 to March 2014 as a consultant and ambassador. The newspaper also claimed Bin Hammam had arranged an October 2010 meeting for Platini with Qatar's bid committee in the Swiss city of Nyon. Platini slammed The Sunday Times, saying the newspaper was trying to "tarnish" his reputation. Qatar hits back The Qatari government has denied Bin Hammam was connected to the country's bid to host the World Cup. The Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy said Sunday it stands by a statement made last week denying any wrongdoing in its efforts to be awarded the tournament. "Qatar has won the bid on its merits and we are confident that at the end of the appropriate process, the award of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will stand," it said. FIFA has already banned Bin Hammam for life over accusations he paid bribes to win votes for the FIFA presidency. While that ban was later overturned, another was imposed for conflicts of interest. This year's World Cup kicks off on Thursday in Brazil. A FIFA investigation into Russia and Qatar's winning bids by former US prosecutor Michael Garcia is set to be presented in July, a week after the World Cup final.

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World Cup Preview: Payback Time for the USA in Group G

This is the seventh post in a series previewing the World Cup's eight groups. Read Group A, Group B, Group C, Group D, Group E and Group F; then check back later on Friday for a look at Group H. The 2014 World Cup's Group G is arguably the deadliest of all. Fans of the United States will be biting their nails through the group stage in hopes of reaching the tournament's knockout round — an unlikely (but not impossible) feat given the presence of a true world soccer power, not to mention one of the game's very best players and the U.S. squad's longtime nemesis. EBay Users Still at Risk After Cyberattack, Even If They Change Passwords How can the U.S. advance? Who are the group's most interesting players? Who will ultimately survive this Group of Death and move on to the knockout stage? All that (and more!) shall be revealed right here in Mashable's 10-minute guide to Group G. The teams (FIFA world ranking in parenthesis) Germany (2) Portugal (3) USA (14) Ghana (38) The landscape Remember when the United States Men's National Team (USMNT) landed in one of the 2010 World Cup's easiest groups then used a stunning last-minute goal by Landon Donovan to back its way into the knockout stage? So do the soccer gods; karmic balance was restored at the 2014 World Cup draw when the USMNT landed in what is truly a worst-case-scenario group. Hopes have been high for this American team thanks to its unusually deep crop of talent and energetic manager Jurgen Klinsmann, set to coach his first World Cup. But look! There are the Germans, one of the world's very best sides. And there's Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, who is so good at soccer his very status as a human being is questionable. Oh, and look over there — it's Ghana, the tough African team that eliminated the USMNT from both the 2010 and 2006 World Cups. Yikes. There's no shortage of fascinating storylines here. Klinsmann is a hero in his home country after leading West Germany to the 1990 World Cup championship; now he'll coach against his countrymen. Meanwhile, can Ronaldo be his usual transcendent self on the world's biggest stage? And then there's the opening USA-versus-Ghana match — kind of an elimination game in itself, because of the Portugal-Germany gauntlet each team must face after. The schedule (all times in ET) Germany versus Portugal, June 16, Salvador, 12 p.m. Ghana versus USA, June 16, Natal, 6 p.m. Germany versus Ghana, June 21, Fortaleza, 3 p.m. USA versus Portugal, June 22, Manaus, 6 p.m. USA versus Germany, June 26, Recife, 12 p.m. Portugal versus Ghana, June 26, Brasilia, 12 p.m.

4 players to watch Michael Bradley (USA): Clint Dempsey gets the headlines, Jozy Altidore scores many of the goals and Tim Howard stops the shots. But the aggressive midfielder Bradley really makes the American team go. The take-charge playmaker earned the nickname "General Bradley" playing in Italy's Serie A league and now suits up for Toronto FC of Major League Soccer. He'll be counted on as the USMNT tries to escape this perilous group. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal): There aren't enough superlatives in the dictionary to describe the talent of Ronaldo, who in January finally pried the FIFA Ballon d'Or trophy (awarded to world soccer's best player every year) from Lionel Messi. Portugal has other talented players, but Ronaldo is far and away their best. Behold his virtuosity in this jaw-dropping highlight compilation: Thomas Mueller (Germany): At 24 years old, the Bayern Munich midfielder is already a bonafide star. He's a major scoring threat, finding the net five times and assisting three times at the 2010 World Cup, where he earned the tournament's best young player award. Four years older, stronger and more mature, Mueller can build on that success as Germany chases the trophy in Brazil. Michael Essien (Ghana): An equally fearsome midfielder on offense and defense, Essien finds himself in a somewhat similar position to Argentina's Lionel Messi — a huge talent who has always performed better for club than country. Best known for his lengthy stint at Chelsea, Essien now plays for Italian giant AC Milan. Is this the year he comes through for Ghana? The prediction Klinsmann, who cut Landon Donovan from the 2014 USA squad on Thursday, does not lack for confidence. We think he'll instill that attitude in his team and they'll pull through an extremely tough group at the expense of both Portugal and Ghana. Of course Germany, one of the tournament's favorites, will make it through to the knockout stage — just as expected.

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World Cup Preview: Payback Time for the USA in Group G

This is the seventh post in a series previewing the World Cup's eight groups. Read Group A, Group B, Group C, Group D, Group E and Group F; then check back later on Friday for a look at Group H. The 2014 World Cup's Group G is arguably the deadliest of all. Fans of the United States will be biting their nails through the group stage in hopes of reaching the tournament's knockout round — an unlikely (but not impossible) feat given the presence of a true world soccer power, not to mention one of the game's very best players and the U.S. squad's longtime nemesis. EBay Users Still at Risk After Cyberattack, Even If They Change Passwords How can the U.S. advance? Who are the group's most interesting players? Who will ultimately survive this Group of Death and move on to the knockout stage? All that (and more!) shall be revealed right here in Mashable's 10-minute guide to Group G. The teams (FIFA world ranking in parenthesis) Germany (2) Portugal (3) USA (14) Ghana (38) The landscape Remember when the United States Men's National Team (USMNT) landed in one of the 2010 World Cup's easiest groups then used a stunning last-minute goal by Landon Donovan to back its way into the knockout stage? So do the soccer gods; karmic balance was restored at the 2014 World Cup draw when the USMNT landed in what is truly a worst-case-scenario group. Hopes have been high for this American team thanks to its unusually deep crop of talent and energetic manager Jurgen Klinsmann, set to coach his first World Cup. But look! There are the Germans, one of the world's very best sides. And there's Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, who is so good at soccer his very status as a human being is questionable. Oh, and look over there — it's Ghana, the tough African team that eliminated the USMNT from both the 2010 and 2006 World Cups. Yikes. There's no shortage of fascinating storylines here. Klinsmann is a hero in his home country after leading West Germany to the 1990 World Cup championship; now he'll coach against his countrymen. Meanwhile, can Ronaldo be his usual transcendent self on the world's biggest stage? And then there's the opening USA-versus-Ghana match — kind of an elimination game in itself, because of the Portugal-Germany gauntlet each team must face after. The schedule (all times in ET) Germany versus Portugal, June 16, Salvador, 12 p.m. Ghana versus USA, June 16, Natal, 6 p.m. Germany versus Ghana, June 21, Fortaleza, 3 p.m. USA versus Portugal, June 22, Manaus, 6 p.m. USA versus Germany, June 26, Recife, 12 p.m. Portugal versus Ghana, June 26, Brasilia, 12 p.m.

4 players to watch Michael Bradley (USA): Clint Dempsey gets the headlines, Jozy Altidore scores many of the goals and Tim Howard stops the shots. But the aggressive midfielder Bradley really makes the American team go. The take-charge playmaker earned the nickname "General Bradley" playing in Italy's Serie A league and now suits up for Toronto FC of Major League Soccer. He'll be counted on as the USMNT tries to escape this perilous group. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal): There aren't enough superlatives in the dictionary to describe the talent of Ronaldo, who in January finally pried the FIFA Ballon d'Or trophy (awarded to world soccer's best player every year) from Lionel Messi. Portugal has other talented players, but Ronaldo is far and away their best. Behold his virtuosity in this jaw-dropping highlight compilation: Thomas Mueller (Germany): At 24 years old, the Bayern Munich midfielder is already a bonafide star. He's a major scoring threat, finding the net five times and assisting three times at the 2010 World Cup, where he earned the tournament's best young player award. Four years older, stronger and more mature, Mueller can build on that success as Germany chases the trophy in Brazil. Michael Essien (Ghana): An equally fearsome midfielder on offense and defense, Essien finds himself in a somewhat similar position to Argentina's Lionel Messi — a huge talent who has always performed better for club than country. Best known for his lengthy stint at Chelsea, Essien now plays for Italian giant AC Milan. Is this the year he comes through for Ghana? The prediction Klinsmann, who cut Landon Donovan from the 2014 USA squad on Thursday, does not lack for confidence. We think he'll instill that attitude in his team and they'll pull through an extremely tough group at the expense of both Portugal and Ghana. Of course Germany, one of the tournament's favorites, will make it through to the knockout stage — just as expected.

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Pitbull's World Cup Music Video Is a Typical Pitbull Music Video

Pitbull has released a video for the official song of the 2014 World Cup, "We Are One (Ole Ola)" — which is to say, Pitbull has just released a Pitbull music video. People dance, Pitbull raps and sings, and girls in minimal clothing abound. Pictures of Brazilian flags and soccer players are meant to serve as a general backdrop, but it's mostly just Pitbull reminding us that we are one. The Man Who Is India's Future Has His Own Checkered Past SEE ALSO: How the World Cup Works, for the Soccer Newbie Jennifer Lopez is also on scene, but she probably spent more time in hair and makeup than she did in the studio recording her very brief part. The video/song also features Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte, who unequivocally steals the show. Sorry, Pitbull — we liked the message, but it's hard to beat Shakira's 2010 World Cup song. The 2014 World Cup Finals will be held starting on July 13 in Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium. Even 2013's "Wavin' Flag" video had a more original concept.

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Pitbull's World Cup Music Video Is a Typical Pitbull Music Video

Pitbull has released a video for the official song of the 2014 World Cup, "We Are One (Ole Ola)" — which is to say, Pitbull has just released a Pitbull music video. People dance, Pitbull raps and sings, and girls in minimal clothing abound. Pictures of Brazilian flags and soccer players are meant to serve as a general backdrop, but it's mostly just Pitbull reminding us that we are one. The Man Who Is India's Future Has His Own Checkered Past SEE ALSO: How the World Cup Works, for the Soccer Newbie Jennifer Lopez is also on scene, but she probably spent more time in hair and makeup than she did in the studio recording her very brief part. The video/song also features Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte, who unequivocally steals the show. Sorry, Pitbull — we liked the message, but it's hard to beat Shakira's 2010 World Cup song. The 2014 World Cup Finals will be held starting on July 13 in Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium. Even 2013's "Wavin' Flag" video had a more original concept.

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The 2014 World Cup Jerseys, Ranked From Snazziest to Most 'Meh'

1. When the 2014 World Cup in Brazil kicks off on June 12, we'll be treated to one month of the world's best, most exciting soccer. But sports nerds of a certain stripe are also in for an added bonus: World Cup uniforms ("kits" in soccer parlance), which by many estimations represent the coolest gear the entire sports world has to offer. The World Cup of style is dominated by soccer's big-boy brands: Nike sponsors 10 of the World Cup's 32 teams; Adidas sponsors nine; Puma sponsors eight; Burrda, Marathon, Uhlsport, Joma and Lotto sponsor one apiece. But each company is busting out the best it has to offer for the millions of soccer fans (and apparel consumers) who will tune into the World Cup from points around the globe this summer. We've been nerding out over World Cup kits all spring, so now it's time to gather them all together in once place. What follows is our very unscientific ranking of all 32 outfits (Okay, 31; Bosnia and Herzegovina isn't expected to officially release its duds until early June). We've ordered them from here from snazziest to meh-iest. Check them out, then tell us which are your favorites in them comments below. 5 Rad Internships You Had No Idea Existed 1. Brazil When Brazil looks to win its sixth World Cup on its home soil this summer, it'll do so in the utmost style. The yellow and blue numbers above stick close to the blueprint for the seleção's respective home and away kits. Meanwhile, the dark green alternate jersey provides a nice change of pace, right down those subtly striped shorts. To mix our sports metaphors, Brazil (with some help from Nike) knocks it out of the park. Final score: 10/10 2. Spain Adidas does a top-notch job of balancing tradition with innovation. The red home numbers reflect the look you expect from Spain, while the away versions offer something else entirely: A black base with neon green trim. Not every nation could pull this off, but the look fits perfectly with Spain's stacked squad of fearsome attackers and creative ball-handlers. Final score 9.6/10 3. Portugal Another excellent study in contrasts. Portugal's red home kit is all fire and strength, while the away kit features a clean blue and white look. The Portuguese Football Federation's excellent patch, meanwhile, is a welcome addition to any shirt. Final score: 9.5/10 4. Italy Italy has one of the game's classic kits, year in and year out. Puma does that heritage justice here, with two equally excellent outfits. From the tiny collar on the blue home shirt to the light gray pinstripes on the white away kit, little details make a difference. Final score: 9.4/10 5. Germany Another great contrasting look. The white home kit is clean, simple and traditional, while the away kit's deep red and black stripes give the attacking German squad some fearsome style. Final score: 9.2/10 6. Argentina Argentina's vertically striped home kits are among the most iconic in soccer. Adidas does good job of not messing with tradition here, while the albiceleste's darker away duds look sharp too. Final score: 9.1/10 7. Netherlands The Netherlands signature orange home shirts and excellent lion crest give Nike plenty to work with here. But it's the subtle designs on the blue away kit that really win us over. Final score: 9/10 8. Mexico Adidas does El Tri justice here with a killer green home kit (moving the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación's crest to the middle of the shirt is a nice touch). The blood-red away kits should look awesome in Brazil as well. Final score: 8.8/10 9. France Less is more with France's 2014 kits from Nike. The blue home kit is classic and timeless, while horizontal gray striping takes the white away shirt to another level. Final score: 8.7/10 10. Cameroon Puma pulled out all the stops for Cameroon's green home jersey. The relief designs, vivid coloring and traditional lion crest (the squad's amazing nickname is the Indomitable Lions) add up to a classic. That gold away number isn't shabby either. Final score: 8.5/10. 11. Japan Another excellent balancing act between tradition and boldness. Japan's blue home kits don't contain any huge surprises, but that neon away uni is something else entirely. Both look mighty fine, however. Final score: 8.4/10 12. England Nike goes for a classic look on both England's home and away kits. Neither takes any real risks, but they both look pretty sweet. That yellow goalie shirt isn't bad either. Final score: 8.2/10 13. Croatia Those checkers! We have a feeling you'll either love or hate Croatia's unique national team kits, but we are definitely in the pro-check camp. The red and white checks look even better when used as trim on Croatia's blue away shirts. Final score: 8/10 14. Belgium Belgium's three looks offer plenty of variety but it's the big crown in-lay that goes a long way for us. Final score: 7.8/10 15. Cote D'Ivoire Puma deserves credit for letting the Ivory Coast's lovely green and orange colors do the heavy lifting here. The country's elephant crest is also among the coolest in soccer. Final score: 7.6/10 16. Ghana Ghana's red away kits are sharp, but it's the creative trim around the collar of the home whites that will have the Black Stars looking extra-super in Brazil. Final score: 7.4/10 17. Greece Nike stuck to simplicity for Greece, and the result is a smooth look. Then again, that simplicity doesn't offer anything far out of the ordinary, landing these uniforms in the middle of our power rankings. Final score: 7.2/10 18. United States When Nike unveiled the multi-colored USA away kits this spring, many snarkily denigrated them for looking like a summer popsicle. We think they look mighty fine -- but those home white jerseys look too much like something you'd see at a Florida retirement village. Final score: 7/10 19. Russia Not bad, but far from transcendent. The white away kits do feature a unique design that we like. Final score: 6.7/10 20. Australia Points for simplicity -- but not too many points. Final score: 6.6/10 21. Switzerland These are ... fine. Final score: 6.3/10 22. Uruguay The blue-on-black home kits are kind of sweet, but this is the World Cup -- we're looking for greatness, not goodness. Final score: 6.2/10 23. Colombia Again, good but not great (in our humble opinion, of course). Final score: 6/10 24. Algeria Some nice touches -- the crescent moon and light green color give a good starting point -- but, overall, not a lot going on. Final score: 5.8/10 25. Chile Chile is an interesting dark-horse contender in Brazil, but its uniforms won't be generating a ton of buzz. We do like the red home kit's blue collar though. Final score: 5.7/10 26. Costa Rica Ehhhh, these are okay. Final score: 5.6/10 27. Ecuador They definitely don't suck. But they definitely aren't that memorable, either. Final score: 5.5/10 28. Nigeria Nigeria's green and white flag offers a rich starting point, but we wish there was more going on here. Final score: 5.4 29. Honduras Cool T-shirt? Yes. Cool World Cup jersey? Less so. Final score: 5.3/10 30. South Korea Pretty pedestrian, plus those differently-colored shoulder stripes on the white away kits look a little odd. Final score: 5.1/10 31. Iran That's a cool in-lay, but these are otherwise pretty meh. Final score: 5/10

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The 2014 World Cup Jerseys, Ranked From Snazziest to Most 'Meh'

1. When the 2014 World Cup in Brazil kicks off on June 12, we'll be treated to one month of the world's best, most exciting soccer. But sports nerds of a certain stripe are also in for an added bonus: World Cup uniforms ("kits" in soccer parlance), which by many estimations represent the coolest gear the entire sports world has to offer. The World Cup of style is dominated by soccer's big-boy brands: Nike sponsors 10 of the World Cup's 32 teams; Adidas sponsors nine; Puma sponsors eight; Burrda, Marathon, Uhlsport, Joma and Lotto sponsor one apiece. But each company is busting out the best it has to offer for the millions of soccer fans (and apparel consumers) who will tune into the World Cup from points around the globe this summer. We've been nerding out over World Cup kits all spring, so now it's time to gather them all together in once place. What follows is our very unscientific ranking of all 32 outfits (Okay, 31; Bosnia and Herzegovina isn't expected to officially release its duds until early June). We've ordered them from here from snazziest to meh-iest. Check them out, then tell us which are your favorites in them comments below. 5 Rad Internships You Had No Idea Existed 1. Brazil When Brazil looks to win its sixth World Cup on its home soil this summer, it'll do so in the utmost style. The yellow and blue numbers above stick close to the blueprint for the seleção's respective home and away kits. Meanwhile, the dark green alternate jersey provides a nice change of pace, right down those subtly striped shorts. To mix our sports metaphors, Brazil (with some help from Nike) knocks it out of the park. Final score: 10/10 2. Spain Adidas does a top-notch job of balancing tradition with innovation. The red home numbers reflect the look you expect from Spain, while the away versions offer something else entirely: A black base with neon green trim. Not every nation could pull this off, but the look fits perfectly with Spain's stacked squad of fearsome attackers and creative ball-handlers. Final score 9.6/10 3. Portugal Another excellent study in contrasts. Portugal's red home kit is all fire and strength, while the away kit features a clean blue and white look. The Portuguese Football Federation's excellent patch, meanwhile, is a welcome addition to any shirt. Final score: 9.5/10 4. Italy Italy has one of the game's classic kits, year in and year out. Puma does that heritage justice here, with two equally excellent outfits. From the tiny collar on the blue home shirt to the light gray pinstripes on the white away kit, little details make a difference. Final score: 9.4/10 5. Germany Another great contrasting look. The white home kit is clean, simple and traditional, while the away kit's deep red and black stripes give the attacking German squad some fearsome style. Final score: 9.2/10 6. Argentina Argentina's vertically striped home kits are among the most iconic in soccer. Adidas does good job of not messing with tradition here, while the albiceleste's darker away duds look sharp too. Final score: 9.1/10 7. Netherlands The Netherlands signature orange home shirts and excellent lion crest give Nike plenty to work with here. But it's the subtle designs on the blue away kit that really win us over. Final score: 9/10 8. Mexico Adidas does El Tri justice here with a killer green home kit (moving the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación's crest to the middle of the shirt is a nice touch). The blood-red away kits should look awesome in Brazil as well. Final score: 8.8/10 9. France Less is more with France's 2014 kits from Nike. The blue home kit is classic and timeless, while horizontal gray striping takes the white away shirt to another level. Final score: 8.7/10 10. Cameroon Puma pulled out all the stops for Cameroon's green home jersey. The relief designs, vivid coloring and traditional lion crest (the squad's amazing nickname is the Indomitable Lions) add up to a classic. That gold away number isn't shabby either. Final score: 8.5/10. 11. Japan Another excellent balancing act between tradition and boldness. Japan's blue home kits don't contain any huge surprises, but that neon away uni is something else entirely. Both look mighty fine, however. Final score: 8.4/10 12. England Nike goes for a classic look on both England's home and away kits. Neither takes any real risks, but they both look pretty sweet. That yellow goalie shirt isn't bad either. Final score: 8.2/10 13. Croatia Those checkers! We have a feeling you'll either love or hate Croatia's unique national team kits, but we are definitely in the pro-check camp. The red and white checks look even better when used as trim on Croatia's blue away shirts. Final score: 8/10 14. Belgium Belgium's three looks offer plenty of variety but it's the big crown in-lay that goes a long way for us. Final score: 7.8/10 15. Cote D'Ivoire Puma deserves credit for letting the Ivory Coast's lovely green and orange colors do the heavy lifting here. The country's elephant crest is also among the coolest in soccer. Final score: 7.6/10 16. Ghana Ghana's red away kits are sharp, but it's the creative trim around the collar of the home whites that will have the Black Stars looking extra-super in Brazil. Final score: 7.4/10 17. Greece Nike stuck to simplicity for Greece, and the result is a smooth look. Then again, that simplicity doesn't offer anything far out of the ordinary, landing these uniforms in the middle of our power rankings. Final score: 7.2/10 18. United States When Nike unveiled the multi-colored USA away kits this spring, many snarkily denigrated them for looking like a summer popsicle. We think they look mighty fine -- but those home white jerseys look too much like something you'd see at a Florida retirement village. Final score: 7/10 19. Russia Not bad, but far from transcendent. The white away kits do feature a unique design that we like. Final score: 6.7/10 20. Australia Points for simplicity -- but not too many points. Final score: 6.6/10 21. Switzerland These are ... fine. Final score: 6.3/10 22. Uruguay The blue-on-black home kits are kind of sweet, but this is the World Cup -- we're looking for greatness, not goodness. Final score: 6.2/10 23. Colombia Again, good but not great (in our humble opinion, of course). Final score: 6/10 24. Algeria Some nice touches -- the crescent moon and light green color give a good starting point -- but, overall, not a lot going on. Final score: 5.8/10 25. Chile Chile is an interesting dark-horse contender in Brazil, but its uniforms won't be generating a ton of buzz. We do like the red home kit's blue collar though. Final score: 5.7/10 26. Costa Rica Ehhhh, these are okay. Final score: 5.6/10 27. Ecuador They definitely don't suck. But they definitely aren't that memorable, either. Final score: 5.5/10 28. Nigeria Nigeria's green and white flag offers a rich starting point, but we wish there was more going on here. Final score: 5.4 29. Honduras Cool T-shirt? Yes. Cool World Cup jersey? Less so. Final score: 5.3/10 30. South Korea Pretty pedestrian, plus those differently-colored shoulder stripes on the white away kits look a little odd. Final score: 5.1/10 31. Iran That's a cool in-lay, but these are otherwise pretty meh. Final score: 5/10

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