Brazil Starts World Cup Training, Argentina Announces Team

Brazil’s World Cup soccer team announced that 17 of their players, including Neymar (Neymar da Silva), have begun physical and medical tests on the first day of their game preparations at their Granja Comary camp in Teresopolis, just outside Rio de Janeiro.

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The group is heading to London next week where full-back  Marcelo Vieira da Silva, midfielder Carlos Casemiro, and striker Roberto Firmino will only join the group after Real Madrid and Liverpool compete in the Champions League final in Kiev.

The first Brazil training will take place on Wednesday at Granja, which underwent a US$4 million renovation to host the team for just one week.

Once in England, Brazil will practice until June 8, playing friendlies against Croatia on June 3 in London, and on June 10 will match up against Austria in Vienna.

Brazil, which has enjoyed the World Cup championship title five times named their team last week, while Argentina has just released its list of 23 names for its World Cup team.

"I feel very represented with the selected players," said trainer Jorge Sampaoli. The full team list is as follows: goalkeepers, Sergio Romero (Manchester United), Franco Armani (River) and Wilfredo Caballero (Chelsea). The defense will be played by Gabriel Mercado (Seville), Federico Fazio (Rome), Nicolas Otamendi (Manchester City), Cristian Ansaldi (Torino), Nicolas Tagliafico (Ajax) and Marcos Rojo (Manchester United).

Wingers for the Argentine team are Ever Banega (Seville), Javier Mascherano (Hebei Fortune), Eduardo Salvio (Benfica), Lucas Biglia (Milan), Angel Di Maria (Paris St. Germain), Giovani Lo Celso (Paris St. Germain), Manuel Lanzini (West Ham United), Maximiliano Meza (Independent) and Marcos Acuña (Sporting Lisboa). Forwards are Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Sergio Agüero (Manchester City), Gonzalo Higuaín (Juventus), Paulo Dybala (Juventus) y Cristian Pavon (Boca). "We chose for characteristics. These players are the ones closest to the idea that we want to manage," said one of the selectors.