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Every four years World Cup viewers wonder why the hell England is called the Three Lions or why French fans dress up as Smurfs. The answer: World Cup nicknames.
Most every national soccer team has a nickname. Some are boring, like the seven World Cup teams with some variation of “The Team.” Many are based on colors, like France (Les Bleus), or animals, like England. Few are actually unique and interesting.
For the record, the Three Lions are thus named because the English FA crest features three lions. Those three lions are there because of Richard the Lionheart (King Richard I), who reigned from 1189 to 1199 and used the three lions symbol. Those three lions essentially derived from three others: one from Henry I, one from Henry I’s father-in-law and one from Henry II’s wife.
The best national team nickname will unfortunately not be participating in the World Cup this summer. That belongs to the national team of Greenland, also know as the Polar Teddy Bears. But seeing as Greenland isn’t even a member of FIFA, don’t expect the Polar Teddy Bears to crop up at the World Cup anytime soon.
As it stands, we can only commend a handful of nations for having great World Cup nicknames. Egypt, Panama, Colombia, Australia, Japan and South Korea, take a bow for actually using nicknames that are both unique and representative of your country.
The rest of the World Cup nicknames are drab and boring — nine are animals (if you assume Socceroos are animals), nine are based on colors and seven are just groups of dudes.
So take this list of World Cup nicknames and memorize it, because we’re testing you after the tournament.
World Cup Nicknames
Group A
Russia
Сборная (Sbornaya, The National Team)
Saudi Arabia
الصقور الخضر (The Green Falcons)
Egypt
الفراعنة (The Pharaohs)
Uruguay
La Celeste (The Sky Blue)
Group B
Portugal
A Seleção das Quinas (Selection of the Quinas); Also: The Navigators
Spain
La Furia Roja (The Red Fury); Also: La Roja, La Furia
Morocco
أُسُود الأطلس (Igrzamn n Atlasi, Atlas Lions)
Iran
تیم ملی (Team Melli, “The National Team”)
Group C
France
Les Bleus (The Blues)
Australia
Socceroos
Peru
La Blanquirroja (The White and Red); Also: Los Incas
Denmark
Danish Dynamite
Group D
Argentina
La Albiceleste (The Sky Blue And Whites)
Iceland
Strákarnir okkar (Our Boys)
Croatia
Vatreni (The Blazers)
Nigeria
Super Eagles
Group E
Brazil
Seleção (The Squad)
Switzerland
Die Nati (The National Team)
Costa Rica
Los Ticos
Serbia
Орлови (Оrlovi, The Eagles)
Group F
Germany
Die Mannschaft (The Team)
Mexico
El Tri
Sweden
Blågult (The Blue-Yellow)
South Korea
태극전사 (Taegeuk Jeonsa, Taegeuk Warriors)
Group G
Belgium
Die Roten Teufel (The Red Devils)
Panama
Los Canaleros (The Canal Men)
Tunisia
نسور قرطاج (The Eagles of Carthage)
England
The Three Lions
Group H
Poland
Biało-czerwoni (The White and Reds)
Senegal
Les Lions de la Téranga (The Lions of Teranga)
Colombia
Los Cafeteros (The Coffee Growers)
Japan
サムライ・ブルー (Samurai Blue)
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