World Cup 2010 Team Nicknames

Algeria
– Les Fennecs (The Desert Foxes)

Argentina
– La Albicelestes (White and Sky Blue)
- In Argentina the national team is called "La Seleccion"

Australia
– Socceroos

Brazil
– Seleção (The Selection)
- Canarinhos (Little Canary)
- Verde e Amarelo (Green and Yellow)

Cameroon
– Lions Indomptables (Indomitable Lions)

Chile
– La Roja (The Red)

Cote d’Ivoire
– Les Éléphants (The Elephants)

Denmark
– Olsens Elleve (Olsen’s Eleven) – In honour of popular head coach Morten Olsen

England
– The Three Lions : From the FA crest

France
– Les Bleus (The Blues)

Germany
– NationalMannschaft (National Team) or DFB Elf (DFB Eleven)
- National Elf (National Eleven)
- The nickname Die Mannschaft (the team) is only used by non-German media

Ghana
– The Black Stars

Greece
– To Piratiko (The Pirate Ship) : Since Euro 2004
- But another common nickname is apparently Galanoleyki

Honduras
– Los Catrachos which is apparently how other Central Americans refer to Hondurans
- La H (The H) : The crest is a large H, which looks extremely cool on the shirt
- La Bicolor

Italy
– Azzurri (Sky Blues)

Japan
– Blue Samurai

Mexico
– El Tri (after the three colours or “tricolor” on the Mexican flag)

Netherlands
– Oranje

North Korea
– Chollima (some sort of mythical horse)

New Zealand
– All Whites (rugby union team are the All Blacks)


Nigeria
– Super Eagles

Paraguay
– La Albirroja (The White-Red)
- Guaraní (an indigenous people)

Portugal
– Selecção das Quinas (Team of the Five Shields): Referring to the five shields on the FA crest

Serbia
– Beli Orlovi (White Eagles) : Referring to the white double headed eagle on the Serbia coat of arms

Slovakia
– Repre (at least according to Wikipedia, but there’s no explanation as to what this means)

Slovenia
– Zmajceki (Dragons) : Because there’s a dragon on the crest of capital city Ljubljana

South Africa
– Bafana Bafana (The Boys)

South Korea
– Taeguk Warriors
- Fans are often called The Red Devils

Spain
– La Furia Roja (Red Fury)

Switzerland
– Schweizer Nati

United States
– Often referred to as the MNT (Men’s National Team)
- The Yanks

Uruguay
– La Celeste (The Sky Blue)