FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is just over three months away. The much-awaited tournament is scheduled to start from November 20. Qatar are hosting this year’s World Cup. This is the first time that the football World Cup is being hosted by a Arab country and the second time that it is taking place in Asia. FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is also the last tournament that will feature 32 teams.

The football fraternity is eagerly waiting for the tournament to start. The World Cup is the biggest stage in the game where the players not only display their country but also display their countries’ respective culture and traditions. This is one of the reasons why every football team has a nickname. The teams’ nicknames are very much a reflection of the country’s tradition.

The nickname for the Belgian football team is Die Roten Teufel which means The Red Devils. In 1905, a Dutch reporter had famously written that three Belgian footballers “work[ed] as devils” after a match. In the following year, Léopold FC manager Pierre Walckiers nicknamed the players Red Devils, inspired by their jersey colour.

During the 1970s, Belgium were also called ‘White Devils’ because of their white home shirts. Since 2012, the team logo is a red trident, an item that is often associated with the devil.

Croatia’s nickname is based on the design of their national flag. They are nicknamed Kockasti which means the chequered ones.

Denmark’s football team is also known by the name ‘De Rød-Hvide’ which menas The Red and Whites in Danish. The name is inspired from Denmark’s famous red and white jersey.

England’s football team are called the Three Lions because the Football Association of England has three lions on their logo. England’s players also sport the same logo on their shirts. The football team has worn the crest on their kits since their first international match against Scotland in 1872. The history of the three lions symbol dates back to the 12th Century when a red crest with three gold lions was carried into battle to inspire English troops.

France’s football team are known as Les Blues because of the blue colour of their jersey.

The German national football team is nicknamed as Nationalelf which means the National Eleven. They are also known as DFB Eleven.

The Netherlands team is famously called ‘Oranje’, after the House of Orange-Nassau and their distinctive orange jerseys. The House of Orange-Nassau is the current reigning house of the Netherlands.

The Poland national team’s nickname is Biało-czerwoni which means the White and Reds. Their nickname has been inspired by the color of their traditional football kit.

Portugal football team’s nickname Os Navegadores has been inspired by their rich history in navigation. During the 15th and 16th century, Portuguese sailors had discovered numerous territories and maritime routes because of their intensive maritime exploration. The navigators from Portugal travelled around the world through the sea route and the Portuguese football team is now nicknamed after them.

The Serbian team’s nickname is inspired by their national symbol. Serbia’s football team is known as Orlovi which means The Eagles.

The Spanish national team is known as La Roja which means The Red One, based on the colour of their kit. They are also known as La Furia Roja which means The Red Fury. The second nickname has been inspired by an episode in the military history of Spain.

Switzerland’s football team is known as the Rossocrociati which means The Red Cross. They are also known as Nati which means the National team in Swiss.

Wales’ nickname ‘The Dragons’ has been inspired by their national flag. The Welsh dragon is a symbol that appears on the national flag of Wales.

Inspired by Australia’s iconic Kangaroos, the term was coined way back in 1967 by journalist Tony Horstead in his coverage of the team on a goodwill tour to South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The word ‘Socceroos’ has been formed by combining the words soccer and kangaroo.

Iran’s football team are known by several nicknames but the most popular one is ‘Team Melli’ which means ‘The National Team’. Other nicknames for Iran include Persian Stars’, ‘Shiran e Iran’ which means ‘The Iranian Lions’, ‘Shirdelan’ meaning ‘Lion Hearts’ as well as ‘Princes of Persia’.

The Japanese team is nicknamed the Samurai Blue. The name has been inspired by Japan’s historical Samurai background.

Qatar is nicknamed The Maroon, in accordance with the colour of their football kit.

Saudi Arabia’s football team has got several nicknames too with the most popular one being Al-Akhdar which means ‘The Greens’. They are also known as as-suqur al-akhdar which translates to ‘The Green Falcons’. Green is the prominent colour of their jersey. Saudi Arabia are also nicknamed as-suqur al-arabiyyah, meaning the ‘Arabian Falcons’.

While the fans popularly call the South Korean team The Reds, based on their primary kit colour, they are also known as the Taegeuk Warriors and the Lions of Asia. Taegeuk is the symbol found on the South Korean flag.

The Cameroonian team is called Les Lions Indomptables which means The Indomitable Lions.

Ghana is known as the Black Stars. The name has been inspired by the black star at the centre of the Ghanaian flag.

Morocco are nicknamed The Atlas Lions after their official national animal the Barbary lion which was also called Atlas lion. Unfortunately, the animal is now extinct.

Senegal’s football team are also called Lions of Teranga. Teranga is a Wolof word, meaning hospitality or welcoming generosity.

Tunisia’s football team are nicknamed after the famous Carthaginian empire and are called Eagles of Carthage. The Carthaginian Empire extended over much of the coast of Northwest Africa as well as encompassing substantial parts of coastal Iberia and the islands of the western Mediterranean Sea part of which is modern-day Tunisia. As far as the Eagle is concerned, it has its place in the logo of the Tunisian football federation.

The Canadian football team is nicknamed The Reds after the colour of their home kit.

Costa Ricans are often called Ticos because of their unique way of saying diminutives in Spanish. So, they have the nickname of The Ticos. They are also called ‘Los Matacampeones’ which means ‘The Champion Killers’ for their success in Central American football. They have won three CONCACAF Championships (1963, 1969 and 1989) and eight championships in the Copa Centroamericana and its predecessor.

The Mexican team is known as El Tri which means The Tricolour corresponding to the three colours of their national flag.

Argentina’s football team are nicknamed La Albiceleste which means the white and sky blue. The term has been inspired by Argentina’s national flag which has 3 equal stripes, the white and blue stripe represent the sky clouds and the yellow sun in the middle.

Brazil are famously called ‘Selecao’ which is a common Portuguese term, meaning the selected players. Brazilians call every football team ‘selecao’. However, the national team is distinguished and is known as ‘The Selecao’.

Like Mexico, Ecuador are also nicknamed La Tri and La Tricolour after their national flag which has three colours.

Uruguay are nicknamed La Celeste which means the Sky Blue, referring to their jersey colour.

The United States’ football team are nicknamed ‘The Stars and Stripes’, which is inspired from their national flag.