Star player:
Nelson Haedo Valdez

Previous appearances:
1930 (first round), 1950 (first round), 1986 (second round), 1998 (second round), 2002 (second round), 2006 (first round).

How they qualified
CONMEBOL
Peru (a)            0-0
Urguay (h)         1-0
Ecuador (h)        5-1
Chile (a)             3-0
Brazil (h)            2-0
Bolivia (a)           2-4
Argentina (a)      1-1
Venezuela (h)     2-0
Colombia (a)       1-0
Peru (h)             1-0
Urguay (a)          0-2
Ecuador (a)         1-1
Chile (h)              0-2
Brazil (a)              1-2
Bolivia (h)            1-0
Argentina (h)       1-0
Venezuela (a)       2-1
Colombia (h)         0-2

Chances:
At their fourth World Cup in a row, Martino's side are a good bet to secure a place in the last 16. Valdez and midfielder Cristian Riveros are their star performers, with a solid defence still the base from which they operate.

Strange but true
Roque Santa Cruz caught the eye of at least two observers during the 2006 World Cup in Germany, despite going goalless. He was chosen by football magazine Kicker and German newspaper Die Welt as the sexiest player at the tournament.