As the World Cup kicks off Thursday, this year's tournament will be filled with batches and batches of high end players from across the globe. A huge number of them come from South America and all of them will be looking to make their mark on the first tournament on their continent since Argentina played host in 1978.

Latin Post takes a look at each South American sides' top players:

Argentina

When one looks at Argentina's roster, the first name that jumps out is Lionel Messi, who has 38 goals in 86 games for his nation. Messi will undoubtedly be the focal point of every one of Argentina's moves throughout this tournament, and he will be looked upon to score more goals than he did four years ago; he scored zero goals in five World Cup matches for the Albiceleste. But Argentina is not just Messi in the same way that Barcelona is more than Messi. The South American contingent has the likes of Sergio Aguero (21 goals in 51 caps), Gonzalo Higuain (21 goals in 36 games) and Angel Di Maria (more of a midfield passing maestro) to help carry the load for him. All of them are capable of taking the spotlight away from Messi, but this could actually help the captain shine on the big stage.

Brazil

Every time Brazil heads to the World Cup, there is a player that holds the baton for the Selecao. Romario was the man in 1994; Ronaldo was the main star in 1998 and 2002; Ronaldinho was expected to deliver great things in 2006, while Kaka was the man of destiny in 2010. While the former two stars delivered in the limelight, the latter two faltered in their biggest moments. Now the spotlight shines brightly on young Neymar, who took the world by storm during the Confederations Cup last summer. Since then, his form for the national side has been dominant, even when his club performance has underwhelmed. Neymar will be expected to deliver, but he has a host of superstars to help his cause.

Oscar will be called upon to be the creative think-tank while David Luiz and Thiago Silva will hold up the back end. Marcelo and Dani Alves should shine as wingbacks while the likes of Fred and Hulk will provide Neymar with offensive support.

Colombia

Colombia's main man heading into the tournament was Radamel Falcao, but injury will keep the striker out of action. In his place, the team will turn to young James Rodriguez to lead the team's offense. Colombia's forward group is deep, bolstered by the likes of stars like Carlos Bacca, Adrian Ramos, Teofilo Gutierrez and Jackson Martinez. The midfield features tremendous threats such as Fredy Guarin, Victor Ibarbo, Juan Guillermo Cuadrado and future superstar Juan Fernando Quintero. This is a team that has enough offensive dynamite to make up for the loss of Falcao.

Chile

After the season that he had for Juventus, Arturo Vidal's prowess in the middle of the park will be the main story for Chile. However, he will also be partnered with forward Alexis Sanchez, who is coming off a great year with Barcelona and has proven his worth for the national side. Gary Medel provides support for a weak defense, while goalie Claudio Bravo is a terrific keeper capable of stealing games.

Ecuador

Ecuador is not filled with a plethora of flashy stars like other teams on this list, but Antonio Valencia is sure to leave his mark on this tournament. The Manchester United property is the captain of the team and the heart of its midfield attack. His main point man will be Felipe Caicedo, who has 15 goals in 50 caps; he is the eighth-highest goal scorer in Ecuadorian history.

Uruguay

Four years ago, Diego Forlan was the hero of Uruguay, but this year he is likely to play a more reserved role coming off the bench. Leading the attack for Uruguay instead will be Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani. Suarez is coming off a monster season with Liverpool and will look to lead his nation into history. Cavani had a solid run in the Confederations Cup last year and should be a key piece for Uruguay this year. On defense, Diego Godin and Diego Lugano provide Uruguay with one of the best South American defenses in the tournament while Fernando Muslera is a star keeper.

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