It is going to take some effort for a nation to spring a bigger surprise at a major international tournament than Greece did at the European Championships in 2004.
Having not featured in that competition since 1980, the Greeks defied the odds to lift the trophy, seeing off hosts Portugal in the final.
Prior to that, Galanolefki had only ever competed at one World Cup, which saw them fail to get beyond the group stages at USA '94. Nevertheless, they overcame Romania in the playoffs to book their place in Brazil this time around and have what looks to be a favourable group.
Here, to continue our countdown to the World Cup, Sports Mole looks at the top 10 players in the history of Greek football.
10. Angelos Basinas (1999-2009, 100 caps, seven goals)
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After making his international debut in 1999, Basinas became a regular presence in the starting lineup following the managerial appointment of Otto Rehhagel in 2001.
The tireless central midfielder went on to repay the faith shown in him by starring during Euro 2004, where he scored a penalty in the opening group game against Portugal. What's more, it was his corner that Angelos Charisteas converted in the final to help the Greeks secure the trophy.
He enjoyed the majority of his success at club level with Panathinaikos, who won two Superleague Greece titles and the Greek Cup once during his decade with the Athens-based outfit. The 38-year-old also had a season with Portsmouth, but despite being a favourite of the fans, he was not a regular starter.
9. Giorgos Karagounis (1999-present, 132 caps, 10 goals)
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Having captained the Greece Under-21 side to the final of the 1998 European Championships, Karagounis was soon promoted the senior team. To date, no player has represented the nation more times than the Fulham midfielder.
Like a number of those included on this list, Karagounis's crowning moment came during the 2004 European Championships. He scored one of the goals of the tournament with a strike from long range in the opening encounter against Portugal - the most important of his 10 strikes to date.
Although not always an automatic starter under the management of Roberto Mancini, the 37-year-old was a part of the Inter Milan squad that won the Coppa Italia in 2005.
8. Giourkas Seitaridis (2002-present, 72 caps, one goal)
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He may not have claimed the number of headlines that some of his teammates did during Euro 2004, but the full-back's performances in Portugal were rewarded by UEFA, who named Seitaridis within their All-Star Squad.
In the two matches against Portugal, Seitaridis was charged with the task of shackling a teenage Cristiano Ronaldo - a job that he carried out to a high standard on both occasions.
The 32-year-old is well-travelled, having spent parts of his club career in Greece, Portugal, Russia and Spain. In Portugal, he was a part of the Porto side in 2004 that lifted the Intercontinental Cup thanks to a penalty shootout victory over Colombian team Once Caldas.
7. Angelos Charisteas (2001-2011, 88 caps, 25 goals)
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He may be Greece's second-leading goalscorer of all time, yet, for his club sides, Charisteas was never prolific. Only on four occasions during his career did he record a double-figure return, while his contribution helped Werder Bremen to overcome the likes of Bayern Munich to win the Bundesliga title in 2004.
Finding the net never appeared to be a problem for his country, though. He scored three times in qualification for Euro 2004 and then went on to find the net against Spain, France and then Portugal in the final as the Greeks triumphed.
It was that showing that saw him voted into the Team of the Tournament, as well as finishing 11th in the running for that year's Ballon d'Or, which was won by Andriy Shevchenko.
6. Nikos Anastopoulos (1977-1988, 75 caps, 29 goals)
Known as 'The Mustachioed One', the only player to have scored more goals for Greece than Charisteas is the clinical Anastopoulos.
The 56-year-old was a key part of the Greece squad that qualified for the country's first ever appearance at a major tournament at Euro 1980 in Italy. The Greeks finished bottom of their group having scored just one goal, although that was scored by Anastopoulos with a powerful header against Czechoslovakia.
He had three separate spells with Olympiacos, during which time he won the Superleague Greece four times and the Greek Cup twice.
5. Nikos Sarganis (1980-1991, 58 caps, no goals)
While a 1-0 victory for Greece over Denmark in 1980 may not be a big deal for many, it's a match that Sarganis is never likely to forget. He produced a string of saves to preserve his side's lead, which earned him the nickname 'The Phantom' from the Danish press.
Although regarded to be the best goalkeeper to have appeared between the posts for the Greeks, he never represented them at a major tournament before his retirement.
The 60-year-old gloveman was also no stranger to controversy as a result of his switch between Athens rivals Olympiacos and Panathinaikos during the summer of 1985.
4. Traianos Dellas (2001-2009, 53 caps, one goal)
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Before Dellas reached the pinnacle of his career at Euro 2004, he once spent a season with Sheffield United. Fans of the Blades will remember the centre-back fondly, largely for his two-goal contribution during the comeback win over Tranmere Rovers, as well as a strike from distance against Portsmouth.
Following his transfer to Roma from Perugia in 2002, the 38-year-old established himself as one of the most solid defenders in Serie A - form that he took into the European Championships two years later.
As well as his positive defensive showings, Dellas also weighed in with a vital silver goal during the first half of extra time in the semi-finals against the Czech Republic, which sent Greece through to the final.
3. Stelios Manolas (1982-1995, 71 caps, six goals)
Arguably the best defender to have represented Greece, Manolas helped the European nation to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 1994.
He spent his entire club career with AEK Athens, for whom he scored almost 50 goals during his 20-year association with the capital-based outfit.
His loyalty was rewarded with four Greek Championships in 1989, 1992, 1993 and 1994 and a further three Greek Cups 1983, 1996 and 1997.
2. Vasilis Hatzipanagis (1976, one cap, no goals)
Hatzipanagis is perhaps the greatest player that you've never heard of, with a quite remarkable back story for good measure. There are those that believe that he had the ability of Pele and Diego Maradona, but he never got to display his talents on the biggest stage.
He took up Soviet Union citizenship as a youngster, but a drastic change in the political situation saw thousands of exiled Greeks (including Hatzipanagis's family) return to their homeland. As a result, the attacker was advised to give up his citizenship with the USSR. It was a decision that robbed him of an international career because having represented USSR at Olympic level, FIFA insisted that he could not feature for Greece.
He joined Iraklis on a hefty 10-year contract in 1975 - another move that proved detrimental to his career. Reports suggested that the likes of Arsenal and Lazio were keen on his services, but the Iraklis board were never tempted to sell. It meant that the bigger leagues and clubs never got to see Hatzipanagis's dribbling and goalscoring attributes.
1. Theodoros Zagorakis (1994-2007, 120 caps, three goals)
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There may be more technically gifted footballers on this list, but none possessed as much determination, drive and passion when it came to representing their country as Zagorakis.
The former Leicester City midfielder, who won the League Cup in 2000, captained Greece to their against the odds success at Euro 2004, where his combative displays from the centre of the pitch saw him named the Player of the Tournament by UEFA, as well as being included in the Team of the Tournament.
Later that year he finished fifth in the running for the Ballon d'Or, ahead of the likes of Pavel Nedved, Wayne Rooney and Brazilian striker Adriano. He also came 17th on the list of 2004's FIFA World Player of the Year.
Greece will face Colombia, Japan and the Ivory Coast in the group stages of this summer's World Cup, and you can follow every match live with Sports Mole.
Continuing our 50-day countdown to the tournament, we will be looking at the greatest players in Holland's history tomorrow. You can also see all of the World Cup top 10 lists so far by clicking here.
Liam Apicella
