FIFA WORLD CUP BRAZIL (2014)

Today in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil the draw for the prelimenary round of the next Fifa World Cup 2014 took place at the home of the five-times world champions. A total of 175 nations will take part, playing altogether 824 matches which will later reveal the 31 nations, who will be joining hosts Brazil in the finals by November 2013.

The ceremony took place in a specially constructed auditorium at Marina Da Gloria, not far from Sugar Loaf Mountain. The draw cost more than £10m
and was broadcast live around the world.

There was no draw for the South American confederation, the nine contenders will play each other in a single league system, seeking to make, for them, the short trip to Brazil in three years time. Due to political sensetivities, Georgia, Russia, Azerbiajan and Arminia were not drawn in the same group. All the draws were based on Fifa's current world rankings.

Vincente del Bosque, who guided Spain to success last year in the South Africa, Lauren Blanc of France, Guus Hiddink of Turkey and Fabio Capello of England were just a few of the 38 national coaches that attended the cermony.

Some Fifa World Cup preliminary qualifiers have already taken place, but the competition will begin properly this year and be completed by November 2013.

A Fifa official stated that the finals will be staged from 12 June to 13 July 2014, while Rio de Janeiro's famous Maracana Stadium will host the final, Fifa's secretrary-general Jerome Valke confirmed this last night.

Here is the preliminary round groups of the European section:

Group A: Croatia, Serbia, Belgium, Scotland, Macedonia, Wales.
Group B: Italy, Denmark, Czech Republic, Bulgeria, Armenia, Malta.
Group C: Germany, Sweden, Republic of Ireland, Austria, Faroe Islands,
                      Kazakhstan.
Group D: Holland, Turkey, Hungary, Romania, Estonia, Andorra.
Group E: Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland, Albania, Cyprus, Iceland.
Group F: Portugal, Russia, Israel, Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan,
                      Luxembourg.
Group G: Greece, Slovakia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Luthiania, Latvia,
                       Lietchtenstein.
Group H: England, Montenegro, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, San Marina.
Group I: Spain, France, Belarus, Georgia, Finland.

Good luck to each and every competing nation.