Host nation Brazil will kick off next summer’s soccer World Cup against Croatia in Sao Paulo on June 12th, while holders Spain and 2010 runners-up Netherlands will meet again in the group stages following the draw on Friday.
Brazil were grouped with Croatia, Mexico and Cameroon while Spain and the Dutch have a tough Group B which also contains Chile and Australia.
The complicated draw procedure also put England, Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica together in Group D, but most of the big soccer nations will be happy with the outcome.
Bosnia-Herzegovina, the only one of the 32 teams taking part in their first World Cup finals, face Argentina, Iran and Nigeria.
England will open their Group D campaign in Manaus when they face Italy on Saturday, June 14th.
They must then head to Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte for their meetings with Uruguay and Costa Rica on June 19th and 24th respectively.
England avoided becoming the European team placed in a special pot, who had to be drawn against a South American top seed.
However they ended up in the same group as Italy, who came out of the special pot.
It means Roy Hodgson’s team must face the side that knocked England out of Euro 2012 in Kiev, before coming face-to-face with a Uruguay team containing Luis Suarez and PSG star forward Edinson Cavani.
WORLD CUP FIXTURES, DATES, TIMES, VENUES
BY GROUP
Group A
Brazil v Croatia, Sao Paulo, Thursday June 12th, 5pm (9pm Irish)
Mexico v Cameroon, Natal, Friday June 13th, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Brazil v Mexico, Fortaleza, Tuesday June 17th, 4pm (8pm Irish)
Croatia v Cameroon, Manaus, Wednesday June 18th, 3pm (8pm Irish)
Brazil v Cameroon, Brasilia, Monday June 23rd, 5pm (9pm Irish)
Croatia v Mexico, Recife, Monday June 23rd, 5pm (9pm Irish)
Group B
Spain v Netherlands, Salvador, Friday June 13th, 4pm (8pm Irish)
Chile v Australia, Cuiaba, Friday June 13th, 6pm (11pm Irish)
Spain v Chile, Rio De Janeiro, Wednesday June 18th, 7pm (11pm Irish)
Netherlands v Australia, Porto Alegre, Wednesday June 18th, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Spain v Australia, Curitiba, Monday June 23rd, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Netherlands v Chile, Sao Paolo, Monday June 23rd, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Group C
Colombia v Greece, Belo Horizonte, Saturday June 14th, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Ivory Coast v Japan, Recife, Saturday June 14th, 7pm (11pm Irish)
Colombia v Ivory Coast, Brasilia, Thursday June 19th, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Greece v Japan, Natal, Thursday June 19th, 7pm (11pm Irish)
Colombia v Japan, Cuiaba, Tuesday June 24th, 4pm (9pm Irish)
Greece v Ivory Coast, Fortaleza, Tuesday June 24th, 5pm (9pm Irish)
Group D
Uruguay v Costa Rica, Fortaleza, Saturday June 14th, 4pm (8pm Irish)
England v Italy, Manaus, Saturday June 14th, 9pm (2am Sunday Irish)
Uruguay v England, Sao Paulo, Thursday June 19th, 4pm (8pm Irish)
Costa Rica v Italy, Recife, Friday June 20th, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Uruguay v Italy, Natal, Tuesday June 24th, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Costa Rica v England, Belo Horizonte, Tuesday June 24th, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Group E
Switzerland v Equador, Brasilia, Sunday June 15th, 1pm (5pm Irish)
France v Honduras, Porto Alegre, Sunday June 15th, 4pm (8pm Irish)
Switzerland v France, Salvador, Friday June 20th, 4pm (8pm Irish)
Equador v Honduras, Curitiba, Friday June 20th, 7pm (11pm Irish)
Switzerland v Honduras, Manaus, Wednesday June 25th, 4pm (9pm Irish)
Equador v France, Rio De Janeiro, Wednesday June 25th, 5pm (9pm Irish)
Group F
Argentina v Bosnia-Herzegovina, Rio De Janeiro, Sunday June 15th, 7pm (11pm Irish)
Iran v Nigeria, Curitiba, Monday June 16th, 4pm (8pm Irish)
Argentina v Iran, Belo Horizonte, Saturday June 21st, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Bosnia-Herzegovina v Nigeria, Cuiaba, Saturday June 21st, 6pm (11pm Irish)
Argentina v Nigeria, Porto Alegre, Wednesday June 25th, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Bosnia-Herzegovina v Iran, Salvador, Wednesday June 25th, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Group G
Germany v Portugal, Salvador, Monday June 16th, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Ghana v USA, Natal, Monday June 16th, 7pm (11pm Irish)
Germany v Ghana, Fortaleza, Saturday June 21st, 4pm (8pm Irish)
Portugal v USA, Manaus, Sunday June 22nd, 3pm (8pm Irish)
Germany v USA, Recife, Thursday June 26th, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Portugal v Ghana, Brasilia, Thursday June 26th, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Group H
Belgium v Algeria, Belo Horizonte, Tuesday June 17th, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Russia v South Korea, Cuiaba, Tuesday June 17th, 6pm (11pm Irish)
Belgium v Russia, Rio De Janeiro, Sunday June 22nd, 7pm (11pm Irish)
Algeria v South Korea, Porto Alegre, Sunday June 22nd, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Belgium v South Korea, Sao Paulo, Thursday June 26th, 5pm (9pm Irish)
Algeria v Russia, Curitiba, Thursday June 26th, 5pm (9pm Irish)
By Date
Thursday June 12th
Brazil v Croatia, Sao Paulo, 5pm (9pm Irish)
Friday June 13th
Mexico v Cameroon, Natal, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Spain v Netherlands, Salvador, 4pm (8pm Irish)
Chile v Australia, Cuiaba, 6pm (11pm Irish)
Saturday June 14th
Colombia v Greece, Belo Horizonte, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Uruguay v Costa Rica, Fortaleza, 4pm (8pm Irish)
Ivory Coast v Japan, Recife, 7pm (11pm Irish)
England v Italy, Manaus, 9pm (2am Sunday Irish)
Sunday June 15th
Switzerland v Equador, Brasilia, 1pm (5pm Irish)
France v Honduras, Porto Alegre, 4pm (8pm Irish)
Argentina v Bosnia-Herzegovina, Rio De Janeiro, 7pm (11pm Irish)
Monday June 16th
Germany v Portugal, Salvador, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Iran v Nigeria, Curitiba, 4pm (8pm Irish)
Ghana v USA, Natal, 7pm (11pm Irish)
Tuesday June 17th
Belgium v Algeria, Belo Horizonte, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Brazil v Mexico, Fortaleza, 4pm (8pm Irish)
Russia v South Korea, Cuiaba, 6pm (11pm Irish)
Wednesday June 18th
Netherlands v Australia, Porto Alegre, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Croatia v Cameroon, Manaus, 3pm (8pm Irish)
Spain v Chile, Rio De Janeiro, 7pm (11pm Irish)
Thursday June 19th
Colombia v Ivory Coast, Brasilia, 1pm (5pm Irish, 6.50pm)
Uruguay v England, Sao Paulo, 4pm (8pm Irish)
Greece v Japan, Natal, 7pm (11pm Irish)
Friday June 20th
Costa Rica v Italy, Recife, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Switzerland v France, Salvador, 4pm (8pm Irish)
Equador v Honduras, Curitiba, 7pm (11pm Irish)
Saturday June 21st
Argentina v Iran, Belo Horizonte, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Germany v Ghana, Fortaleza, 4pm (8pm Irish)
Bosnia-Herzegovina v Nigeria, Cuiaba, 6pm (11pm Irish)
Sunday June 22nd
Algeria v South Korea, Porto Alegre, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Portugal v USA, Manaus, 3pm (8pm Irish)
Belgium v Russia, Rio De Janeiro, 7pm (11pm Irish)
Monday June 23rd,
Spain v Australia, Curitiba, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Netherlands v Chile, Sao Paolo, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Brazil v Cameroon, Brasilia, 5pm (9pm Irish)
Croatia v Mexico, Recife, 5pm (9pm Irish)
Tuesday June 24th
Uruguay v Italy, Natal, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Costa Rica v England, Belo Horizonte, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Colombia v Japan, Cuiaba, 4pm (9pm Irish)
Greece v Ivory Coast, Fortaleza, 7pm (9pm Irish)
Wednesday June 25th
Argentina v Nigeria, Porto Alegre, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Bosnia-Herzegovina v Iran, Salvador, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Switzerland v Honduras, Manaus, 4pm (9pm Irish)
Equador v France, Rio De Janeiro, 5pm (9pm Irish)
Thursday June 26th
Germany v USA, Recife, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Portugal v Ghana, Brasilia, 1pm (5pm Irish)
Belgium v South Korea , Sao Paulo, 5pm (9pm Irish)
Algeria v Russia, Curitiba, 5pm (9pm Irish)
