Brazil 2014 Final Draw

[gotosy 493]

Date of the Draw: Dec. 6, 2013

Time: 11 a.m. ET (1 p.m. local time)

Location: Costa do Sauípe Resort in Mata de São João, Bahia, Brazil

The 32 qualified countries are divided up into four "pots" of eight teams.

Pot No. 1 features the host country (Brazil) as well as the other top-seven ranked squads, according to FIFA's October 2013 rankings. The three remaining pots are filled according to geographical regions.

It is expected that pot No. 2 will have the AFC (Asia) and CONCACAF (North America, Central America, the Caribbean) qualifiers; pot No. 3 will have CAF (Africa), CONMEBOL (South America) and OFC (Oceania) qualifiers; and No. 4 will have the UEFA (Europe) qualifiers.

Here's how that would look:

Pot 1: Brazil (hosts), Spain, Germany, Argentina, Colombia, Belgium, Uruguay, Switzerland

Pot 2: Japan, Iran, Korea Republic, Australia, United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras

Pot 3: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Algeria, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chile, Ecuador, France

Pot 4: Netherlands, Italy, England, Portugal, Greece, Bosnia-Herzergovina, Croatia, Russia

Note: Mexico and Uruguay are projected as winners on Wednesday, meaning there will be no OFC qualifier. As such, France, the lowest-ranked UEFA qualifier, moves into the third pot.

From there, one country is drawn from each pot and placed into one of the eight Groups.

For example, Group A will feature host country Brazil, one country from pot No. 2, one from pot No. 3 and one from pot No. 4.

What to Hope For

Winning the World Cup means your country is going to have to knock off the best teams in the world at some point, but that doesn't mean an easier path to the knockout stages can't help.

Countries outside the first pot are simply going to have to pick their poison. That being said, Colombia, Switzerland and Uruguay are the "best" countries to receive out of that pot. Spain and Germany are the vaunted favorites, Brazil is always dangerous and at home, Belgium has an unbelievable corps of young talent and Argentina features the best player in the world.

Avoiding those countries would prove to be a massive break.

In the second pot, Japan and the United States look like the best squads. The Japanese are usually a tough matchup, while Jurgen Klinsmann's squad has seriously started clicking over the past six months.

Mexico has struggled during qualification, but El Tri has plenty of talent and could be a sleeping giant that could make for a loaded group.

Ivory Coast, France and Ghana are the countries to hope to avoid in the third pot, while Cameroon currently sports the lowest FIFA ranking of the countries qualified.

The fourth pot is where the "Group of Death" will be made. Imagine a group with Spain, Mexico and Ghana also drawing Netherlands. The finalists from last World Cup are easily one of the best teams in the world, and drawing the Dutch along with a top-tier Pot 1 squad will spell almost certain doom for any Pot 2 or 3 country.

Italy, England and Portugal are all also capable of making a deep run in Brazil and are countries you don't want to see in your group. While there aren't many breaks in this pot, Greece and Croatia probably serve as the most favorable draws.

Finally, if you're intent on wasting hours upon hours before the official draw takes place, here's a World Cup draw simulator to play around with.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1857627-world-cup-draw-2014-date-start-time-field-and-more

[intoronto 650]

Brazil, Mexico, France, England/Portugal/Netherlands/Italy is a possibility

[Faster 545]

If history is correct, France will be in a special pot so that there cannot be 3 UEFA teams in one group.

[menegazfelipe 43]

"According to the organization, the draw will be broadcast to 193 countries and receive 1300 guests, 90 minutes. Rapper Emicida and Olodum are some of the musical acts, as well as the singer Margareth Menezes."

It could be better...

[Gangwon 259]

I don't see any real weak walk-over teams. Nothing like North Korea, Angola, Togo or China in recent past. Just teams you'd want over others.

Cameroon is the lowest ranked nation at #59. That's pretty good, for the lowest ranked nation in a flawed ranking system.

[Scotguy 330]

Is Shakira singing the World Cup Song again?

[DannyelBrazil 703]

I'm pretty happy with the teams coming to Brazil

All 8 World Champions, all Brazil's top rivals: Argentina, Uruguay (traditional) France and Mexico (lately they have been hard to beat), top Africans...

The exception is Bosnia, but a World Cup without a newbie would be boring... So, it will be a very interesting tournament.

[Palette86 150]

I didin't know Colombia hadn't been qualified for pretty long time(missed 3 WC=12 years).

[yoshi 331]

Bosnia will be everyone's second team.

Apart from those where Bosnia is their first team

[Helder Carvalho 5]

I'm pretty happy with the teams coming to Brazil

All 8 World Champions, all Brazil's top rivals: Argentina, Uruguay (traditional) France and Mexico (lately they have been hard to beat), top Africans...

The exception is Bosnia, but a World Cup without a newbie would be boring... So, it will be a very interesting tournament.

Do no underestimate Bosnia, trust me, they have a very good team.

[LDOG 72]

25/32 teams are the same as in 2010.

So it's basically 2010 world cup but with the teams having 4 more years of experience. Most of the top teams have very similar squads compared to the ones they had back then. Only Brazil seems to have changed a good amount of players.

[BTHarner 137]

Actually 24 out of 32. The turnover of 8 is the lowest since the World Cup went to 32 teams, as opposed to 2010 which featured 13 teams that missed out on 2006.

The whole qualifying process was a personal disappointment. I like to see new teams and this is the second straight Cup with only 1 debutant. Africa was a complete disappointment, the same lackluster four from 2010 plus Ghana, the only promising side on the continent. (Though contrary to what was posted earlier, Angola was no pushover in 2006, ask Mexico)

Europe went much to form, 6 out of 10 from South America are there. Asia stuck to it's status quo (though Uzbekistan and Jordan both surprised). There isn't much depth after the big four in CONCACAF.

Sadly, we are at a place in world football where it is the same stuff, different day with very few emerging nations showing any sign of joining the next level of the consistently good footballing nations.

[BTHarner 137]

Sorry, that rant probably should have been over in the thread that was actually about qualifying.

[DannyelBrazil 703]

Do no underestimate Bosnia, trust me, they have a very good team.

I'm sure I didn't cast any opinion about them, I only said they are newbie to WC finals and if they qualified they have great value, specialy in European zone

[Palette86 150]

I've ever heard a rumor(not in GB's forum)that in UEFA CL draw,there's a cheat.The person who's gonna pick the ball has to choose a "warmed ball" to make ideal tournament. How about WC draw?

[BTHarner 137]

The one story I've heard is that Sophia Loren wore a magnetic ring to make sure Italy got the USA (which supposedly had a magnet in it's ball) in it's group in 1990.

There is always speculation about the honesty of the draw. I'd like to think there is no manipulation, but we are talking about FIFA, so who knows???

[Chrishigh765 9]

ESPNFC.com has a site where you can simulate the draw and in group F I have Uruguay USA Bosnia/Herzegovina and Nigeria

[BTHarner 137]

The US would be happy with that group.

[Faster 545]

Mine were

A) Brazil, Netherlands, France, USA

Argentina, Cote d'Ivoire, England, Mexico

C) Colombia, Croatia, Nigeria, Costa Rica

D) Uruguay, Portugal, Ghana, Honduras

E) Spain, Italy, Ecuador, Korea

F) Germany, Greece, Cameroon, Australia

G) Belgium, Russia, Algeria, Japan

H) Switzerland, Bosnia, Chile, Iran

[ofan 697]

Mine were

A) Brazil, Netherlands, France, USA

Argentina, Cote d'Ivoire, England, Mexico

2 Groups of Death

[Palette86 150]

ESPNFC.com has a site where you can simulate the draw and in group F I have Uruguay USA Bosnia/Herzegovina and Nigeria

Thanks,I enjoyed it .

Here's another one to simulate the draw and the link is below;

http://www.1000web.net/2014worldcup-draws/english.html

Fortunately,there are funny options only for Brazil and Japan . Everyone please enjoy it.

Mine were

A) Brazil, Netherlands, France, USA

Argentina, Cote d'Ivoire, England, Mexico

C) Colombia, Croatia, Nigeria, Costa Rica

D) Uruguay, Portugal, Ghana, Honduras

E) Spain, Italy, Ecuador, Korea

F) Germany, Greece, Cameroon, Australia

G) Belgium, Russia, Algeria, Japan

H) Switzerland, Bosnia, Chile, Iran

The group looks easy for England (unless GK Hart would make stupid mistakes),but the problem is your quarter final and this might be bad for you.Even if you finished in 1st place or the 2nd,next opponent from group A must be formidable.

[munichfan 38]

I got:

A) Brazil, Italy, Algeria, Honduras

B ) Germany, England, Ghana, Australia

C) Belgium, Japan, Ecuador, Croatia

D) Switzerland, Chile, Mexico, Greece

E) Colombia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, United States, Côte d'ivoire

F) Argentina, France, Russia, Iran

G) Spain, South Korea, Cameroon, Portugal

H) Uruguay, Netherlands, Costa Rica, Nigeria

[olympicpass 2]

Am I the only one missing Sweden?

[Palette86 150]

Am I the only one missing Sweden?

Azzurri is qualified.Why do you miss Sweden so much?

[yoshi 331]

YouTube 'Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal' & see why people will miss Sweden.