The 2014 World Cup begins to take shape today when FIFA hosts the qualifying draw, laying out each nation’s path to try to secure a spot in the tournament.
It will be the first major World Cup-related event in Brazil since 2007, when the South American nation was awarded the competition for the first time in 64 years.
As hosts, Brazil is the only nation which won’t have to qualify, but 203 other teams will have to fight for the remaining 31 spots in qualifiers that will run through November 2013.
Defending World Cup champions Spain will find out in which of the nine Europeans groups they will play. The draw will also allocate the groups for Asia, Africa, Oceania and the North, Central America and Caribbean regions.
South America will not be included in the draw because the continent’s nine teams will be placed in a single group. They will play each other twice, home and away, with the top four finishers securing a World Cup spot. The fifth-placed team will advance to an intercontinental play-off.
The 2014 World Cup will be played from 12 June till 13 July, and the complete match schedule will be announced in October. The schedule was expected to be made public this week, but delays with Brazil’s stadium construction, which led to indecision on which of the 12 host cities will host the opener, have apparently forced organizers to delay the announcement.
Brazilian football federation president Ricardo Teixeira yesterday dismissed concerns over the country’s preparations, and said that all World Cup projects have been approved. He added that the 12 host cities have the financial guarantees needed to host the monthlong event due to begin in less than three years.
“The draw will present a unique opportunity to start showing the intense transformation taking place in Brazil,” Teixeira said. “The draw’s success will serve an example of what Brazil will offer to the world in the next few years.”
The preliminary draw will be preceded by festivities and attractions staged by local artists, including singer Ivete Sangalo. More than 35 coaches and representatives from 104 national teams are expected to attend. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Pele and Michel Platini are also expected at the event, which will be held at the Marina da Gloria harbour in Rio.
Today’s draw will take place amid protests from some Brazilians who have criticized the World Cup. Rights groups say construction work for the football competition and the 2016 Rio Olympics have come at a cost to some local residents who will benefit very little from the events. Most complaints come from those who are being evicted from their homes so infrastructure projects can be put in place.
Representatives of poor communities are planning a march to promote the “People’s Cup” today, with the protest taking place near the draw venue.
The total of 203 teams vying for a World Cup spot surpasses the 200 that participated four years ago. The only associations not to have signed up to compete this time around are Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Guam and Mauritania.
Seven nations have qualified for each of the last six World Cups — Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Spain and the United States. Germany have been the most successful team in World Cup qualifiers so far, with only two defeats in 74 matches.