When is the Fifa World Cup in Brazil? Plus info on tickets and draw
When is the Fifa World Cup in Brazil? Plus info on tickets and draw
Some fans are already planning their trips to the World Cup in Brazil next year, but when exactly does the tournament start?
Up for the cup: Brazil are set for next summer's World Cup
REUTERS
Qualification for the World Cup has almost finished, with a number of countries having booked their place at next year's tournament.
World
champions Spain have qualified, and are among the favourites to win the
tournament, as well as host country Brazil and their South American rivals Argentina.
When is the Fifa World Cup in Brazil?
The first fixtures will take place on June 12, though we won't know who is playing until the draw takes place.
When is the draw?
You
don't have to wait too long to find out who your country will face in
the group stages. The draw will take place in Costa do Sauipe in the
Brazilian state of Bahia on December 6.
The 32-team draw will
determine what teams line-up against each other, and will ultimately
tell fans where their teams will be playing and on what dates their team
will play.
Main contenders
Reigning
world champions Spain are likely to enter the tournament as favourites,
and a resurgent Germany will be another European candidate.
Hosts Brazil can also never be overlooked and with the competition held in their backyard, the Selecao will have added incentive and even more pressure to deliver the trophy back to where many Brazilians feel is the rightful home.
Meanwhile,
Brazil's bitter rivals Argentina cruised through qualifying, topping
the group as coach Alejandro Sabella has been working on the best way to
get Lionel Messi to replicate his club form on the international stage.
Tickets
Some 6,164,682 ticket requests have been made for the 2014 FIFA World Cup from 203 countries. Tickets are available via Fifa.com
The stars
The
World Cup is nothing withouts its leading men, and there are plenty of
international superstars already booked on a flight to Brazil next
summer. Manchester United's Robin van Persie will be there with his
compatriots Arjen Robben and Rafael van der Vaart.
Germany will
have their dazzling array of talented youngsters on display with the
likes of Mesut Ozil, Mario Gotze and Toni Kroos all likely to be named
in the squad.
The hosts of course are never short of an exciting
player or three, and players such as Hulk and Oscar can probably count
themselves as a 'given' alongside the current darling of Brazil;
Barcelona star Neymar.
Argentina will have Lionel Messi in their ranks, and the four-time Ballon d'Or winner
is likely to be joined alongside Carlos Tevez, Gonzalo Higuain and
Sergio Aguero - how they would love to win the World Cup in their
fierce-rivals home.
Stuart Franklin - FIFA
Schedule and the final
The
draw for the World Cup has not yet been made but the culmination of the
month-long tournament ends at the Maracana Stadium, in Rio de Janeiro
on July 13.
Will protests affect the tournament?
During
the Confederations Cup last summer, the competition was marred somewhat
by a consistent group of protesters who staunchly opposed the amount of
money the country had spent on hosting the World Cup. Demonstrators clash with riot policemen
Getty
However, the competition continued, so there should be no
reason to suggest it will harm the world's biggest football tournament
too much.
"There is no plan B and I haven't had any offers from
other countries to host the World Cup next year," FIFA general secretary
Jerome Valcke told reporters.
Where to watch?
If
you aren't one of the lucky ones who are able to make it to Brazil,
then terrestrial television holds the key. Despite the dominance of Sky
Sports and more recently BT Sport to Premier League and Football League
rights, the World Cup will be free to view for all.
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