Good afternoon and welcome along. The countdown to next year’s World Cup finals in Brazil is well underway and with just 188 days to go until a festival of football kicks off, it is time for the draw for the groups to takes place.

We’re about 20 minutes away from proceedings getting underway so we’ll bring you a some build-up before the main event.

First thing’s first.  Here is the pots and how the draw will work:

Pot 1 (8 seeded teams): Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Switzerland

Pot 2 (7 teams): Algeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Chile, Ecuador

Pot 3 (8 teams): Australia, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, United States

Pot 4 (9 teams): Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, England, France, Greece, Holland, Italy, Portugal, Russia

Format

So, the draw will produce eight groups of four teams (A to H) for the first round group phase. Each group will consist of one team from each pot.

To draw a team from Pot 4 (the only one with nine teams) and place that nation in Pot 2 to ensure each pot has eight teams each.

The teams in Pot 1 will be placed automatically in position 1 for the groups in which they are drawn. According to FIFA, Brazil will automatically be placed in position 1 in Group A. The position of the other teams in the groups be classified 2, 3, 4 according to the draw.

Step 2

Pot 2 will feature teams from three confederations (Africa, South America and Europe). FIFA wants to separate as far as possible teams from the same continent, though with 13 European sides that will not be entirely possible.

FIFA have therefore warned that during the draw, it could occur that a group will be skipped in order for example of having Chile or Ecuador from Pot 2 drawn in the same group as a seeded South American team from Pot 1.

To avoid a group with three European teams, the UEFA representative randomly drawn into Pot 2 cannot be placed in the group including the four seeded European teams from Pot 1.

At the beginning of the draw, there will be a Pot X with the four South American seeded teams. One of these teams will be drawn into the group in which the European nation from Pot 2 will enter.

This European team will join this group and the other teams from Pot 2 will complete Groups A to H. At the conclusion there will be five groups out of the eight which will include two European teams.

Got all that?

Here’s where the draw is being held. Not too shabby at all, Sepp.

See more pics here

Let’s hope all goes according to plan without any hiccups this afternoon. That said, there are few things better than seeing FIFA president Sepp Blatter take a tumble…

YouTube credit: sarah smith

And we’re off. The event opens with a tribute to Nelson Mandela, who passed away last night at the age of 95.

And here are your hosts – Fernanda Lima et Rodrigo Hilbert. That’s Fernanda below…

Now we’ve got a Brazilian MC by the name of Emicada rapping alongside a female singer named Alcione. We could be here for awhile before we see any balls being picked.

Here comes Sepp Blatter with the Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff. Before we get going, those present take part in a moment’s silence for Nelson Mandela before Blatter asks for everyone to applaud.

Credit: Adam Davy/PA Wire/Press Association Images

Via The Guardian football writer and Football Weekly regular Fernando Duarte.

Blatter says that it will be “the greatest World Cups of all time” and invites people to enjoy it.

Pele, Ronaldo and Big Phil Scolari all mentioned by President Rousseff before a clip which looks back at the history of the World Cup begins.

Spain manager Vincente Del Bosque is now on stage with the World Cup trophy in-hand. He won’t be planning to give that back for very long and he says they will be doing the best to retain it next summer.

A little more music and they promise to get down to business.

Good times…

All 32 teams are now being introduced starting with the six South American sides, then the five Africans, 13 from Europe, four North and Central American outfits and four from Asia.

Next onto the stage is the original/fat/Brazilian Ronaldo. First question: “Are you spending more time organising the World Cup now than you did as a player?” Bit cheeky.

Former Brazilian striker Bebeto is now being introduced. Who remembers his most famous World Cup moment?

YouTube credit: soccergoals2010

Want to feel old? The baby that he was celebrating back in ’94 is now a 19-year-old attacking midfielder plying his trade at Flamengo!

Check out the World Cup 2014 mascot Fuleco dancing. He’s an armadillo, we’re told.

Credit: Bleacher Report UK

Relief! The draw finally looks like it’s about to start. World Cup legends Geoff Hurst, Mario Kempes, Fabio Cannavaro, Lothar Mattheus, Zinedine Zidane, Fernando Hierro and Cafu are all here to help out.

We begin by drawing one ball from Pot 4 into Pot 2 to even the pots up.

As hosts Brazil are A1. Next up, holders Spain are B1.

Colombia take C1, Uruguay are down as D1, Switzerland are drawn in Group E, Argentina take F1, Group G goes to Germany and finally Belgium are H1. That’s all the top seeds from Pot 1.

Italy have just been drawn in Group D with Uruguay.

Overheard in TheScore.ie Towers: “I haven’t a breeze what is happening.”

Chile go into Group B with Spain while Cameroon are drawn in Group A with hosts Brazil.

Group E is now Switzerland and Ecuador.

Colombia are accompanied by the Ivory Coast in Group C.

Reigning African champions Nigeria go in to Group F with Argentina.

Algeria are in Group H with Belgium.

Mexico in with Brazil and Cameroon. That’s three out of four for Group A.

Tough draw for Australia. They’re in Group B with Spain and Chile.

Group C gets Japan.

Costa Rica will meet Uruguay and Italy in Group D and Honduras take the third spot in Group E. Looks the handiest of the lot so far.

Alongside Argentina and Nigeria is Iran.

Germany, Ghana and the United States in Group G.

And finally the Korean Republic are in Group H. Here’s how we are looking:

Group A – Brazil, Cameroon, Mexico
Group B – Spain, Chile, Australia
Group C – Colombia, Ivory Coast, Japan
Group D – Uruguay, Italy, Costa Rica
Group E – Switzerland, Ecuador, Honduras
Group F – Argentina, Nigeria, Iran
Group G - Germany, Ghana, USA
Group H – Belgium, Algeria, South Korea

BRAZIL V CROATIA WILL BE THE OPENING GAME OF WORLD CUP 2014. They are the final team in Group A.

Oooh! The Netherlands are in Group B with Spain, Chile and Australia. Tasty.

Group C is complete with Greece, who join Colombia, Ivory Coast, Japan.

*Drum roll* England are next out of the pot. They will face Uruguay, Italy and Costa Rica.

France make up Group E with Switzerland, Ecuador and Honduras.

First-timers Bosnia Herzegovina go in to Group F with Argentina, Nigeria and Iran.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal have a difficult task in Group G with Germany, Ghana and USA.

Finally, Russia are the last team out. The groups are as follows:

Group A - Brazil, Cameroon, Mexico, Croatia
Group B – Spain, Chile, Australia, The Netherlands
Group C – Colombia, Ivory Coast, Japan, Greece
Group D – Uruguay, Italy, Costa Rica, England
Group E – Switzerland, Ecuador, Honduras, France
Group F – Argentina, Nigeria, Iran, Bosnia Herzegovina
Group G – Germany, Ghana, USA, Portugal
Group H – Belgium, Algeria, South Korea, Russia

I don’t know about you but the the finals can’t come soon enough for me. That’s my lot for now but we’ll have plenty of reaction on the site later this evening. All the best!