Defending champions Spain will play their opening 2014 World Cup game against the Netherlands, a repeat of the ill-tempered 2010 final, while host Brazil face a relatively easy path to the knockout stage after Friday's draw.
Argentina, champion in 1978 and 1986, first play Bosnia-Herzegovina, the only World Cup newcomer among the 32 teams. After that game at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, the Argentine team of four-time world player of the year Lionel Messi then plays Iran and finally Nigeria. In six previous World Cup encounters, Nigeria have beaten Argentina just once.
Argentina will be heavily favoured to come out top of their Group F. If so, they could find either Switzerland or France in their way in their first knockout game. Those European nations will be hoping to come out on top of their Group E that also include Ecuador and Honduras.
2014 football World Cup draw: Defending champions Spain get repeat of 2010 final
Defending champions Spain will play their opening World Cup game against the Netherlands, a repeat of the ill-tempered 2010 final.
The Spain-Netherlands match is on June 13, a Friday. When they met at the 2010 final, referee Howard Webb showed a record 14 yellow cards - two leading to red for the Netherlands' John Heitinga.
England's first match will be in the heat and humidity of the Amazon basin, which coach Roy Hodgson was anxious to avoid. That night game in the Amazon city of Manaus pits the 1966 champion against Italy, a four-time winner.
Both will have to play their best to advance from Group D, since it also includes 2010 semifinalist Uruguay and Costa Rica.
"It's a tough group, there's no doubt about that. In Italy and Uruguay it's almost as though we have got two number one seeds in our group. We know how good Italy are because we lost to them in the quarter-finals at the Euros. The game is going to be tough from a climate point of view for both teams," said Hodgson.
England could also face hostility from the home crowd after the city's mayor said he did not want the English in Manaus because they complained about the venue's climate.
The United States were drawn into a tough group with Germany, the winner in 1954, 1974 and 1990, as well as Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal and Ghana, a quarter-finalist in 2010. The US is coached by former Germany striker Jurgen Klinsmann.
Brazil start their campaign for a sixth World Cup title with an opener against Croatia. Mexico and Cameroon are also in the group.
Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan are in Group C, with Uruguay, Costa Rica, England and Italy in a strong Group D.
One of the easiest groups on paper looked to be E, with Switzerland, Ecuador, France and Honduras.
Russia, host of the next World Cup, is in Group H with Belgium, Algeria and Korea.
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