Draw for the World Cup

Saturday around 11.00am, Belgium will know its 3 oppenents for the first round of the World Cup 2002 in Japan and South-Korea. The 32 countries that qualified for the World Cup are divided over 4 groups. The 8 most important teams are in group 1.


Belgium is in group 2. On the last World Cup, there were 8 countries in that same group, now 11 countries are. The 11 European states are in one group to prevent that more than 2 Europese countries are in one group.
Because of that, the 3rd group consists of only 5 countries. During the draw, 3 European states will be placed to the 3rd group. In the 4th we can find 8 countries.
Belgium plays against one team from group 1, 3 and 4.
Pot 1
Argentinia, Brazil, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Spain, South-Korea
Pot 2
Belgium, Denmark, England, Ireland, Croatia, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, Slovenia, Poland
Pot 3
China, Ecuador, Paraguay, Saudi-Arabia, Uruguay
Pot 4
Costa Rica, Kameroon, Mexico, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunesia, USA, South-Africa