Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon

Image source, Reuters

Lineker said: "Brazil will dominate, but who will go through with them? It will go down to the last match between Croatia and Mexico, but I'm backing Croatia."

Read Gary Lineker's World Cup group guide here.

Arthur:, external I fancy Brazil to get knocked out in the group stages, with a Russia - England final.

Ernest Kwei:, external Germany and Ghana from Group G

LDewsnap:, external England to win group beating Uruguay 3-1 and Costa Rica 4-0, drawing with Italy 1-1

Continue to give us your views on who you think will qualify from the World Cup groups via #bbcworldcup, text 81111 or on the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Don't forget, you can still attempt to select your own all-time XI via the BBC website.

On Monday 9 June a BBC Radio 5 live panel of commentators Darren Fletcher and John Motson, former England full-back Jimmy Armfield, French football journalist Julien Laurens and the BBC's South American football correspondent Tim Vickery picked their own all-time XI.

They selected Dino Zoff; Cafu, Bobby Moore, Franz Beckenbauer, Paolo Maldini; Garrincha, Zico, Lothar Matthaus, Zinedine Zidane; Pele, Diego Maradona.

Think you can do better? It is not as easy as it sounds though.

Media in Iran have reported, external that a "foreign" beer making company has been supplying bottles featuring flags of countries participating in the World Cup.

The Iranian flag, the emblem of which represents the name Allah, has also featured on some of beer bottles. The move has raised eyebrows as alcoholic drinks are banned in Iran since Islam prohibits its consumption.

Image source, BBC Africa

Anyone for a vuvuzela? Shops in Brazil are selling the loud South African horns that made such a noise in 2010 at a reduced cost - maybe because they have been banned from the stadiums. Still, a good instrument to buy if you fancy annoying your travelling companions.

BBC Sport has been counting down 100 of the greatest World Cup moments, with the 2014 tournament in Brazil kicking off tomorrow.

The final moment looks back to the end of the 1970 World Cup final, when Brazil's captain Carlos Alberto finishes off a wonderful team move against Italy to complete a 4-1 win in the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.

It was the third time in four tournaments Brazil had triumphed and they were allowed to keep the Jules Rimet trophy forever.

Watch the video here.

Germany captain Philipp Lahm and winger Thomas Mueller take time out to sign new deals that add two years to their existing contracts at Bayern Munich.

Bayern skipper Lahm, who can play either at full-back or as a holding midfielder, extended his deal with the German champions until 2018, while the 24-year-old Mueller's agreement now runs until 2019.

"Both Philipp Lahm and Thomas Mueller are very important elements of Bayern Munich," Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said in a statement on the club's website., external

Ben Smith
BBC Sport

A brief stroll along the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana today has been more than enough to suggest to me that the world is beginning to descend on Brazil. On one acre of sand, a group of England fans were being interviewed by Brazilian TV, there were fans in Argentina shirts, Dutch fans and plenty more from Colombia.

All while the locals played futvolei and other beach games under an overcast sky. Brazilians are cashing in with yellow and green stalls dotted along the main beach areas hawking all manner of souvenirs. But beyond the surface excitement there isn't a great deal of evidence that this is a country ready to erupt with World Cup fever.

Ben hasn't got up in the middle of the night by the way - this was sent by him while we were all asleep in England.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter isn't having a great time ahead of the big kick-off. He has been urged to quit next year because of the damage that corruption allegations have inflicted on football's governing body.

Michael van Praag, boss of the Dutch Football Association, told Blatter he should not seek re-election in 2015.

"Few people still take Fifa seriously and, however you look at it, Blatter is mainly responsible," said Van Praag.

Image source, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

England and Arsenal midfielder Alex Ox-Chamberlain on Twitter, external from yesterday: Another good days rehab and running.... Chilling, icing my knee afterwards having everyday jokes with @D_Sturridge.

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez does not know when forward Luis Suarez, working hard on his fitness after knee cartilage surgery, will be ready to play again.

"He's responding very well and his spirits couldn't be better. He's working full out on his physical fitness," Tabarez said after Uruguay's first practice at their training base near Belo Horizonte.

"As we have no set deadlines, I don't know if we'll have him for the first match, for the second, for the third. If it were up to me, Suarez would play tomorrow."

Uruguay kick off their World Cup Group D campaign against Costa Rica followed by matches against England and Italy.

So Gary Lineker has predicted who he thinks will qualify from all the groups. Now it is your turn.

Let us know your group predictions. Focus on any group you want, or more than one, and let us know the teams you expect to progress into the second round.

Tweet #bbcworldcup,, external text 81111 (UK users only) or post on BBC Sport Facebook.

Thirty-two teams, 64 games, 31 days and one prize - the World Cup is here.

The tournament gets under way in Sao Paulo on Thursday with hosts Brazil facing Croatia, while England get their campaign up and running against Italy on Saturday.

Only one side can lift the trophy in Rio on Sunday 13 July, but who are the teams to watch?

Match of the Day presenter and former England captain Gary Lineker - who will be doing a video blog during the tournament for the BBC Sport website - guides you through the eight groups here.

Brazil legend Pele is concerned striker Neymar is under too much pressure to inspire the hosts to World Cup glory.

Neymar, 22, has not played in a World Cup but has scored seven goals in Brazil's run of nine successive wins.

"Neymar is young," Pele told Gary Lineker in a BBC Match of the Day interview. "It is a heavy pressure for him to get all the responsibility."

Image source, Reuters

Some great news for Portugal but perhaps not as good for the rest of the world as Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo makes an impressive return from injury.

The Real Madrid forward, 29, had missed Portugal's previous two friendlies with knee and thigh problems, but played for 66 minutes in his side's 5-1 win over Republic of Ireland on Tuesday night.

Coach Paulo Bento said: "It was important that he played and we would not hide it. It's good he is back."

Portugal open their Group G campaign against Germany on Monday.

You can follow the World Cup with the BBC across television, radio and online.

There will be 31 matches shown live on BBC television and online, starting with Spain v Netherlands on Friday.

There will be live text commentary on all 64 matches throughout the tournament, available on the BBC Sport website and app for mobile, tablet and BBC Sport Connected TV App.

BBC Radio 5 live will also be providing 24 days of live coverage and 61 live match commentaries from football's showpiece tournament.

You can also keep up to date with results and fixtures, along with the relevant coverage details, by visiting the BBC Sport website's wall chart style tournament tracker.

The news overnight from Brazil isn't great for England with reports that Manchester United forward Danny Welbeck has suffered a thigh injury in training, ahead of Saturday's World Cup opener against Italy.

Should Welbeck not make it, you would have to think the chances of a start for Liverpool's Raheem Sterling grow, so - judging by public reaction during the last few days - perhaps not everyone will be that disappointed.

Good morning and welcome to Sportsday with just one day until the World Cup in Brazil begins.

If you are a football fan, you are in for a treat with 64 matches to look forward to.

For those who don't like the beautiful game... well, at least you've got Big Brother.

Image source, Getty Images

It has been seven years in the making.

From the moment Fifa president Sepp Blatter announced the 2014 World Cup would be staged in Brazil for the first time since 1950, the footballing community started looking forward.

Stadiums have been built, nations dreams built up and supporters have been saving for the trip of a lifetime.

Now, as 1980s Swedish band Europe would sing, it's the final countdown.