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Friday, 6 December 2013 - 18:15
Oranje draws Spain in World Cup Rematch
The Netherlands' first match in the 2014 FIFA World Cup will be against Spain, a rematch of the 2010 Cup final that Spain won handily. Oranje will see stiff competition in Group B of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, with matches against Chile and Australia. Although Oranje was a finalist in the 2010 World Cup, the men's national football team has a lot to prove this year after being knocked out early in the 2012 European Championship.
[Update: Full list of World Cup Groups added below]
English football legend Geoff Hurst drew the Netherlands' lottery ball second from Pot Four, drawing a gasp from the crowd as the audience realized who the Dutch would play against. Roughly 3,300 people were expected to attend the draw at the Costa do Sauipe resort in Bahia, Brazil, of which 2,000 are journalists. FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke led the ceremony, with former football stars Cafu, Fabio Cannavaro, Fernando Hierro, Mario Kempes, Lothar Matthaus and Zinedine Zidane.
Earlier this week, Oranje legend Clarence Seedorf introduced the football to be used during the tournament. Nicknamed "Brazuca," the ball was tested over two-and-a-half years by some of the biggest names in the sport, including Lionel Messi and Iker Casillas.