World Cup 2014: Group-by-group previews A team-by-team look at each of the eight preliminary-round groups, including schedules. GROUP A Brazil FIFA world ranking: 10 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Five-time champion (1958, "62, "70, "94, 2002) How qualified: Host country Croatia FIFA world ranking: 16 Last World Cup: 2006 Best finish: Third place (1998) How qualified: Beat Iceland in UEFA playoff Cameroon FIFA world ranking: 51 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Quarterfinals (1990) How qualified: Beat Tunisia in CAF playoff Mexico FIFA world ranking: 20 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Quarterfinals (1970, "86) How qualified: Beat New Zealand in intercontinental playoff Schedule June 12: Brazil vs. Croatia at Sao Paulo. June 13: Mexico vs. Cameroon at Natal. June 17: Brazil vs. Mexico at Fortaleza. June 18: Cameroon vs. Croatia at Manaus. June 23: Cameroon vs. Brazil at Brasilia; Croatia vs. Mexico at Recife. GROUP B Spain FIFA world ranking: 1 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Champion, 2010 How qualified: UEFA Group I winner Netherlands FIFA world ranking: 9 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Three-time runner-up (1974, "78, 2010) How qualified: UEFA Group D winner Chile FIFA world ranking: 15 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Third place (1962) How qualified: CONMEBOL round robin, third place Australia FIFA world ranking: 59 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Round of 16 (2006) How qualified: AFC Group B runner-up Schedule June 13: Spain vs. the Netherlands at Salvador; Chile vs. Australia at Cuiaba. June 18: Spain vs. Chile at Rio de Janeiro; Australia vs. the Netherlands at Porto Alegre. June 23: Australia vs. Spain at Curitiba; the Netherlands vs. Chile at Sao Paulo. GROUP C Colombia FIFA world ranking: 4 Last World Cup: 1998 Best finish: Round of 16 (1990) How qualified: CONMEBOL round robin runner-up Greece FIFA world ranking: 12 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Group stage How qualified: Beat Romania in UEFA playoff Ivory Coast FIFA world ranking: 17 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Group stage How qualified: Beat Senegal in CAF playoff Japan FIFA world ranking: 48 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Round of 16 (2002, "10) How qualified: AFC Group B winner Schedule June 14: Colombia vs. Greece in Belo Horizonte; Ivory Coast vs. Japan at Recife June 19: Colombia vs. Ivory Coast at Brasilia; Japan vs. Greece in Natal June 24: Japan vs. Colombia at Cuiaba; Greece vs. Ivory Coast at Fortaleza GROUP D Uruguay FIFA world ranking: 6 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Two-time champions (1930, 1950) How qualified: Beat Jordan in intercontinental playoff Costa Rica FIFA world ranking: 31 Last World Cup: 2006 Best finish: Round of 16 (1990) How qualified: CONCACAF runner-up England FIFA world ranking: 13 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Champion (1966) How qualified: UEFA Group H winner Italy FIFA world ranking: 7 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Four-time champion (1934, "38, "82, 2006) How qualified: UEFA Group B winner Schedule June 14: Uruguay vs. Costa Rica at Fortaleza; England vs. Italy at Manaus. June 19: Uruguay vs. England at Sao Paulo. June 20: Italy vs. Costa Rica at Recife. June 24: Italy vs. Uruguay at Natal; Costa Rica vs. England at Belo Horizonte GROUP E Switzerland FIFA world ranking: 8 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Quarterfinals (1934, "38, "54) How qualified: UEFA Group E winner Eduador FIFA world ranking: 23 Last World Cup: 2006 Best finish: Round of 16 (2006) How qualified: CONMEBOL round robin, fourth place France FIFA world ranking: 19 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Champion (1998) How qualified: Beat Ukraine in UEFA playoff Honduras FIFA world ranking: 41 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Group stage How qualified: CONCACAF, third place Schedule June 15: Switzerland vs. Ecuador at Brasilia; France vs. Honduras at Porto Alegre. June 20: Switzerland vs. France at Salvador; Honduras vs. Ecuador at Curitiba. June 25: Honduras vs. Switzerland at Manaus; Ecuador vs. France at Rio de Janeiro. GROUP F Argentina FIFA world ranking: 3 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Two-time champion (1978, "86) How qualified: CONMEBOL round-robin winner Bosnia-Herzegovina FIFA world ranking: 21 Last World Cup: First appearance Best finish: First appearance How qualified: UEFA Group G winner Iran FIFA world ranking: 45 Last World Cup: 2006 Best finish: Group stage How qualified: AFC Group A winner Nigeria FIFA world ranking: 36 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Round of 16 (1994, "98) How qualified: Beat Ethiopia in CAF playoff Schedule June 15: Argentina vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina at Rio de Janeiro; Iran vs. Nigeria at Curitiba. June 21: Argentina vs. Iran at Belo Horizonte; Nigeria vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina at Cuiaba. June 25: Nigeria vs. Argentina at Porto Alegre; Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Iran at Salvador. GROUP G Germany FIFA world ranking: 2 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Three-time champion (1954, "74, "90) How qualified: UEFA Group C winner Portugal FIFA world ranking: 5 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Third place (1966) How qualified: Beat Sweden in UEFA playoff Ghana FIFA world ranking: 24 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Quarterfinals (2010) How qualified: Beat Egypt in CAF playoff United States FIFA world ranking: 14 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Third place (1930) How qualified: CONCACAF winner Schedule June 16: Germany vs. Portugal in Salvador; Ghana vs. U.S. in Natal. June 21: Germany vs. Ghana in Fortaleza. June 22: U.S. vs. Portugal in Manaus. June 26: U.S. vs. Germany in Recife; Portugal vs. Ghana in Brasilia. GROUP H Belgium FIFA world ranking: 11 Last World Cup: 2002 Best finish: Fourth place (1986) How qualified: UEFA Group A winner Algeria FIFA world ranking: 26 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Group stage How qualified: Beat Burkina Faso in CAF playoff Russia FIFA world ranking: 22 Last World Cup: 2002 Best finish: Fourth place (1966) How qualified: UEFA Group F winner South Korea FIFA world ranking: 54 Last World Cup: 2010 Best finish: Fourth place (2002) How qualified: AFC Group A runner-up Schedule June 17: Belgium vs. Algeria at Belo Horizonte; Russia vs. South Korea in Cuiaba. June 22: Belgium vs. Russia at Rio de Janeiro; South Korea vs. Algeria in Porto Alegre. June 26: South Korea vs. Belgium at Sao Paulo; Algeria vs. Russia at Curitiba.