Five-time winners Brazil were stung by a tough draw for the 2010 World Cup yesterday, while co-favourites Spain were given an easy ride through to the second round.

Brazil have to face two of the teams from the top 16 of world football - Portugal and Ivory Coast - with an unknown quantity in North Korea as the fourth team.

European champions Spain, who have never won the World Cup, should easily make it through to the knockout phase, facing lower ranked Switzerland, Honduras and Chile and avoiding the tough teams in the 32-team draw.

After qualifying via the back door of the play-offs, thanks to Thierry Henry's handball against Ireland, France face hosts South Africa with Mexico and Uruguay in Group A and have an easy task to get to the second round.

South Africa will face Mexico in the opening game on June 11 at Soccer City, one of six new stadiums built for the tournament. Soccer City will also host the July 11 final.

surprises

England were drawn to face the United States, Algeria and Slovenia, who won play-offs to reach the competition, in Group C.

"We have to be careful with Algeria," said England's coach Fabio Capello. "I think it will be one of the surprises of the group."

Germany, who have won the title three times, face a tough group against Australia, Serbia and Ghana, while defending champion Italy, who are chasing their fifth World Cup triumph, should be confident of reaching the next stage after drawing New Zealand, Paraguay and Slovakia.

The Netherlands, which won all their qualifying games, face Japan, Cameroon and Denmark. The Dutch are twice runners-up in the competition and should prove strong enough to make it through to the second round.

Argentina, who only just made it after winning their final two qualifying games under Diego Maradona, must play Nigeria, South Korea and Greece, the Euro 2004 champion.

That is one of the tough groups and the pressure will be on Maradona, whose team struggled throughout the qualifying rounds, to get the best out of talented stars such as Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero.