**Stage set for 2006 World Cup draw **](BBC SPORT | Football | World Cup 2006 | England face another Sweden test)
The 32 participants of the World Cup finals will find out who they will face in the group stage when Friday’s draw takes place from 1930 GMT in Leipzig.
England are the second seeds behind Brazil, while Argentina, France, Italy, Mexico, Spain and Germany are the other top-ranked teams and make up pot one.
They could face unseeded big names Czech Republic, Portugal and Holland.
And France defender William Gallas admitted to French paper L’Equipe: “I would like to avoid the Netherlands.”
However, Gallas’ team-mate Anthony Reveillere is of the view that “we’ll have to knock out some of these countries to go all the way. So the sooner, the better”.
And Arsenal’s Thierry Henry concurs. He told France Football magazine: "You can’t start saying one team is stronger than another.
“You’ve got to be prepared to tackle anyone if you want to win the World Cup.”
Young Argentine striker Lionel Messi is another player who appears to have no fear. He declared: "I’d like to play England, Brazil, the Netherlands or Portugal.
“I think those teams, plus Germany, will be the ones still in towards the end.”
France coach Raymond Domenech believes all the games will be tough.
He reflected: “I know some best possible groupings that brought us back home very early.”
In 2002, France were drawn with Senegal, Uruguay and Denmark. They lost two games and drew the other without scoring.
Of those defeats, one was at the hands of Senegal, who have not qualified this time - but Africa remains strongly represented.
And England assistant coach Tord Grip confessed to being unfamiliar with teams from that continent.
He said: "We have strong files on almost every team in the hat. Perhaps only our files on some of the African teams could be improved.
“But we have the African Nations Cup coming up in January so we can use that to take a closer look at our opponents, once we know who they are.”
One team who will not be a surprise to anyone is holders Brazil - and German legend Franz Beckenbauer is expecting them to do well again.
“Brazil are the favourites for me,” said Beckenbauer, who is head of the World Cup organising committee.
"I watched them at the Confederations Cup and they were brilliant.
“If they perform like that at the World Cup they are going to be very hard to stop.”
Interestingly, compliments - of sorts - have been returned by Brazil coach Brazil chief Carlos Alberto Parreira, who feels Germany are trying to underplay their ability.
“Germany will be our toughest opponent,” Parreira told Stern magazine.
“You Germans moan too much and should stop!” said Parreira. “We do not believe you. Germany will be thereabouts next year.”
Meanwhile, German striker Gerald Asamoah hopes the draw does not pit him in the same group as Ghana - the county of his birth.
Asamoah, who was born in Mampong but emigrated to Germany in 1989, said: “I would rather meet them in the knock-out stage.”
Another side who may make an impact are 2002 hosts and semi-finalists South Korea, who looked impressive in the Confederations Cup in June, and the USA.
For the draw on Friday, around 3,700 people will be present in the auditorium at the huge trade fair hall in Leipzig’s Neue Messe exhibition centre.
The World Cup finals in Germany begin on 9 June 2006 and the final takes place in Berlin on 9 July.
POT ONE
Germany (hosts)
Brazil (holders)
Argentina
England
France
Italy
Mexico
Spain
POT TWO
Australia
Angola
Ghana
Ivory Coast
Togo
Tunisia
Ecuador
Paraguay
POT THREE
Croatia
Czech Republic
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Sweden
Switzerland
Ukraine
POT FOUR
Iran
Japan
Saudi Arabia
South Korea
Costa Rica
Trinidad & Tobago
US
Special pot:
Serbia & Montenegro
