Spain gets tough group draw at World Cup

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- World No. 1 Spain drew Switzerland for its first match in the 2010 World Cup in the draw conducted Friday in South Africa.

Spain also has Honduras and Chile in Group H, which, going strictly on the current FIFA world rankings, is the toughest group of the tournament.

No. 2-ranked Brazil, a traditional World Cup favorite, also pulled a tough draw with No. 5 Portugal, No. 16 Ivory Coast and North Korea, ranked 84th but really an unknown factor, also in Group G.

Defending champion Italy appears to have gotten a favorable draw, with none of the other three teams in Group F ranked higher than 30th.

England goes against the United States in its first game.

Group A with host South Africa playing Mexico in Johannesburg and France going against Uruguay in Cape Town will open the monthlong tournament on June 11.

The groups in draw order:

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France

Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, Greece

Group C: England, United States, Algeria, Slovenia

Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana

Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon

Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia

Group G: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal

Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile