The FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 moved ever closer on Saturday, as the Final Draw in Ottawa gave a clearer picture of what the prestigious tournament will look like next summer. The 24 qualified teams discovered which nations they will face in the group stage, while their fans, who will travel from all over the globe to support their heroines, now know which stadiums in Canada they will need to attend.

During an hour-long ceremony at the Canadian Museum of History, punctuated by wonderful vocal, musical and cultural performances showcasing the host nation, FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke, and Tatjana Haenni, FIFA Deputy Director of the Competitions Division and Head of Women’s Football, determined the fate of competing countries.

The only thing that was certain prior to the decisive event was that Canada would be the seeded team in Group A and would play its first two matches in Edmonton. The hosts now know that they will lock horns with China PR in the opening match on 6 June, before taking on New Zealand and the Netherlands.

Reigning champions Japan were placed in Group C and will kick off their World Cup campaign in Vancouver, as will section rivals Switzerland, Cameroon and Ecuador.United States and Germany, who have both previously lifted the trophy twice, will be regarded as favourites to win Groups D and B respectively, although the Americans will likely be wary of the threat posed by dark horses Sweden and Nigeria. France, serious challengers for the title, will first need to negotiate duels with England, Colombia andMexico in a group that will be principally based in Moncton.

Of all the pools drawn on Saturday, the hardest one to predict appears to be Group D, and the most highly-anticipated clash of the first round is likely to be USA-Sweden.

Groups:

Group A
Canada
China PR
New Zealand
Netherlands

Group B
Germany
Côte d'Ivoire
Norway
Thailand 

Group C 
Japan
Switzerland
Cameroon
Ecuador

Group D 
United States
Australia
Sweden
Nigeria

Group E
Brazil
Korea Republic
Spain
Costa Rica

Group F
France
England
Colombia
Mexico

The 52 scheduled matches at Canada 2015 will be held between 6 June and 5 July in six host cities, namely Ottawa, Moncton, Montreal, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver.