The dust is settling following the 2022 World Cup draw, which has provided a number of subplots and talking points aplenty to discuss between now and the opening set of games on November 21.
France, placed in a group that contains Denmark, Tunisia and one of Peru or Australia, will look to avoid becoming the fifth defending champions in the past six tournaments to exit at the first hurdle.
Spain and Germany, the winners of two of the past three World Cups, face off in arguably the pick of the group games in what will be their fifth meeting in the competition and the first since La Roja's 2010 semi-final triumph.
There are some good omens for England, who are in action on the opening day of the tournament – the last time that was the case they went on to lift the trophy on home soil in 1966.
As the debate rumbles on as to which is the most interesting group this time around, and supporters of participating nations plot out their route to the latter stages, Stats Perform picks out a key stat for each team.
GROUP A – Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands
Qatar are competing in their first World Cup and will aim to avoid becoming only the second host nation to be knocked out in the first round after South Africa in 2010.
They will begin their campaign against Ecuador, who have not faced a nation from outside of the UEFA or CONCACAF regions in their previous 10 World Cup matches.
Senegal are participating in the event for a third time and are the third African Cup of Nations title holders to qualify this century after Cameroon in 2002 and Nigeria in 2014.
However, the heavyweights of the group are the Netherlands, who have won 11 of their last 14 World Cup matches when not factoring in penalty shoot-outs. Three times Oranje have reached the final; three times they have been beaten. They failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, of course.
GROUP B – England, Iran, United States, Scotland/Wales/Ukraine
England have progressed past the quarter-finals just once since 1966, although the most recent occasion came four years ago when losing in the semi-finals.
First up for England are Iran, who have scored nine goals in 15 World Cup matches – that goals-per-game average of 0.6 the lowest of any side to have played at least 10 times.
Back involved after missing Russia 2018, the United States will be looking to reach the knockout stages for a fourth time in their past five participations in a World Cup.
Should Wales reach the finals, the gap of 64 years between their only two finals appearances will set a record.
Scotland, who meet Ukraine in a play-off for the right to face Wales, have made more World Cup appearances (eight) without making it past the first round than any other nation.
GROUP C – Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
One of three South American teams to have lifted the trophy, Argentina have made it past the first round in 12 of their past 13 appearances, the only exception being in 2002.
It would be an understatement to say that Saudi Arabia have had less success in the finals, having won only three of their previous 16 World Cup matches – albeit one of those coming against Egypt in the 2018 edition.
Mexico have reached every World Cup since missing out in 1990 and tend to do well in the group stage, having advanced to the last 16 in each of their last eight appearances.
Whereas Mexico have won five of their past six opening games, first opponents Poland have won just one of their previous eight curtain-raising fixtures and have lost the last three.
GROUP D – France, Peru/Australia/UAE, Denmark, Tunisia
France are out to become the third team, after Italy (in 1938) and Brazil (in 1962) to retain the trophy. However, the last three defending champions have fallen in the group stage.
Denmark boasted the best defensive record of any side in European qualifying and have made it out of the group stage in four of their five World Cup appearances.
That is in contrast to Tunisia, who have not made the knockout rounds in six previous attempts. The Eagles of Carthage have also not beaten a European side in 10 World Cup games (D3 L7).
Tunisia have lost 60 per cent of their World Cup games, the third-highest by a team to have played 15+ games behind Saudi Arabia (69 per cent) and possible Group D opponents Australia (63 per cent).
GROUP E – Spain, Costa Rica/New Zealand, Germany, Japan
Spain won the World Cup in 2010, but that is the only occasion they have reached the semi-finals in their last 13 participations. However, they have won the group in four of their last five appearances.
Germany, champions in 2014, were the first side to reach Qatar 2022 aside from the hosts, and have made it to the semi-finals in four of the five World Cups this century – the best record of any side.
After reaching the last 16 in 2018, competition regulars Japan will aim to book a place in the knockouts in back-to-back editions for the first time.
Completing arguably the toughest group is either Costa Rica or New Zealand, who meet in a play-off in June. Costa Rica have appeared at five previous World Cups, while the All Whites have made it to the finals twice before.
GROUP F – Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
Belgium have qualified for more World Cups without winning it than any other European team, with this their 14th appearance. With much of their 'golden generation' either 30 or close to it, however, this is realistically the final chance for that batch of players to cement their names in the history books, after a third-place finish in 2018.
Roberto Martinez's team might meet Spain or Germany in the last 16 but should have little trouble in getting out of their group.
Canada are competing in the global showpiece for the first time since 1986, when they lost all three matches and failed to score.
Morocco have won just one of their last 10 World Cup games, with that coming against Scotland in 1998, while their last knockout-round appearance was in 1986.
Beaten finalists in 2018, Croatia have had a mixed time of things in the finals, having been eliminated in the group stage (three times) or reached the semis (twice) in their past five appearances.
GROUP G – Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Brazil are the competition's most successful side with five trophies and are unbeaten in their last 15 World Cup group games, winning 12 of those. Their last such defeat was against Norway in 1998.
The next side with a chance to end that long run are Serbia, who have lost seven of their last nine World Cup matches, which is the most of any European nation since 2006. They also met Brazil in the 2018 group stage.
Another team to have been drawn with Brazil and, indeed, Serbia in Russia was Switzerland. History has repeated itself this time around. The Swiss finished above Italy in qualifying to make it to their fifth successive finals. Including the European Championships, they have reached the knockout stages in their last four major tournaments, a record only Belgium and France can match.
Cameroon make up Group G. They have played more matches at the World Cup than any other African nation (23), but they have lost the last seven of those – only Mexico (nine) have ever lost more in a row.
GROUP H – Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea
Heavyweights they may be, but Portugal have won only three of their last 14 World Cup matches, each of those in the group stage. Their last knockout-round win was in the last 16 against the Netherlands in 2006.
All being well, Cristiano Ronaldo will be featuring in a record-equalling fifth World Cup. It will almost certainly be his last, though.
Ghana's quarter-final appearance in 2010 remains the joint-best finish for an African side, alongside Senegal in 2002 and Cameroon in 1990, and they have scored in their last five World Cup games.
Uruguay controversially eliminated Ghana in the quarter-finals 12 years ago but the Black Stars have a chance for revenge here in the final round of fixtures.
First up for Uruguay, meanwhile, are South Korea, but the South American side have won their opening match at just one of their last seven World Cups.
That is good news for Son Heung-min and Co. as South Korea look to win successive finals matches for just the second time ever, having knocked out Germany four years ago.
Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet heaped praise on the professionalism and locked-in nature of his squad, while Scottie Barnes looked forward to Kyle Lowry's return to Toronto this weekend after a 102-89 win against the Orlando Magic.
With the win, the Raptors moved to 11-2 from their past 13 fixtures, including wins over championship contenders such as the Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics.
All five Raptors starters finished with at least 14 points, as VanVleet and rookie Scottie Barnes led the way with 19 points each.
VanVleet also added five steals and two blocks to his stat-line, while Barnes collected eight rebounds and dished out seven assists, with no turnovers.
Speaking to post-game media, VanVleet highlighted the value of chemistry as the core of himself, Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby remain from the Raptors' 2019 championship.
"The biggest thing chemistry does is extend your winning streaks, and helps you get out of funks," he said.
"When you have problems and you can address them, and you can communicate better, there's less BS going on, less hidden agendas.
"Everybody has hidden agendas – everybody has personal goals – but when you have good chemistry you can kind of all be on the same page.
"It's not easy all the time, everyone wants to be great in their own right, but I think we've all agreed on putting winning as the biggest picture and the number-one goal, and everything else falls under that."
A main factor of the Raptors' recent hot run has been their professionalism, with VanVleet highlighting how important it is to have a group of guys all locked in on their assignments.
"Over the last couple weeks we've been really locked into the game plans, and our attention to detail has been great," he said.
"That's one thing you look for, especially with a young team, how you can convert from walkthroughs and shoot-arounds and practices to the game.
"No plan is perfect – sometimes they're good, sometimes they're bad, but as long as we're all on the same page we give ourselves a chance, and we stick together. That's something that can go a long way."
Speaking on the court immediately after the win, star rookie Scottie Barnes looked forward to Kyle Lowry's return to Toronto on Sunday night.
"I already know it's going to be a packed house, for sure," he said.
"It's his first game back, and he did so much for the organization. He might be the best Toronto Raptor ever.
"It's going to be a memorable night for him, so we have to come ready to play."
When asked about his own personal hot-streak, which has seen Barnes become the bookmakers' second-favorite for Rookie of the Year behind Evan Mobley, he was optimistic about the best being yet to come.
"I'm just getting started really – our team is doing really good, we're ready to go to the playoffs," he said.
"I'm a winner – I've always been a winner."
If the season ended today, the Los Angeles Lakers would not even make the play-in tournament after a painful 114-111 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
The loss moves the Lakers' record to 31-46, and 4-16 in their past 20 games.
The Lakers built this game up as a must-win, re-inserting Anthony Davis to the line-up from a lengthy absence and LeBron James from an ankle sprain, but ultimately could not get stops down the stretch.
James was terrific, scoring 38 points on 13-23 shooting, while Davis was also strong, scoring 23 points (eight-of-17 shooting) to go with 12 rebounds and six assists. During Davis' 37 minutes on the floor, the Lakers were plus four.
But the Pelicans duo of C.J. McCollum and Brandon Ingram would not be denied, as McCollum led the way with 32 points (12-of-23 shooting), while Ingram chipped in with an efficient 29 on 10-of-17 shooting to go with eight rebounds and seven assists.
The Lakers' five remaining games are at home against the Denver Nuggets, away at the Phoenix Suns, away at the Golden State Warriors, at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and away against the Nuggets.
The San Antonio Spurs currently lead the race for the 10 seed by one game.
Fill-in Grizzlies fill it up
Another game without Ja Morant, and another win for the Memphis Grizzlies as they got the better of the full-strength Phoenix Suns 122-114.
As well as Morant, Memphis was without center Steven Adams, Defensive Player of the Year candidate Jaren Jackson Jr and emerging shooting guard Desmond Bane, but in front of their home fans the replacement Grizzlies were up to the task.
Dillon Brooks top-scored for the Grizzlies with 30 points (11-of-28 shooting) and seven assists, while Devin Booker had 41 points on 17-of-28 shooting for the Suns.
Memphis are now 20-2 in games Morant has missed.
Celtics win a shoot-out, Covington goes bananas
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both surpassed 30 points in the Boston Celtics' 128-123 win against the Indiana Pacers.
Tatum finished with 31 on 10-of-24 shooting, while Brown had 32 on 12-of-18, but the Celtics had to withstand a sharpshooting display from Tyrese Haliburton, who had 30 points on 10-of-11 shooting, including six-of-six from long range.
Meanwhile, Robert Covington played the game of his life as his Los Angeles Clippers beat an undermanned Milwaukee Bucks side 153-119.
Covington finished with 43 points, going 11-of-18 from three-point range, setting a new franchise record for threes made in a game, beating J.J. Redick and Caron Butler's previous joint-record of nine.
If the season ended today, the Los Angeles Lakers would not even make the play-in tournament after a painful 114-111 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
The loss moves the Lakers' record to 31-46, and 4-16 in their past 20 games.
The Lakers built this game up as a must-win, re-inserting Anthony Davis to the line-up from a lengthy absence and LeBron James from an ankle sprain, but ultimately could not get stops down the stretch.
James was terrific, scoring 38 points on 13-23 shooting, while Davis was also strong, scoring 23 points (eight-of-17 shooting) to go with 12 rebounds and six assists. During Davis' 37 minutes on the floor, the Lakers were plus four.
But the Pelicans' duo of C.J. McCollum and Brandon Ingram would not be denied, as McCollum led the way with 32 points (12-of-23 shooting), while Ingram chipped in with an efficient 29 on 10-of-17 shooting to go with eight rebounds and seven assists.
The Lakers' five remaining games are at home against the Denver Nuggets, away at the Phoenix Suns, away at the Golden State Warriors, at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and away against the Nuggets.
The San Antonio Spurs currently lead the race for the 10 seed by one game.
Fill-in Grizzlies fill it up
Another game without Ja Morant, and another win for the Memphis Grizzlies as they got the better of the full-strength Phoenix Suns 122-114.
As well as Morant, Memphis was without center Steven Adams, Defensive Player of the Year candidate Jaren Jackson Jr and emerging shooting guard Desmond Bane, but in front of their home fans the replacement Grizzlies were up to the task.
Dillon Brooks top-scored for the Grizzlies with 30 points (11-of-28 shooting) and seven assists, while Devin Booker had 41 points on 17-of-28 shooting for the Suns.
Memphis are now 20-2 in games Morant has missed.
Celtics win a shootout, Covington goes bananas
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both surpassed 30 points in the Boston Celtics' 128-123 win against the Indiana Pacers.
Tatum finished with 31 on 10-of-24 shooting, while Brown had 32 on 12-of-18, but the Celtics had to withstand a sharpshooting display from Tyrese Haliburton, who had 30 points on 10-of-11 shooting, including six-of-six from long range.
Meanwhile, Robert Covington played the game of his life as his Los Angeles Clippers beat an undermanned Milwaukee Bucks side 153-119.
Covington finished with 43 points, going 11-of-18 from three-point range, setting a new franchise record for threes made in a game, beating J.J. Redick and Caron Butler's previous joint-record of nine.
Ryan Palmer holds a two-stroke lead over the field after the second round of the Valero Texas Open.
Palmer, who shot four under in round one, finished with a six-under 66 to move to 10 under.
The American finished the round bogey-free, and three times carded back-to-back birdies on the second and third, eighth and ninth, and 14th and 15th.
Speaking to the media after his round, Palmer said the key to his success is to limit the severity of his mistakes.
"It's a golf course – if you get it off-line, you're going to struggle," he said.
"I was able to keep the ball in front of me. When I've missed fairways, I've gotten fortunate breaks, I think.
"[This] weekend, it's a matter of just avoiding those big misses."
Kevin Chappell worked his way into a three-way tie for second after he shot 65 for the best round of the day, and he is joined at eight under by South Africa's Dylan Frittelli and American Matt Kuchar.
Chappell – who is ranked as the world number 547 – played the course beautifully, nabbing an eagle on the par five second hole before going bogey-free and birdieing the eighth, ninth, 12th, 15th and 17th.
The leader after round one, Russell Knox, had a poor day, bogeying four of his first six holes on the way to shooting 76, dropping down to three under and a tie for 27th.
With the cut-line at even par, Jordan Spieth followed up his even par first round with a 70 on Friday to sneak into the frame.
Plenty of notable names who will hope to contest the US Masters crown next week failed to make the cut, including Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Bryson DeChambeau.
Former France international Christian Karembeu has declared Les Bleus the favourite for this year's World Cup after the draw was announced.
France is trying to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend their crown, but will have history working against them as the last three teams to try have all fallen in the group stage.
After drawing Group D, France will have fixtures against Denmark, Tunisia and the eventual playoff winner out of Australia, UAE and Peru.
Karembeu said he thinks France has earned the title of favourite this time around.
"[France] are the [World Cup] favourites, which is a topic I have spoken about a lot," he told reporters in Qatar.
"We have a young team with a lot of quality, not to mention the head coach [Didier Deschamps] – I have to say that, otherwise he will yell at me.
"We have a Federation that works, allowing us to be focused on that objective of winning the World Cup."
Fellow former French international Youri Djorkaeff was less emphatic about his prediction, but instead pointed towards the interesting timing of the event.
"A draw in itself doesn't mean anything," he said.
"Yes, the World Cup is starting so you prepare, and you know when you are going to play, but there is no good or bad draw. Especially at this time of the year when all the teams are going to be competitive.
"That's where [this] World Cup will be different from the others.
"All the great players and all the teams are going to get to a point in the season where they are going to be competitive.
"It's not the end of the season, where it's long and there are a lot of big games. It's almost the beginning of the season.
"It's going to be very interesting."
Former France international Christian Karembeu has declared Les Bleus the favourite for this year's World Cup after the draw was announced.
France are trying to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend their crown but will have history working against them as the last three teams to attempt that feat have all fallen in the group stage.
After drawing Group D, France will have fixtures against Denmark, Tunisia and the eventual playoff winner out of Australia, UAE and Peru.
Karembeu, who was part of the France side who prevailed on home soil in 1998, believes they have earned the title of favourite this time around.
"[France] are the [World Cup] favourites, which is a topic I have spoken about a lot," he told reporters in Qatar.
"We have a young team with a lot of quality, not to mention the head coach [Didier Deschamps] – I have to say that, otherwise he will yell at me.
"We have a Federation that works, allowing us to be focused on that objective of winning the World Cup."
Fellow former World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff was less emphatic about his prediction, instead pointing towards the interesting timing of the event, which begins in November.
"A draw in itself doesn't mean anything," he said.
"Yes, the World Cup is starting so you prepare, and you know when you are going to play, but there is no good or bad draw. Especially at this time of the year when all the teams are going to be competitive.
"That's where [this] World Cup will be different from the others.
"All the great players and all the teams are going to get to a point in the season where they are going to be competitive.
"It's not the end of the season, where it's long and there are a lot of big games. It's almost the beginning of the season.
"It's going to be very interesting."
John Herdman insists his Canada side will have "no fear" when going up against powerhouses Belgium and Croatia at the 2022 World Cup.
Canada last appeared at the World Cup in 1986, where they lost all three games without scoring a single goal.
However, Canada have been rejuvenated by talented youngsters such as Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies and Lille forward Jonathan David.
Under Herdman's tutelage, Canada finished top of the CONCACAF standings.
Regardless of Canada's quality, though, it will be tough sledding against nations with such storied histories.
Belgium hold the crown for most successful World Cup qualifications without winning the tournament out of any European side, making their 14th appearance, while Croatia made the final in 2018, going down 4-2 to France.
Speaking after finding out Canada's draw, Herdman insisted his side would find the line between having no fear, without being naive.
"We wanted those type of games," said Herdman, who will become the first coach to take charge of a team at both the men's and women's World Cups.
"You go into a World Cup, there are no easy matches and I think any team can beat any team on a given day. That's just tournament football.
"We'll be at our best when we rely on our grit and spirit, and then to bring that 'no fear' [mentality].
"For us, there will be a 'no fear' mentality – not naive, but no fear coming into this. Just see the opportunity to pioneer for this country and get after scoring that first goal for Canada at a World Cup."
Herdman also preached what a valuable chance it will be for some of his players to shine on the biggest stage.
"The opportunity that exists in these types of games, against the best players in the world," he said.
"Players like Alistair Johnston, Kamal Miller, and Jonathan Osorio, Canadian boys get the chance to match themselves [against them], but also tell a story in those games.
"Belgium, we know their quality [with] players like [Kevin] De Bruyne and [Romelu] Lukaku and what they've done on the international stage. And then the Croatians, who four years ago were [World Cup] finalists.
"I mean, this is what we want – we want that underdog story."
When analysing the group, Belgium coach Roberto Martinez called Canada "the hidden surprise".
"It's a group that is very interesting, and you have to go into detail to see the nations we will be facing are completely different," he said.
"Morocco for us, we have a real attachment from a football point of view, players that could play for both nationalities, have strong feelings, and then Canada is the hidden surprise.
"A strong team that hasn’t been in a major tournament for 36 years, so there is that unknown quality, but they're very dangerous.
"It's a celebration, they will arrive here full of energy, full of belief, full of commitment and you have to find a way to challenge that like we did against Panama in 2018.
"Then you have Croatia, who finished second in 2018, and have probably got players playing in the most demanding teams around Europe, playing at the highest level at a real consistency. So the group is as versatile as you can find."
Pep Guardiola is unsure if Erik ten Hag would be a success at Manchester United, but has no doubt over the Ajax coach's quality.
Ten Hag is being heavily linked with a move to United to replace Ralf Rangnick, once the German leaves his interim role at the end of the season.
According to reports, Ten Hag held talks with United in recent weeks, and he did not deny that speculation in an interview with Germany's Sport1.
The 52-year-old reaffirmed that his full focus as it stands is on Ajax, though called United "a great club with great fans" and that he did not "want to rule anything out."
Manchester City manager Guardiola worked at Bayern at the same time as Ten Hag was in charge of the club's second team, and believes the Dutchman has all of the quality to succeed in the Premier League.
However, Guardiola stressed that many quality managers have come and gone at United since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
"I don't know. Nobody knows. If I were 100 per cent sure, I would call Man United, and I would tell the guys they have to take him, but I don't know," Guardiola told a news conference ahead of City's clash with Burnley on Saturday.
"So nobody knows. When I arrived here I didn't know [the league], nobody knows. He'd try and he's a good manager, there's no doubt of it. But, in the past, the previous managers since Alex [Ferguson] left.
"We can't say that David Moyes is not a proper manager. Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, you know, or right now [Ralf Rangnick]. So I think all the managers who have been at United are excellent. We cannot deny that. "
Guardiola does believe that Ten Hag has proved his quality across a successful spell with Ajax, though, which has so far included two league and cup doubles in the Netherlands and a run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2018-19.
"He was, I think, one season with the second team for Bayern [Munich], we spoke quite regularly," Guardiola said.
"He's an incredible person, human being. I was surprised how humble and good [he is]. About his qualities... just take a look at his Ajax in the last years. [They've been] a joy to watch in many, many things.
"Not just the year they got to the [Champions League] semi-final, if it weren't for little details they would have reached the final. The game they played against Benfica [this season] at home was exceptional but football is like this.
"In terms of quality just take a look at his teams. To define a manager you have to watch his teams for a long time and say, 'okay, this is the team and this manager makes them play this play'. There's no doubt about that.
"The relationship we had was incredibly good. When we chat about football in the second team, the players, whatever, it always was exceptionally good."
Luis Enrique is optimistic that Spain will win this year's World Cup, despite being drawn in a tough group that contains fellow heavyweights Germany.
Top seeds Spain were placed in Group E in Friday's ceremony in Doha along with Germany, Japan and either Costa Rica or New Zealand, who meet in a play-off in June.
Spain and Germany, who lifted the famous trophy in 2010 and 2014 respectively, will face off in the competition for a fifth time.
La Roja have failed to beat Germany in their previous three group encounters, but they won their most recent World Cup meeting in the 2010 semi-finals.
They have met just twice since then in competitive games, with Spain hammering Die Mannschaft 6-0 in the Nations League in 2020 after a 1-1 draw in the same competition.
Germany have replaced Joachim Low with Hansi Flick since then, however, and are unbeaten in nine games under their new boss, winning eight of those.
The inclusion of a Japan side that reached the last 16 in 2018 and one of the play-off winners makes for a tough group, but Luis Enrique is in a bullish mood.
"It's going to be nice. It's a great group with a great rival, one that we'll enjoy. You don't play at World Cups often," he told reporters.
"My body has stayed as it was before the draw, the same. Regardless of who we got, being in the tournament is already a prize.
"Being seeded means what has been done in recent years counts. We know about Germany but not so much the rest, though we have time to analyse them.
"Competing against us is very complicated and it will be difficult to beat us. Anyone can beat us and we can beat any team.
"It is time to enjoy and be optimistic. We are Spain, seventh in the world ranking and we are going to conquer the world."
Spain's huge showdown with Germany will take place on November 27, their second group game.
Should Spain advance, as expected, they will meet either Belgium, Croatia, Canada or Morocco from Group F in the first knockout round.
Fernando Hierro, who took charge of Spain for their disappointing 2018 campaign when exiting to Russia in the last 16, believes facing Germany will give La Roja a chance to lay down an early marker.
"People give a lot of importance to the draw, but if you want to be world champion, you have to beat them all," Hierro said. "World Cups are won, not lost.
"It is true that everyone pays a lot of attention to the draw for the first group phase.
"But the most important thing is that in the end, if you want to be world champion, you have to beat everyone.
"Therefore, sooner or later the best teams will arrive, and the World Cup will be decided there."
Tite says Brazil were dealt with neither the group of "death nor of life" after they were drawn to face Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon in the 2022 World Cup.
The Selecao faced Switzerland and Serbia in the last World Cup in Russia four years ago, so there was a sense of deja vu when the draw was made in Doha on Friday.
As the top-ranked side in the world, Brazil will be expected to win Group G, which also includes Cameroon.
But Brazil boss Title says there will be no room for complacency.
He told reporters: "It is neither [the group] of death nor of life. Everything is the same [as Brazil’s group at Russia 2018] – all that was missing was Costa Rica!
"We're talking about Switzerland and Serbia, the teams who stopped Italy and Portugal, and also a Cameroon team that is very strong in Africa.
"We will have to raise our own game."
All three of Brazil's opponents qualified for the tournament as group winners, but Tite is focused on ensuring his side are in the best possible condition to take the tournament by storm.
"That is part of the chapter of a book. Now it's another reality, another moment," he said.
"We have to consolidate this work now. There are eight, nine more months until the end of the year. We have to confirm an evolution of the team, to affirm the quality of the team, that the athletes individually can be in their best condition.
"We have to do an invisible job of monitoring them, which for the fans maybe do not see, but it's the medical follow-up, the physical follow-up, the follow-up of the technical commission with the athlete himself.
"All this [while] respecting their clubs. We have to have all the follow-up and guidance so that they can be in the best conditions, apart from the preparatory games that we will have until the World Cup. This is the most important thing for me."
Brazil will face Serbia in their opening game of the tournament on November 24.
Tite says Brazil were dealt with neither the group of "death nor of life" after they were drawn to face Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon in the 2022 World Cup.
The Selecao faced Switzerland and Serbia in the last World Cup in Russia four years ago, so there was a sense of deja vu when the draw was made in Doha on Friday.
As the top-ranked side in the world, Brazil will be expected to win Group G, which also includes Cameroon.
But Brazil boss Title says there will be no room for complacency.
He told reporters: "It is neither [the group] of death nor of life. Everything is the same [as Brazil’s group at Russia 2018] – all that was missing was Costa Rica!
"We're talking about Switzerland and Serbia, the teams who stopped Italy and Portugal, and also a Cameroon team that is very strong in Africa.
"We will have to raise our own game."
All three of Brazil's opponents qualified for the tournament as group winners, but Tite is focused on ensuring his side are in the best possible condition to take the tournament by storm.
"That is part of the chapter of a book. Now it's another reality, another moment," he said.
"We have to consolidate this work now. There are eight, nine more months until the end of the year. We have to confirm an evolution of the team, to affirm the quality of the team, that the athletes individually can be in their best condition.
"We have to do an invisible job of monitoring them, which for the fans maybe do not see, but it's the medical follow-up, the physical follow-up, the follow-up of the technical commission with the athlete himself.
"All this [while] respecting their clubs. We have to have all the follow-up and guidance so that they can be in the best conditions, apart from the preparatory games that we will have until the World Cup. This is the most important thing for me."
Brazil will face Serbia in their opening game of the tournament on November 24.
Hansi Flick says Germany have high expectations of making a big impact in the 2022 World Cup despite being drawn in a tough group that includes Spain.
Die Mannschaft discovered at a ceremony in Doha on Friday that they will face Spain, Japan and either Costa Rica or New Zealand in Qatar later this year.
Spain hammered Germany 6-0 the last time the two nations met in the Nations League in November 2020, while Japan reached the round of 16 in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Flick will take charge of his country for the first time in a major tournament and although he knows Germany's draw could have been kinder, the former Bayern Munich boss is confident his side can make a big impact.
He said: "It is an exciting and interesting group, the tasks are not easy. But we have big plans, we have to ensure that we prevail. You can't get an easy group.
"We are happy, but we will have to be ready from the beginning. We want to get as far as possible, preferably to the final. We're expecting a lot from this tournament."
Flick added: "Japan is a team that is always present at the World Cup, with many Bundesliga players. Therefore, they are of high quality. We wanted to play a friendly against Japan, but that's not going to happen now.
"All the teams [in the group] have evolved and have something special to offer."
Germany finished bottom of their group in the last World Cup and were knocked out of Euro 2020 at the round of 16 stage by England last year.
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is optimistic they can be a force this time around.
"It was inevitable that we were going to get a strong opponent from the pot," he said.
Neuer added: "We haven't covered ourselves in glory in recent tournaments and we want to make up for that."
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