Following the Three Lions at the 2014 World Cup

The build-up to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil has well and truly begun, now that the draw for the prestigious tournament has taken place.

You can view the draw in full on the FIFA website, though England fans are likely to be focussing on the daunting task ahead for the Three Lions if they are to even reach the knockout stages.

While a major challenge lies ahead for Roy Hodgson’s men, the journey through the ‘Group of Death’ as it’s been billed, will be exciting for anyone heading to Brazil next summer to cheer on their country.

Match one: England v Italy

When: June 14^th 2014, 23:00 BST

Where: Arena Amazonia, Manaus

Pre-match hype: England fans are very likely to have thought back to Euro 2012 when they saw the Three Lions had been placed in the same group as Italy at the 2014 World Cup. After all, it was the Azzurri who knocked Hodgson’s men out of that tournament. However, that victory did come on penalties, with group games able to finish with a draw.

Things to see before and after the match: Manaus is a wonderful city to behold, seeing as though it is where the Negro river meets with the Amazon River in Brazil. Just be sure to pack some sun protection for your trip to Manaus – the city will be in its dry season in June, where temperatures are known to creep towards 40 degrees C.

Match two: England v Uruguay

When: June 19^th 2014, 20:00 BST

Where: Arena de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo

Pre-match hype: One name sums up the threat that Uruguay poses at the 2014 World Cup – Luis Suarez. The Liverpool hitman is already leading the Premier League top scorers list with 20 goals, despite missing the first five games of the season through suspension.

Things to see before and after the match: There is so much to see and do across Sao Paulo – the largest city in Brazil. There is a collection of state-of-the-art shopping malls to buy souvenirs from, a city centre that is constantly abuzz with activity and the peaceful Ibirapuera Park to visit if you’re travelling with family. Don’t forget that you can also easily transfer money abroad with Travelex International Payments, if you begin to get carried away with discovering this huge district.

Match three: England v Costa Rica

When: June 24^th 2014, 17:00 BST

Where: Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte

Pre-match hype: England and Costa Rica will meet for the first time on the football pitch at the 2014 World Cup, with the Three Lions expected to be favourites to snatch all three points from this fixture. However, we might want to learn a lesson from our neighbours north of the border before becoming too confident – Scotland were on the wrong end of a World Cup upset when they lost 1-0 to Costa Rica at Italia 90.

Things to see before and after the match: Belo Horizonte – Portuguese for ‘beautiful horizon’ – began life as a vision to establish a new state capital in Brazil. This dream can be seen all across the city, where careful planning was taken to make this urban district as breathtaking as possible. If you would like to escape from the city life for a few hours, you will also be pleased to hear that Belo Horizonte is surrounded by the picturesque Curral del Rey mountain range.