Teams from nine countries will compete for the ultimate prize, with the final of the competition - organised by the International Sports Federation for Persons with Intellectual Disability - on August 23.

Saudi Arabia, winners of the 2006 competition in Germany and the 2010 edition in South Africa, are favourites to lift the title again.

Their group contains Japan and Sweden, who has been able to make the trip to Brazil thanks to a donation of $51,000 (£31,000/€38,000) from Paris Saint-Germain player Zlatan Ibrahimović.

Hosts Brazil have been drawn with South American rivals Argentina and the highly fancied French, while the third group contains Germany, Poland and South Africa.

The German squad is aiming to improve on their sixth place finish at the last World Championships in 2010.  

National team coach Jörg Dittwar said: "We have a young, ambitious team that wants to prove himself internationally. 

"But we also know how the other teams have stepped up."

All the games are due to be played in Sao Paulo.

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