According to Chinese news agency Xinhua, Donovan Ferreti, Rio 2016 ticketing director, said the sales were 32 times their usual rate, with slow uptake for seats at this August’s Games proving a key concern in the build-up to the event.

“There was a significant increase in sales after the groups were defined and it seems demand is going to get higher,” Ferreti said.

The draw threw up some intriguing prospects, including a crunch meeting between the host nation and 2014 World Cup winners Germany in a repeat of their memorable semi-final at the tournament, which the European nation won 7-1.

The pair avoided each other in the group stage as Brazil were drawn alongside South Africa, Iraq and Denmark in Group A.

Germany were placed in Group C along with Mexico, South Korea and Fiji.

Sweden, winners of the UEFA qualifying competition, will play in Group B along with Colombia, Atlanta 1996 winners Nigeria and Japan.

Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 champions Argentina will feature in Group D along with Honduras, Algeria and Portugal.

Brazil were drawn against China, Sweden and South Africa in Group E of the women’s competition.

Their clash with the Chinese at the Maracanã Stadium on August 3 will be the first sporting action of the entire Olympic Games.

Canada, Australia and debutantes Zimbabwe will join Germany in Group F.

Defending champions United States will lock horns with New Zealand, France and Colombia in Group G in the 12-team tournament in which players of any age can participate.

If both Brazil and Germany win their groups and the quarter-final ties in the men's competition they could still meet in a semi-final tie on August 17.

Neither Brazil’s men nor women have ever won Olympic gold and it is thought that these two titles are the most sought after by the country’s population.

The men have earned silver on three occasions, at Los Angeles 1984, Seoul 1988 and four years ago in London, where they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Mexico in the final.

Brazil’s women claimed silver at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.

The gold medal prospects for the men have been enhanced by FC Barcelona star Neymar, who was third in this year’s Ballon d'Or behind Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentinian team-mate Lionel Messi, being cleared to feature in the tournament by his club.

The 24-year-old from São Paulo has, however, been blocked from representing his country at June's Copa América Centenario in the United States.

The news provides a boost to Rio 2016 in the wake of flailing ticket sales, with organisers admitting less than two-thirds have been sold for the Olympic Games, which run from August 5 to 21.

A task force has recently been set-up by Brazil's interim Sports Minister Ricardo Leyser in order to identify ways of improving ticket sales.

Earlier this month, Brazilian police arrested 10 people for allegedly attempting to resell Rio 2016 Olympic tickets at high prices on social media accounts.

More than 700 tickets for the Games had been acquired by the group legally, but the suspects then reportedly attempted to illegally resell them for inflated prices.