CAPE TOWN, South Africa — The eyes of the soccer world are focused on Cape Town today, with fans of 32 competing nations hoping for a kind draw at next year's World Cup.

Coaches, former soccer stars and celebrities were gathering for a draw ceremony to decide the eight groups of four teams.

Oscar-winning movie star Charlize Theron will help FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke in a lavish ceremony due to start at 1 p.m. EST.

The 32 nations in the draw have been split geographically into four pots which will eventually produce eight groups of four teams.

South Africa, as host, has been given one of the seeded positions along with Italy, Brazil, Spain, England, Germany, Netherlands and Argentina.

"Expectations are very high and this is the start of the World Cup for me and the other coaches involved," said South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, who led his native Brazil to the 1994 title and has coached at three other World Cups. "I have been involved in World Cup draws before. As Brazil's national coach, expectations were just as high but this one is extra special because we are the World Cup hosts."

The other three South American teams — Paraguay, Chile and two-time World Cup winner Uruguay — are also in the same pool so they can't meet in the first round. The same applies to the four Asian qualifiers, North Korea, South Korea, Japan and Australia. and Africa's other qualifiers, Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria, Ivory Coast and Cameroon.

The 13 European teams in the competition can't avoid each other altogether, but there can't be more than two in any group.