(CNN) -- The 2014 World Cup in Brazil is a month-long festival of football which will feature the best players on the planet representing their countries as they battle for the ultimate prize in their sport.
A total of 32 nations qualified for the World Cup and are initially divided into eight groups of four teams apiece.
The top two teams in each group qualify for knockout stages, where matches can go to extra time and a penalty shootout to decide the winner.
A total of 64 games will culminate in the final in the famous Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday July 13.
Here is the schedule of matches (kick off times in GMT):
Thursday June 12Group A: Brazil v Croatia in Sao Paulo (2000)
Friday June 13Group A: Mexico v Cameron in Natal (1600)
Group B: Spain v Netherlands in Salvador (1900)
Group B: Chlle v Australia in Cuiaba (2200)
Saturday June 14Group C: Colombia v Greece in Belo Horizonte (1600)
Group D: Uruguay v Costa Rica in Fortaleza (1900)
Group D: England v Italy in Manaus (2200)
Group C: Ivory Coast v Japan in Recife (0100)
Sunday June 15Group E: Switzerland v Ecuador in Brasilia (1600)
Group E: France v Honduras in Porto Alegre (1900)
Group F: Argentina v Bosnia Herzegovina in Rio de Janeiro (2200)
Monday June 16Group G: Germany v Portugal in Salvador (1600)
Group F: Iran v Nigeria in Curitiba (1900)
Group G: Ghana v USA in Natal (2200)
Tuesday June 17Group H: Belgium v Algeria in Belo Horizonte (1600)
Group A: Brazil v Mexico in Fortaleza (1900)
Group H: Russia v South Korea in Cuiaba (2200)
Wednesday June 18Group B: Australia v Netherlands in Porto Alegre (1600)
Group B: Spain v Chile in Rio (1900)
Group A: Cameroon v Croatia in Manaus (2200)
Thursday June 19Group C: Colombia v Ivory Coast in Brasilia (1600)
Group D: Uruguay v England in Sao Paulo (1900)
Group C: Japan v Greece in Natal (2200)
Friday June 20Group D: Italy v Costa Rica in Recife (1600)
Group E: Switzerland v France in Salvador (1900)
Group E: Honduras v Ecuador in Curitiba (2200)
Saturday June 21Group F: Argentina v Iran in Belo Horizonte (1600)
Group G: Germany v Ghana in Fortaleza (1900)
Group F: Nigeria v Bosnia Herzegovina in Cuiaba (2200)
Sunday June 22Group H: Belgium v Russia in Rio de Janeiro (1600)
Group H: South Korea v Algeria in Porto Alegre
Group G: USA v Portugal in Manaus (2200)
Monday June 23Group B: Netherlands v Chile in Sao Paulo (1600)
Group B: Australia v Spain in Curitiba (1600)
Group A: Brazil v Cameroon in Brasilia (2000)
Group A: Croatia v Mexico in Recife (2000)
Tuesday June 24Group D: Italy v Uruguay in Natal (1600)
Group D: Costa Rica v England in Belo Horizonte (1600)
Group C: Japan v Colombia in Cuiaba (2000)
Group C: Greece v Ivory Coast in Fortaleza (2000)
Wednesday June 25Group F: Nigeria v Argentina in Porto Alegre (1600)
Group F: Bosnia Herzegovina v Iran in Salvador (1600)
Group E: Honduras v Switzerland in Manaus (2000)
Group E: Ecuador v France in Rio de Janeiro (2000)
Thursday June 26Group G: Portugal v Ghana in Brasilia (1600)
Group G: USA v Germany in Recife (1600)
Group H: South Korea v Belgium in Sao Paulo (2000)
Group H: Algeria v Russia in Curitiba (2000)
Last 16 knock out matches: Saturday June 28Match 49: Winner Group A v Runner-Up Group B in Belo Horizonte (1600)
Match 50: Winner Group C v Runner-Up Group D in Rio de Janiero (2000)
Sunday June 29Match 51: Winner Group B v Runner-Up Group A in Fortaleza (1600)
Match 52: Winner Group D v Runner-Up Group C in Recife (200)
Monday June 30:Match 54: Winner Group E v Runner-Up Group F in Brasilia (1600)
Match 55: Winner Group G v Runner-Up Group H in Porto Alegre (200)
Tuesday July 1Match 56: Winner Group F v Runner-Up Group E in Sao Paulo (1600)
Match 57: Winner Group H v Runner-~Up Group G in Salvador (2000)
Quarterfinals knock out matches: Friday July 4Match 58: Winner Match 54 v Winner Match 53 in Rio de Janeiro (1600)
Match 58: Winner Match 49 Winner Match 50 in Fortaleza (2000)
Saturday July 5Match 59: Winner Match 55 v Winner Match 56 in Brasilia (1600)
Match 60: Winner Match 51 v Winner Match 52 in Salvador (2000)
Semifinal knock out matches Tuesday July 8Match 61: Winner Match 57 v Winner Match 58 in Belo Horizonte (2000)
Wednesday July 9Match 62: Winner Match 59 v Winner Match 60 in Sao Paulo (2000)
Third and fourth place playoff Saturday July 12Loser Match 61 v Loser Match 63 in Brasilia (2000)
Final Sunday July 13Winner Match 61 v Winner Match 62 in Rio de Janeiro (1900)
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