Last updated at 6:39 PM on 2nd December 2011
England have been drawn to play co-hosts Ukraine, Sweden and France in the group stages of the European Championship.
So what are the prospects for Fabio Capello's men next summer? We take a look at their three opponents...
Happy, Fabio? Capello now knows the identity of England's group opponents
UKRAINE
Will Fabio be happy?
Every reason to be considering England could have drawn Spain or Holland from Pot 1. Ukraine are stronger than their co-hosts Poland but let's not quibble.
Who's the boss?
Oleg Blokhin (59). The former Dynamo Kiev striker was appointed in April.
Star man?
Andriy Shevchenko. Chelsea's former 30.8m striker may be a fading force at the age of 35, but you wouldn't want to write him off just yet.
Any familiar faces?
Liverpool fans will have not-so-fond memories of Andriy Voronin and his dodgy ponytail, while avid Champions League observers may recognise Bayern Muncih midfielder Anatoliy Tymoshchuk.
Have we played them before?
P4 W3 D0 L1
A 1-0 defeat in Dnipropetrovsk two years ago spoiled England's 100 per cent record in qualifying but Capello's side had already qualified for South Africa.
Did you know?
Ukraine are the only team that have beaten England in their last two qualifying campaigns (in 18 matches).
All-time great: Andriy Shevchenko celebrates after scoring against England at Wembley in 2009
SWEDEN
Will Fabio be happy?
He should be – we might have drawn Portugal instead. The Swedes have had a nasty habit of surprising England in major tournaments but it has to end sometime.
Who's the boss?
Erik Hamren (54) saw his side score 31 goals – the third highest in qualifying – to reach the finals as best runners-up.
Star man?
Zlatan Ibrahimovic. An illustrious career with some of Europe's top clubs marks the AC Milan striker out as the man to watch next summer.
Any familiar faces?
Jonas Olsson, Martin Olsson and Sebastian Larsson all feature regularly in the Premier League. Fans will also be familiar with Johan Elmander and Olof Mellberg, if not former Manchester City goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson.
Have we played them before?
P22 W7 D9 L6
Who said friendlies are pointless?
The 1-0 win at Wembley last month was our first over the Swedes since 1968, and an ideal time to end one of England's more curious records.
Did you know?
England have never won a competitive match against Sweden drawing five and losing two of the seven meetings.
At last: England players celebrate their recent friendly win over Sweden
FRANCE
Will Fabio be happy?
Unlikely. The French are not the force they were – as we all saw in South Africa last year – but Capello would have been much happier drawing Denmark, the Czech Republic or even Ireland.
Who's the boss?
Laurent Blanc (46). The former Manchester United defender has done well after a somewhat traumatic start in the wake of France's World Cup debacle.
Star man?
Franck Ribery. The gifted winger has returned to form at Bayern Munich since Jupp Heynckes replaced Louis Van Gaal in July.
Any familiar faces?
Almost too many to mention, but Patrice Evra, Samir Nasri, Florent Malouda, Louis Saha, Gael Clichy, Abou Diaby, Bacary Sagna and Younes Kaboul are all regulars in the Premier League.
Have we played them before?
P27 W15 D4 L8
France have beaten England twice in friendlies since a late double from Zinedine Zidane stunned Sven-Goran Eriksson's side in their opening game of Euro 2004.
Did you know?
The last time England met France in a competitive match was in Euro 2004 when they missed a penalty, led 1-0 but conceded two 90th minute goals to lose 1-2.
Remember this? Zinedine Zidane scores a late winner for France against England at the European Championship in 2004
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