MUMBAI: ESPN Star Sports (ESS) will air the final draw for the 2006 Fifa World Cup from Messe in Leipzig, Germany.

The official ceremony to finalise the groups of the 32 teams participating will kick off the football fever for one of the most awaited contests in sports today. The one and a half hour show will air on 10 December 2005 at 1 am.

ESS will air the football World Cup across Asia next year. Fifa had recently announced the seedings for the top teams for the World Cup recently to initiate the group draw for the 32 teams. The top eight seeds for the World Cup will head each of the eight groups to be announced by Fifa and will avoid meeting each other at stage one. Hosts Germany, defending champions Brazil along with England, Spain, Mexico, France, Argentina and Italy make the top eight seeds.

The final draw ceremony will be hosted by super model Heidi Klum and German talk show host and sports journalist, Reinhold Beckmann. The ceremony will kick off with a talk by Fifa president Joseph Blatter and the handing over of the trophy from Brazil to Germany. The ceremony will include a run down of Fifa history since 1930 in a three episode capsule to be shown during the live telecast.

The German great and one of the world's best known footballers, Franz Beckenbauer, will make an appearance with matchball 1970 along with another German superstar and now coach of the national team, Jurgen Klinsmann who will be with the matchball 1990. The new matchball for 2006 will be presented at show at Messe

Goleo, the official mascot of the 2006 World Cup, will perform the official mascot song at the ceremony. The final draw function will also officially launch the charity campaign for this edition of the World Cup.

Apart from the official launches and presentations, the ceremony will also feature acts from Dutch magician and illusionist Hans Klok, Latin artist Juanes and the Young German Philharmonic Orchestra.