They will be joined by the two best teams from the 2011 European Championships and the top two teams from the Pan-American Championships of the same year, plus the highest-placed team from an Asia-Pacific tournament to be arranged.
The 16-team tournament continues on Monday, as Group C kicks off with outsiders India playing Asia's top-ranked team Australia and then two-time champions South Korea taking on Bahrain.
The top four of the nine competing nations will automatically qualify for Brazil, while the fifth-placed team goes into a playoff against an Asia confederation side.