2018 FIFA World Cup qualification

2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
Tournament details
Dates 12 March 2015 – 14 November 2017
Teams 210 (from 6 confederations)
Tournament statistics
Matches played 561
Goals scored 1631 (2.91 per match)
Top scorer(s) United Arab Emirates Ahmed Khalil (15 goals)

The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification process will decide 31 of the 32 teams which will play in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with the hosts Russia qualifying automatically. All 210 remaining FIFA member associations are eligible to enter the qualifying process. For the first time in World Cup history, all national teams registered for the preliminary competition,[1] although suspensions excluded some teams from participating in qualification.[2][3] Bhutan, South Sudan, Gibraltar and Kosovo made their FIFA World Cup qualification debuts.[4][5][6][7][8]

While the main qualifying draw took place at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg on 25 July 2015,[9][10] a number of qualification matches were played before that.[11] The first began in Dili, Timor-Leste on 12 March 2015 as part of the AFC's qualification,[12] with East Timorese player Chiquito do Carmo scoring the first goal of qualification. Matches were also played in CONCACAF prior to the main draw.

Qualified teams

  Team qualified for World Cup
  Team may qualify for World Cup
  Team failed to qualify for World Cup
  Team expelled from the tournament by FIFA prior to playing a match
  Country not a FIFA member
Team Method of
qualification		 Date of
qualification		 Finals
appearance		 Last
appearance		 Consecutive
finals
appearances		 Previous best
performance
 Russia Host 2 December 2010 11th[USSR 1] 2014 2 Fourth place (1966)[USSR 2]
Notes
  1. ↑ This is the 4th appearance of Russia at the FIFA World Cup. However, FIFA considers Russia as the successor team of the Soviet Union who themselves qualified on 7 occasions.
  2. ↑ Russia's best result is group stage in 1994, 2002 and 2014. However FIFA considers Russia as the successor team of the Soviet Union who achieved this result.

Qualification process

The number of teams participating in the final tournament is 32. Even though the qualification process began in March 2015, the allocation of slots for each confederation was discussed by the FIFA Executive Committee on 30 May 2015 in Zürich after the FIFA Congress.[13] It was decided that the same allocation as 2014 would be kept for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.[14]

Summary of qualification

While all FIFA members entered the tournament, not all competed. Zimbabwe were expelled from the competition on 12 March 2015 for their failure to pay former coach José Claudinei a severance fee and Indonesia were excluded from the qualifying competition following the suspension of their football association by FIFA on 30 May 2015.[3] Kuwait had a number of their qualifiers cancelled for a similar suspension that began while their campaign was underway,[15] which eventually resulted in their elimination.

Updated as of all matches played on 15 November 2016
Confederation Teams started Teams that have qualified Teams that can still qualify Teams that have been eliminated Remaining places in finals Total places in finals Next matchday Qualifying end date Inter-Confederation Play-offs
AFC46012344 or 54 or 523 March 201710 October 201714 November 2017
CAF54020345528 August 20176 November 2017–
CONCACAF3506293 or 43 or 424 March 201710 October 201714 November 2017
CONMEBOL1001004 or 54 or 523 March 201710 October 201714 November 2017
OFC110650 or 10 or 120 March 20175 September 201714 November 2017
UEFA54+10+15401313+124 March 201714 November 2017–
Total210+10+11081023131+120 March 201714 November 201714 November 2017

Note: One team each from AFC, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, and OFC will play in the inter-confederation play-offs, scheduled for 6–14 November 2017 (CONCACAF v AFC and OFC v CONMEBOL).

Format

The formats of the qualifying competitions depend on each confederation (see below). Each round may be played in either of the following formats:[16]

Tiebreakers

In league format, the ranking of teams in each group is based on the following criteria (regulations Articles 20.6 and 20.7):[16]

  1. Points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss)
  2. Goal difference
  3. Goals scored
  4. Points in matches between tied teams
  5. Goal difference in matches between tied teams
  6. Goals scored in matches between tied teams
  7. Away goals scored in matches between tied teams (if the tie is only between two teams in home-and-away league format)
  8. Fair play points
    • first yellow card: minus 1 point
    • indirect red card (second yellow card): minus 3 points
    • direct red card: minus 4 points
    • yellow card and direct red card: minus 5 points
  9. Drawing of lots by the FIFA Organising Committee

In cases where teams finishing in the same position across different groups are compared for determining which teams advance to the next stage, the criteria is decided by the confederation and require the approval of FIFA (regulations Article 20.8).[16]

In knockout format, the team that has the higher aggregate score over the two legs progresses to the next round. In the event that aggregate scores finish level, the away goals rule is applied, i.e. the team that scored more goals away from home over the two legs progresses. If away goals are also equal, then thirty minutes of extra time are played, divided into two fifteen-minutes halves. The away goals rule is again applied after extra time, i.e. if there are goals scored during extra time and the aggregate score is still level, the visiting team qualifies by virtue of more away goals scored. If no goals are scored during extra time, the tie is decided by penalty shoot-out (regulations Article 20.9).[16]

Confederation qualification

AFC

The AFC Executive Committee meeting on 16 April 2014 approved the proposal to merge the preliminary qualification rounds of the FIFA World Cup and the AFC Asian Cup, which will be expanded to 24 teams starting in 2019:[17]

A total of 24 teams eliminated from World Cup qualification in the second round will compete in the third round of 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification (which will be separate from the third round of 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification), where they will be divided into six groups of four teams and compete for the remaining slots of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. The 24 teams will consist of the 16 highest ranked teams eliminated in the second round, and the eight teams that advance from the play-off round of 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification which are contested by the remaining 12 teams eliminated in the second round.[18]

Current stage (third round)

The draw for the third round was held on 12 April 2016 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[19]

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Iran 5 3 2 0 4 0 +4 11 Qualification to 2018 FIFA World Cup — 1–0 13 Jun '17 5 Sep '17 2–0 28 Mar '17
2  South Korea 5 3 1 1 8 6 +2 10 31 Aug '17 — 2–1 28 Mar '17 3–2 3–2
3  Uzbekistan 5 3 0 2 5 3 +2 9 Advance to fourth round 0–1 5 Sep '17 — 1–0 28 Mar '17 2–0
4  Syria 5 1 2 2 1 2 −1 5 0–0 0–0 23 Mar '17 — 31 Aug '17 13 Jun '17
5  Qatar 5 1 1 3 3 6 −3 4 23 Mar '17 13 Jun '17 0–1 1–0 — 5 Sep '17
6  China PR 5 0 2 3 2 6 −4 2 0–0 23 Mar '17 31 Aug '17 0–1 0–0 —
Updated to match(es) played on 15 November 2016. Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers

Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Saudi Arabia 5 3 1 1 9 5 +4 10 Qualification to 2018 FIFA World Cup — 5 Sep '17 2–2 3–0 28 Mar '17 1–0
2  Japan 5 3 1 1 8 5 +3 10 2–1 — 31 Aug '17 1–2 2–1 28 Mar '17
3  Australia 5 2 3 0 8 5 +3 9 Advance to fourth round 8 Jun '17 1–1 — 28 Mar '17 2–0 5 Sep '17
4  United Arab Emirates 5 3 0 2 7 6 +1 9 31 Aug '17 23 Mar '17 0–1 — 2–0 3–1
5  Iraq 5 1 0 4 6 8 −2 3 1–2 13 Jun '17 23 Mar '17 5 Sep '17 — 4–0
6  Thailand 5 0 1 4 3 12 −9 1 23 Mar '17 0–2 2–2 13 Jun '17 31 Aug '17 —
Updated to match(es) played on 15 November 2016. Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers

CAF

The CAF Executive Committee approved the format for the qualifiers of the 2018 FIFA World Cup on 14 January 2015.[20] However, on 9 July 2015 FIFA officially announced that only three rounds will be played instead of four.[21]

Zimbabwe, even though they entered the competition, were expelled on 12 March 2015 for their failure to pay former coach José Claudinei a severance fee.[2] Therefore, only 53 African teams were involved in the draw.

Current stage (third round)

The draw for the third round was held on 24 June 2016 at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.[22]

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  DR Congo 2 2 0 0 6 1 +5 6 Qualification to 2018 FIFA World Cup — 2 Sep '17 6 Nov '17 4–0
2  Tunisia 2 2 0 0 3 0 +3 6 28 Aug '17 — 2–0 6 Nov '17
3  Guinea 2 0 0 2 1 4 −3 0 1–2 2 Oct '17 — 28 Aug '17
4  Libya 2 0 0 2 0 5 −5 0 2 Oct '17 0–1 2 Sep '17 —
Updated to match(es) played on 13 November 2016. Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers

Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Nigeria 2 2 0 0 5 2 +3 6 Qualification to 2018 FIFA World Cup — 28 Aug '17 2 Oct '17 3–1
2  Cameroon 2 0 2 0 2 2 0 2 2 Sep '17 — 1–1 2 Oct '17
3  Zambia 2 0 1 1 2 3 −1 1 1–2 6 Nov '17 — 28 Aug '17
4  Algeria 2 0 1 1 2 4 −2 1 6 Nov '17 1–1 2 Sep '17 —
Updated to match(es) played on 12 November 2016. Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers

Group C

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Ivory Coast 2 1 1 0 3 1 +2 4 Qualification to 2018 FIFA World Cup — 6 Nov '17 2 Sep '17 3–1
2  Morocco 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0–0 — 2 Oct '17 28 Aug '17
3  Gabon 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 28 Aug '17 0–0 — 6 Nov '17
4  Mali 2 0 1 1 1 3 −2 1 2 Oct '17 2 Sep '17 0–0 —
Updated to match(es) played on 12 November 2016. Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers

Group D

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Burkina Faso 2 1 1 0 3 1 +2 4 Qualification to 2018 FIFA World Cup — 1–1 2 Sep '17 6 Nov '17
2  South Africa 2 1 1 0 3 2 +1 4 2 Oct '17 — 2–1 2 Sep '17
3  Senegal 2 1 0 1 3 2 +1 3 28 Aug '17 6 Nov '17 — 2–0
4  Cape Verde 2 0 0 2 0 4 −4 0 0–2 28 Aug '17 2 Oct '17 —
Updated to match(es) played on 12 November 2016. Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers

Group E

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Egypt 2 2 0 0 4 1 +3 6 Qualification to 2018 FIFA World Cup — 2 Sep '17 2–0 2 Oct '17
2  Uganda 2 1 1 0 1 0 +1 4 28 Aug '17 — 2 Oct '17 1–0
3  Ghana 2 0 1 1 0 2 −2 1 6 Nov '17 0–0 — 28 Aug '17
4  Congo 2 0 0 2 1 3 −2 0 1–2 6 Nov '17 2 Sep '17 —
Updated to match(es) played on 13 November 2016. Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers

CONCACAF

An amendment to the qualification process for this tournament had been suggested,[23] which would see the first three rounds played as knockout rounds, with both the fourth round and the final round (referred to as 'The Hex') played as group stages. The first round would be played during the FIFA international dates of 23–31 March 2015.[24] CONCACAF announced the full details on 12 January 2015:[25][26]

Current stage (fifth round)

The draw for the fifth round (to decide the fixtures) was held on 8 July 2016 at the CONCACAF headquarters in Miami Beach, United States.[27]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Costa Rica 2 2 0 0 6 0 +6 6 Qualification to 2018 FIFA World Cup — 5 Sep '17 7–8 Jun '17 6 Oct '17 11–12 Jun '17 4–0
2  Mexico 2 1 1 0 2 1 +1 4 24 Mar '17 — 1 Sep '17 7–8 Jun '17 6 Oct '17 11–12 Jun '17
3  Panama 2 1 1 0 1 0 +1 4 10 Oct '17 0–0 — 11–12 Jun '17 5 Sep '17 28 Mar '17
4  Honduras 2 1 0 1 3 2 +1 3 Advance to inter-confederation play-offs 28 Mar '17 10 Oct '17 0–1 — 3–1 5 Sep '17
5  Trinidad and Tobago 2 0 0 2 1 5 −4 0 0–2 28 Mar '17 24 Mar '17 1 Sep '17 — 10 Oct '17
6  United States 2 0 0 2 1 6 −5 0 1 Sep '17 1–2 6 Oct '17 24 Mar '17 7–8 Jun '17 —
Updated to match(es) played on 15 November 2016. Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers

CONMEBOL

The qualification structure is the same as the previous five editions. The ten teams will play in a league of home-and-away round-robin matches. The top four teams will qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the fifth-placed team will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs, playing the winner of the Oceania Football Confederation qualifying competition.

Unlike previous qualifying tournaments where the fixtures were pre-determined, the fixtures were decided by a draw held on 25 July 2015, at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia.[28]

Current stage

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Brazil 12 8 3 1 28 9 +19 27 Qualification to 2018 FIFA World Cup — 2–2 MD15 MD18 3–0 2–1 MD14 3–0 5–0 3–1
2  Uruguay 12 7 2 3 24 11 +13 23 MD13 — 2–1 3–0 MD15 3–0 4–0 1–0 MD18 3–0
3  Ecuador 12 6 2 4 22 16 +6 20 0–3 2–1 — 3–0 MD18 MD14 2–2 MD16 2–0 3–0
4  Chile 12 6 2 4 21 17 +4 20 2–0 3–1 MD17 — 1–2 1–1 MD15 2–1 3–0[lower-alpha 1] — 4–2
10  Venezuela 12 1 2 9 14 29 −15 5 0–2 MD17 1–3 1–4 2–2 MD15 0–1 MD13 5–0 —
Updated to match(es) played on 15 November 2016. Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. ↑ FIFA awarded Chile a 3–0 win as a result of Bolivia fielding the ineligible player Nelson Cabrera, after the match had finished 0–0. Nelson Cabrera had previously represented Paraguay and did not meet eligibility rules.[29]</ref> ng Committee In cases where teams finishing in the same position across differeMD14 ri is decided by the confederation and require the approval of FIFA (regulations Article 2 5 ).<ref name="regulations"/> In knockout format, the team that has the higher aggregate score  Argentina home over the two legs progresses. If away goals are also12 ual, then thirty minutes of [[extra time (association foo5 all)|extra time]] are played, divided into two fifteen-mi4 tes halves. The away goals rule is again applied after ex3 a time, i.e. if there are goals scored during extra time 14 the aggregate score is still level, the visiting team qu12 fies by virtue of more away goals scored. If no goals are+2 ored during extra time, the tie is decided by [[penalty 19 ot-out (association football)|penalty shoot-out]] (regulations ArticlAdvance to inter-confederation play-offs utive Committee meeting on 16 April 2014 approved the proposal to merge he preliminary qualification rounds of the FIFA World Cup and the [[AFC Asian Cu1–1 |2019]]:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.the-afc.com/executive-committee/exco-appr1–0 Cup finals|publisher=AFC|date=16 April 2014}}</ref> *'''First round''': A total0–2 tie|two legs]]. The six winners advanced to the second round. *'''Second round''MD13 o eight groups of five teams to play home-and-away [[round-ro — ament|round-robin]] matches. The eight group winners and the four best group run3–0 l as qualified for the [[2019 AFC Asian Cup]] finals. *'''Third round''': The 120–1 2014]]) which advance from the second round were divided into two groups of six MD17 qualify for the [[2018 FIFA World Cup]], and the two third-placed teams will adv2–0 of each group from the third round will play home-and-away over two legs. The wMD16 s) nter-confederation play-offs]], playing the fourth-placed CONCACAF team. A total of 24 tea 6 eliminated from World Cup qualification in the second round will compete in the [[2019 AFC Asian  Colombia l be divided into six groups of four teams and compete for th12 emaining slots of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. The 24 teams will c5 sist of the 16 highest ranked teams eliminated in the second 3 und, and the eight teams that advance from the [[2019 AFC Asi4 Cup qualification#Play-off round|play-off round of 2019 AFC 15 an Cup qualification]] which are contested by the remaining 115 eams eliminated in the second round.<ref name="fifa20150413">0 cite web|url=http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2015/m=4/n 18 world-cup-draw-looms-large-in-asia-2590022.html|title=World Cup draw loom large in Asia|publisher=FIFA.com|date=13 April 2015|quote=Completing t tournament's qualifying contenders will be the next 16 highest ranked teams, wiMD16 pots.}}</ref> ====Current stage (third round)==== {{Main|2018 FIFA World Cup qu2–2 12 April 2016 at the [[Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group#Kuala Lumpur|Mandarin Orie3–1 ://www.the-afc.com/2018-world-cup/2018-fifa-world-cup-asian-qualifying-round-3-l0–0 ne up complete|publisher=Asian Football Confederation|date=30 March 2016}}</ref>0–1 ]]''' {{2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC Third Round G — ble |show_matches=yes}} '''[[2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC Third RounMD17 e |show_matches=yes}} ===CAF=== {{Main|2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF)}2–0 of the 2018 FIFA World Cup on 14 January 2015.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.MD13 FORMAT OF 2017 AFCON QUALIFIERS AND 2018 WORLD CUP | publisher=CAFonline.com | d2–0 y 15 FIFA officially announced that only three rounds will be played instead of four.<ref nam 7 PreliminaryDrawProcedure">{{cite web | url=http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2015/m=7/news=prel  Paraguay d''': A total of 26 teams (teams ranked 28–53) played home-an12 way over [[two-legged tie|two legs]]. The 13 winners advanced4 o the [[2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Second Round|3 cond round]]. *'''Second round''': A total of 40 teams (teams5 anked 1–27 and 13 first round winners) played home-and-away o11 [[two-legged tie|two legs]]. The 20 winners advanced to the 17 018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Third Round|third roun−6 Third round''': The 20 teams which advance from the second 15 d were divided into five groups of four teams to play home-and-away [[r nd-robin tournament|round-robin]] matches. The winners of each group will qualif2–2 imbabwe]], even though they entered the competition, were expelled on 12 March 2MD16 zimbabwe"/> Therefore, only 53 African teams were involved in the draw. ====CurMD13 } The draw for the third round was held on 24 June 2016 at the CAF headquarters 2–1 up/news/y=2015/m=11/news=june-draw-for-third-round-of-african-zone-qualifiers-270–0 isher=FIFA.com|date=20 November 2015}}</ref> '''[[2018 FIFA World Cup qualifica0–1 cation – CAF Third Round Group A table |show_matches=yes}} ' — FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Third Round#Group B|Group B]]''' {{2018 FIFA 1–4 =yes}} '''[[2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Third Round#Group C|Group C2–1 e |show_matches=yes}} '''[[2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Third Round#MD18 sh _matches=yes}} '''[[2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Third Round#Group E|Group E]]' 8 {{2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Third Round Group E table |show_matches=yes}} ===CONCA  Peru Concacaf estrenará formato de eliminatoria; sigue el Hexagona12 trans-title=New format for Concacaf qualification - Hexagonal4 etained|url=http://www.espn.com.mx/news/story/_/id/2186935/co2 acaf-estrenara-formato-de-eliminatoria;-sigue-el-hexagona |pu6 isher=ESPN Mexico|date=23 September 2014 |accessdate=3 Decemb18 2014|language=Spanish}}</ref> which would see the first three20 unds played as knockout rounds, with both the fourth round an−2 al round (referred to as 'The Hex') played as group stages. 14 first round would be played during the FIFA international dates of 23– March 2015.<ref>{{cite web |title=Canada begins 2018 World Cup qualification in0–2 2018-fifa-world-cup-russia/ |publisher=[[Sportsnet]] |date=19 November 2014|acceMD14 5:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.concacaf.com/article/concacaf-to-hold-prelimina2–1 CAF to Hold Preliminary FIFA World Cup Qualifying Draw in Miami on January 15|pu3–4 ttp://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2015/01/12/usmnt-concacaf-world-cup-qualifying-sc2–2 ember of 2015|publisher=Sports Illustrated|date=12 January 2015}}</ref> *'''FirsMD18 legged tie|two legs]]. The seven winners advanced to the second round. *'''Secon1–0 und winners) played home-and-away over two legs. The ten winn — ced to the third round. *'''Third round''': A total of 12 teams (teams ranked 7–MD15 advanced to the fourth round. *'''Fourth round''': A total of 12 teams (teams ra2–2 f ur teams to play home-and-away [[round-robin tournament|round-robin]] matches. The top two 9 ms of each group advanced to the fifth round. *'''Fifth round''': The six teams which advanced fr  Bolivia am will advance to the [[2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (i12 r-confederation play-offs)|inter-confederation play-offs]], p2 ying the winner of the Asian Football Confederation play-off.1 ====Current stage (fifth round)==== {{Main|2018 FIFA World Cu9 qualification – CONCACAF Fifth Round}} The draw for the fifth10 und (to decide the fixtures) was held on 8 July 2016 at the C31 ACAF headquarters in [[Miami Beach, Florida|Miami Beach]], [[−21 tes]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.concacaf.com/article/o 7 cial-draw-scheduled-for-the-final-round-of-concacaf-qualifying-for-fifa orld-cup-russia-2018|title=Official Draw Scheduled for the Final Round of CONCACMD17 </ref> {{2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF Fifth Round table |show_ma0–2 ONMEBOL)}} The qualification structure is the same as the previous five edition2–2 ournament|round-robin]] matches. The top four teams will qualify for the [[2018 MD16 qualification (inter-confederation play-offs)|inter-confederation play-offs]], MD14 previous qualifying tournaments where the fixtures were pre-determined, the fixt2–3 Palace in [[Strelna]], [[Saint Petersburg]], Russia.<ref name="approval">{{cite1–0 w-will-determine-classifications-world-cup-and-conmebol|title=A unanimous decisi0–3[lower-alpha 2]
  2. ↑ FIFA awarded Peru a 3–0 win as a result of Bolivia fielding the ineligible player Nelson Cabrera, after Bolivia had defeated Peru 2–0. Nelson Cabrera had previously represented Paraguay and did not meet eligibility rules.<ref name='bolivia sanctioned'>"Bolivia sanctioned for fielding ineligible player". FIFA.com. 1 November 2016.

OFC

The qualification structure is as follows:[30][21]

The OFC have considered different proposals of the qualifying tournament.[31] A previous proposal adopted by the OFC in October 2014 would have the eight teams divided into two groups of four teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches in the second round, followed by the top two teams of each group advancing to the third round to play in a single group of home-and-away round-robin matches to decide the winner of the 2016 OFC Nations Cup which would qualify to the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.[32] However, it was later reported in April 2015 that the OFC had reversed its decision, and the 2016 OFC Nations Cup was played as a one-off tournament similar to the 2012 OFC Nations Cup.[33]

Current stage (third round)

The draw for the third round was held on 8 July 2016 at the OFC headquarters in Auckland, New Zealand.[34]

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  New Zealand 2 1 1 0 2 0 +2 4 Advance to OFC Final match — 2–0 28 Mar '17
2  New Caledonia 2 0 1 1 0 2 −2 1 0–0 — 13 Jun '17
3  Fiji 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 Mar '17 5 Jun '17 —
Updated to match(es) played on 15 November 2016. Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers

Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Tahiti 2 1 0 1 1 1 0 3 Advance to OFC Final match — 1–0 27 Mar '17
2  Solomon Islands 2 1 0 1 1 1 0 3 1–0 — 5 Jun '17
3  Papua New Guinea 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 Mar '17 13 Jun '17 —
Updated to match(es) played on 13 November 2016. Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers

Final

Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Third round Group A/B winner Third round Group A/B winner 28 Aug '17 5 Sep '17

UEFA

Russia have qualified automatically as hosts. The qualifying format for the remaining FIFA-affiliated UEFA teams was confirmed by the UEFA Executive Committee meeting on 22–23 March 2015 in Vienna.[35][36] The draw for the UEFA zone took place on 25 July 2015 in St. Petersburg.[37][21]

With the admission of Gibraltar and Kosovo as FIFA members in May 2016, both national teams were eligible to make their debuts in World Cup qualifying.[6] With two groups of only five teams in the first round, Kosovo was assigned to group I as it was decided that Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia should not play against Kosovo for security reasons, and Gibraltar was then added to group H.[7][8]

Current stage (first round)

The draw for the first round was held on 25 July 2015, at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia.[21]

 Qualification to 2018 FIFA World Cup
 Possible advancement to Second round (play-offs). The eight best runners-up across all groups will advance to the Second round (play-offs).
Group A Group B Group C
Pos Team Pld Pts
1  France 4 10
2  Netherlands 4 7
3  Sweden 4 7
4  Bulgaria 4 6
5  Belarus 4 2
6  Luxembourg 4 1
Updated to match(es) played on 13 November 2016.
Source: FIFA
Pos Team Pld Pts
1   Switzerland 4 12
2  Portugal 4 9
3  Hungary 4 7
4  Faroe Islands 4 4
5  Latvia 4 3
6  Andorra 4 0
Updated to match(es) played on 13 November 2016.
Source: FIFA
Pos Team Pld Pts
1  Germany 4 12
2  Northern Ireland 4 7
3  Azerbaijan 4 7
4  Czech Republic 4 5
5  Norway 4 3
6  San Marino 4 0
Updated to match(es) played on 11 November 2016.
Source: FIFA
Group D Group E Group F
Pos Team Pld Pts
1  Republic of Ireland 4 10
2  Serbia 4 8
3  Wales 4 6
4  Austria 4 4
5  Georgia 4 2
6  Moldova 4 1
Updated to match(es) played on 12 November 2016.
Source: FIFA
Pos Team Pld Pts
1  Poland 4 10
2  Montenegro 4 7
3  Denmark 4 6
4  Romania 4 5
5  Armenia 4 3
6  Kazakhstan 4 2
Updated to match(es) played on 11 November 2016.
Source: FIFA
Pos Team Pld Pts
1  England 4 10
2  Slovenia 4 8
3  Slovakia 4 6
4  Lithuania 4 5
5  Scotland 4 4
6  Malta 4 0
Updated to match(es) played on 11 November 2016.
Source: FIFA
Group G Group H Group I
Pos Team Pld Pts
1  Spain 4 10
2  Italy 4 10
3  Israel 4 9
4  Albania 4 6
5  Macedonia 4 0
6  Liechtenstein 4 0
Updated to match(es) played on 12 November 2016.
Source: FIFA
Pos Team Pld Pts
1  Belgium 4 12
2  Greece 4 10
3  Bosnia and Herzegovina 4 7
4  Cyprus 4 3
5  Estonia 4 3
6  Gibraltar 4 0
Updated to match(es) played on 13 November 2016.
Source: FIFA
Pos Team Pld Pts
1  Croatia 4 10
2  Ukraine 4 8
3  Iceland 4 7
4  Turkey 4 5
5  Finland 4 1
6  Kosovo 4 1
Updated to match(es) played on 12 November 2016.
Source: FIFA
Ranking of runners-up
Pos Grp Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 H  Greece 3 2 1 0 5 1 +4 7 Advance to second round (play-offs)
2 G  Italy 3 2 1 0 7 4 +3 7
3 B  Portugal 3 2 0 1 10 3 +7 6
4 D  Serbia 3 1 2 0 6 5 +1 5
5 I  Ukraine 3 1 2 0 4 3 +1 5
6 F  Slovenia 3 1 2 0 3 2 +1 5
7 A  Netherlands 3 1 1 1 5 3 +2 4
8 C  Northern Ireland 3 1 1 1 4 2 +2 4
9 E  Montenegro 3 1 1 1 4 4 0 4
Updated to match(es) played on 13 November 2016. Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: 1) Points from matches against teams ranked first to fifth in the group; 2) Goal difference from these matches; 3) Goals scored in these matches.[38]

Inter-confederation play-offs

The inter-confederation play-offs are scheduled to be played between 6–14 November 2017.[39]

The matchups were decided at the preliminary draw which was held on 25 July 2015, at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia.[21]

CONCACAF v AFC

Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
CONCACAF 4th place Play-off 1 AFC 5th place 6 Nov '17 14 Nov '17

OFC v CONMEBOL

Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
OFC 1st place Play-off 2 CONMEBOL 5th place 6 Nov '17 14 Nov '17

Top goalscorers

Updated as of all matches played on 15 November 2016

Note: Players in bold are still active in the competition.

15 goals
14 goals
9 goals
8 goals
7 goals

References

  1. ↑ "Road to Russia with new milestone". FIFA.com. 15 January 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Zimbabwe expelled from the preliminary competition of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia". FIFA.com. 12 March 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Impact of Football Association of Indonesia suspension". AFC. 3 June 2015.
  4. ↑ "Modest Bhutan begin World Cup adventure". FIFA.com. 11 March 2015.
  5. ↑ "South Sudan's World Cup debut ended early by rain". bbc.co.uk. 7 October 2015.
  6. 1 2 "FIFA Congress drives football forward, first female secretary general appointed". FIFA.com. 13 May 2016.
  7. 1 2 "Kosovo to play in Group I in European Qualifiers". uefa.org. Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). 9 June 2016.
  8. 1 2 "Kosovo and Gibraltar assigned to 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying groups". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). 9 June 2016.
  9. ↑ "Organising Committee for the FIFA World Cup extends its responsibilities to cover 2018 and 2022". FIFA.com. 19 March 2013.
  10. ↑ "Konstantinovsky Palace to stage Preliminary Draw of the 2018 FIFA World Cup". FIFA.com. 10 October 2014.
  11. ↑ "Ethics: Executive Committee unanimously supports recommendation to publish report on 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup™ bidding process". FIFA.com. 19 December 2014.
  12. ↑ "Long road to Russia begins in Dili". FIFA.com. 11 March 2015.
  13. ↑ "2022 FIFA World Cup to be played in November/December". FIFA.com. 20 March 2015.
  14. ↑ "Current allocation of FIFA World Cup™ confederation slots maintained". FIFA.com. 30 May 2015.
  15. ↑ "Suspension of the Kuwait Football Association". FIFA.com. 16 October 2015.
  16. 1 2 3 4 "Regulations – 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia" (PDF). FIFA.com.
  17. ↑ "ExCo approves expanded AFC Asian Cup finals". AFC. 16 April 2014.
  18. ↑ "World Cup draw looms large in Asia". FIFA.com. 13 April 2015. Completing the tournament's qualifying contenders will be the next 16 highest ranked teams, with the remaining 12 sides battling it out in play-off matches to claim the last eight spots.
  19. ↑ "2018 FIFA World Cup: Asian Qualifying Round 3 line up complete". Asian Football Confederation. 30 March 2016.
  20. ↑ "FORMAT OF 2017 AFCON QUALIFIERS AND 2018 WORLD CUP". CAFonline.com. 22 January 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 "Preliminary Draw procedures outlined". fifa.com. 9 July 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  22. ↑ "June draw for third round of African Zone qualifiers". FIFA.com. 20 November 2015.
  23. ↑ "Concacaf estrenará formato de eliminatoria; sigue el Hexagonal" [New format for Concacaf qualification - Hexagonal retained] (in Spanish). ESPN Mexico. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  24. ↑ "Canada begins 2018 World Cup qualification in June". Sportsnet. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  25. ↑ "CONCACAF to Hold Preliminary FIFA World Cup Qualifying Draw in Miami on January 15". CONCACAF. 12 January 2015.
  26. ↑ "USMNT to start 2018 World Cup qualifying in November of 2015". Sports Illustrated. 12 January 2015.
  27. ↑ "Official Draw Scheduled for the Final Round of CONCACAF Qualifying for FIFA World Cup Russia 2018". CONCACAF.com. 1 July 2016.
  28. ↑ "A unanimous decision: A draw will determine the classifications for the World Cup and CONMEBOL Tournaments". CONMEBOL.com. 23 January 2015.
  29. ↑
  30. ↑ "Preliminary competition format outlined". Oceania Football Confederation. 10 July 2015.
  31. ↑ "OFC Executive Committee decisions". OFC. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  32. ↑ "OFC Executive Committee outcomes". Oceania Football Confederation. 20 October 2014. Archived from the original on 5 July 2015.
  33. ↑ "Football: Heat goes on NZ after switch". New Zealand Herald. 12 April 2015.
  34. ↑ "Stage 3 draw complete". Oceania Football Confederation.
  35. ↑ "Executive Committee date in Vienna". UEFA.org. 21 March 2015.
  36. ↑ "New distribution concept for club competitions approved". UEFA.org. 23 March 2015.
  37. ↑ "UEFA 2018 Qualifying Format". ESPN.co.uk. 23 March 2015.
  38. ↑ "Competition format - FIFA World Cup - News - UEFA.com". uefa.com. UEFA. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  39. ↑ "FIFA Calendar". FIFA.com.

External links

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