FIFA World Cup qualification

FIFA World Cup qualification
Founded1933; 91 years ago (1933)
RegionInternational (FIFA)
Number of teams211 (currently eligible)
215 (overall)
WebsiteOfficial website
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

The FIFA World Cup qualification is a set of competitive matches that a national association football team plays in order to qualify for one of the available berths at the final tournament of the men's FIFA World Cup.

Qualifying tournaments are held within the six FIFA continental zones, each organized by their respective confederations: AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean), CONMEBOL (South America), OFC (Oceania), and UEFA (Europe). For each World Cup, FIFA decides the number of places in the finals allocated to each of the zones, based on the numbers and relative strengths of the confederations' teams.

As a courtesy, the host receives an automatic berth selection, as has happened with the immediate past tournament winner during much of the competition's history. All other finalists are determined on a standalone qualifying round achievement without regard to previous achievements.

History

The berths for the inaugural 1930 tournament were filled by invitation only. The 1934 one was the first one to have an actual qualifying phase. The first ever World Cup qualifying match was played on 11 June 1933, when Sweden defeated Estonia 6–2 in Stockholm, and the first goal was scored 7 minutes into the game, with some sources attributing it to Swedish captain Knut Kroon while others[which?] credit it as an own goal by the Estonian goalkeeper Evald Tipner.

The number of teams entering qualification stages has increased steadily, and in response the final tournament has also been expanded (having 16 teams until 1978, then 24 between 1982 and 1994, then 32 between 1998 and 2022, and finally 48 from 2026 onwards). While the format of the qualifying tournaments has evolved, teams have always been grouped into zones which have remained relatively unchanged and roughly correspond to the continents. The teams from each zone compete for a fixed number of berths for the zone, with a limited number of places being awarded to winners of intercontinental play-offs.

Qualification berths by continent

The table below lists the numbers of berths allocated by FIFA for each continent in each tournament. It also shows the total number of teams that entered and played in every qualification cycle.

In the table, "H" denotes an automatic spot for the host, "C" denotes an automatic spot for the defending champion, and "inv" indicates the number of teams that were invited in 1930. Places in intercontinental play-offs are represented as fractions, as follows:

  • 0.5 – a place in a direct play-off
  • 0.25 – a place in a semi-final play-off (where the winner would then face yet another team for a spot in the finals)
  • 13 – a place in a play-off tournament where two out of six teams would qualify
Places allocated for continents
Uruguay
1930
Italy
1934
France
1938
Brazil
1950
Switzerland
1954
Sweden
1958
Chile
1962
England
1966
Mexico
1970
West Germany
1974
Argentina
1978
Spain
1982
Mexico
1986
Italy
1990
United States
1994
Europe 4 inv 12 11
+H+C
7
+C
11
+H
9
+H+C
8+
2×0.5
9
+H
8
+C
8.5
+H
8.5
+C
13
+H
12.5
+C
13
+H
12
+C
Africa 1 0 1 0.5 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 3
Asia 1 1 1 0.5 1 1 1 2 2 2 2
Oceania 0 0 0 0 0.5 0.5 0.25
North and Central America
and Caribbean
2 inv 1 1 2 1 1 0.5 1 1
+H
1 1 2 1
+H
2 1.25
+H
South America H+
6 inv
2 1 4
+H
1
+C
3 3.5
+H+C
3
+C
3 2.5
+C
2.5
+H
3
+C
4 2.5
+C
3.5
Total berths 13 16 16 16 24
Teams in the finals 15 13
Entered qualification 32 34 32 37 51 54 69 69 97 105 107 119 111 145
Played in qualification 27 21 19 33 46 49 51 68 90 95 103 110 103 128
Qualified via qualification 14 10 9 13 14 14 14 14 14 14 22 22 22 22
Qualified without playing 13 2 6 7 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
France
1998
South Korea
Japan
2002
Germany
2006
South Africa
2010
Brazil
2014
Russia
2018
Qatar
2022
Canada
Mexico
United States
2026
Morocco
Portugal
Spain
2030
Saudi Arabia
2034
Europe 14
+H
13.5
+C
13
+H
13 13 13
+H
13 16 2H
Africa 5 5 5 5
+H
5 5 5 9+13 H
Asia 3.5 2.5
+2H
4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5
+H
8+13 H
Oceania 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 1+13
North and Central America
and Caribbean
3 3 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3+
13
+3H
South America 4
+C
4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5
+H
4.5 4.5 6+13 3H
Total berths 32 48
Teams in the finals
Entered qualification 172 196 197 205 203 210 211
Played in qualification 168 193 194 199 202 208 204
Qualified via qualification 30 29 31 31 31 31 31 45 42 47
Qualified without playing 2 3 1 1 1 1 1 3 6 1
Notes
  1. ^ Berths were given by invitation only.
  2. ^ a b Actually the berths were taken by 10 European teams and no African or Asian ones. After Israel won the African/Asian zone without playing due to withdrawals of other teams, a special play-off was arranged between them and a European team, Wales, and was won by the latter.
  3. ^ a b c d e None entered.
  4. ^ No teams from the region were members of FIFA before 1950.
  5. ^ Austria withdrew after having qualified.
  6. ^ India, Scotland and Turkey withdrew after having qualified. France initially accepted to participate as a replacement but then withdrew as well.
  7. ^ a b Includes all teams that entered qualification, even if they withdrew or were excluded afterwards, or qualified by walkover. Does not include pre-determined automatic qualifiers.
  8. ^ a b Only includes teams that played at least one qualifying match that was not annulled.
  9. ^ a b Including host South Africa and non-FIFA member Tuvalu, which participated because other tournaments also served as World Cup qualifiers.
  10. ^ a b Including host Qatar, which participated because another tournament also served as World Cup qualifiers.

First appearance in qualification by team

Only teams that played at least one match are considered for first appearance. Teams that withdrew before the qualification, or that qualified to the World Cup by walkover due to other teams' withdrawals, are not considered.

Year Debuting teams Successor and renamed teams
Europe South America North, Central America and Caribbean Asia Africa Oceania T CT
Italy
1934
 Austria
 Belgium
 Bulgaria
 Czechoslovakia
 Estonia
 France
 Germany
 Greece
 Hungary
 Irish Free State
 Italy
 Lithuania
 Luxembourg
 Netherlands
 Poland
 Portugal
 Romania
 Spain
 Sweden
  Switzerland
 Yugoslavia
none  Cuba
 Haiti
 Mexico
 United States
 Palestine, British Mandate  Egypt none 27 27
France
1938
 Finland
 Latvia
 Norway
none none none none none 3 30
Brazil
1950
 England
 Ireland
 Scotland
 Turkey
 Wales
none none  Syria none none 6 36  Ireland
 Israel
Switzerland
1954
 Saar  Brazil
 Chile
 Paraguay
none  Japan
 South Korea
none none 6 42  Northern Ireland
 Republic of Ireland
 West Germany
Sweden
1958
 Denmark
 East Germany
 Iceland
 Soviet Union
 Argentina
 Bolivia
 Colombia
 Peru
 Uruguay
 Canada
 Costa Rica
 Guatemala
 Territory of Curaçao
 China
 Indonesia
 Sudan none 16 58
Chile
1962
 Cyprus  Ecuador  Dutch Guiana
 Honduras
none  Ethiopia
 Ghana
 Morocco
 Nigeria
 Tunisia
none 9 67  Netherlands Antilles
England
1966
 Albania  Venezuela  Jamaica
 Trinidad and Tobago
 North Korea none  Australia 6 73
Mexico
1970
none none  Bermuda
 El Salvador
none  Algeria
 Cameroon
 Libya
 Rhodesia
 Senegal
 Zambia
 New Zealand 9 82
West Germany
1974
 Malta none  Antigua and Barbuda
 Puerto Rico
 Hong Kong
 Iran
 Iraq
 Kuwait
 Malaysia
 South Vietnam
 Thailand
 Congo
 Dahomey
 Guinea
 Ivory Coast
 Kenya
 Lesotho
 Mauritius
 Sierra Leone
 Tanzania
 Togo
 Zaire
none 21 103
Argentina
1978
none none  Barbados
 Dominican Republic
 Guyana
 Panama
 Bahrain
 Qatar
 Republic of China
 Saudi Arabia
 Singapore
 Malawi
 Mauritania
 Niger
 Uganda
 Upper Volta
none 14 117  Suriname
Spain
1982
none none  Grenada  Macau  Gambia
 Liberia
 Madagascar
 Mozambique
 Somalia
 Fiji 8 125  Chinese Taipei
 Zimbabwe
Mexico
1986
none none none  Bangladesh
 Brunei
 Jordan
 India
   Nepal
 North Yemen
 South Yemen
 United Arab Emirates
 Angola none 9 134  Benin
Italy
1990
none none none  Oman
 Pakistan
 Gabon none 3 137  Burkina Faso
United States
1994
 Faroe Islands
 San Marino
none  Nicaragua
 Saint Lucia
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
 Lebanon
 Sri Lanka
 Botswana
 Burundi
 Namibia
 South Africa
 Swaziland
 Solomon Islands
 Tahiti
 Vanuatu
15 152  Germany
 Representation of Czechs and Slovaks
 Russia
 Vietnam
 Yemen
France
1998
 Armenia
 Azerbaijan
 Belarus
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
 Croatia
 Georgia
 Liechtenstein
 Macedonia
 Moldova
 Slovenia
 Ukraine
none  Aruba
 Belize
 Cayman Islands
 Dominica
 Saint Kitts and Nevis
 Cambodia
 Kazakhstan
 Kyrgyzstan
 Maldives
 Philippines
 Tajikistan
 Turkmenistan
 Uzbekistan
 Guinea-Bissau
 Rwanda
 Cook Islands
 Papua New Guinea
 Tonga
 Western Samoa
31 183  Czech Republic
 Slovakia
 DR Congo
 FR Yugoslavia
South KoreaJapan
2002
 Andorra none  Anguilla
 Bahamas
 British Virgin Islands
 Montserrat
 Turks and Caicos Islands
 U.S. Virgin Islands
 Guam
 Laos
 Mongolia
 Palestine
 Cape Verde
 Central African Republic
 Chad
 Djibouti
 Equatorial Guinea
 Eritrea
 Mali
 São Tomé and Príncipe
 Seychelles
 American Samoa 21 204  Samoa
Germany
2006
none none none  Afghanistan none  New Caledonia 2 206  Serbia and Montenegro
South Africa
2010
 Montenegro none none  Myanmar
 Timor-Leste
 Comoros  Tuvalu 5 211  Serbia
Brazil
2014
none none none none none none 0 211  Curaçao
Russia
2018
 Gibraltar
 Kosovo
none none  Bhutan  South Sudan none 4 215
Qatar
2022
none none none none none none 0 215  Eswatini
 North Macedonia
CanadaMexicoUnited States
2026
none none none none none none 0 215
Teams' entries before their actual debuts in qualification
  1. ^ a b c d e f Participated in the 1930 World Cup by invitation.
  2. ^ Withdrew from the 1934 qualification before playing.
  3. ^ Participated in the 1930 World Cup by invitation. Qualified by walkover for the 1934 and 1938 finals. Qualified automatically for the 1950 World Cup as host.
  4. ^ Participated in the 1930 World Cup by invitation. Withdrew from the 1934 qualification before playing. Qualified by walkover for the 1950 finals.
  5. ^ a b Participated in the 1930 World Cup by invitation. Qualified by walkover for the 1950 finals.
  6. ^ a b c d e Withdrew from the 1938 qualification before playing.
  7. ^ Participated in the 1930 World Cup by invitation. Qualified by walkover for the 1934 finals. Withdrew from the 1938 and 1950 qualifications before playing.
  8. ^ Participated in the 1930 World Cup by invitation. Withdrew from the 1934, 1950, and 1954 qualifications before playing.
  9. ^ Participated in the 1930 World Cup as host. Qualified by walkover for the 1950 finals. Qualified automatically for the 1954 finals as defending champion.
  10. ^ Qualified by walkover for the 1938 finals (entered as the  Dutch East Indies). Withdrew from the 1950 qualification before playing.
  11. ^ a b Withdrew from the 1958 qualification before playing.
  12. ^ Withdrew from the 1950 qualification before playing.
  13. ^ a b c d e f Withdrew from the 1966 qualification before playing.
  14. ^ Withdrew from the 1954 and 1958 qualifications before playing.
  15. ^ Withdrew from the 1974 qualification before playing (entered as the  Malagasy Republic).
  16. ^ Qualified by walkover for the 1950 finals, and subsequently withdrew from participation. Withdrew from the 1974 qualification before playing.
  17. ^ Withdrew from the 1978 qualification before playing.
  18. ^ Withdrew from the 1986 qualification before playing.
  19. ^ Withdrew from the 1966 and 1974 qualifications before playing.
  20. ^ Withdrew during the 1986 qualification and had all its matches of that campaign annulled.
  21. ^ Withdrew from the 1974 and 1978 qualifications before playing (entered in 1974 as  Ceylon).
  22. ^ a b c Withdrew from the 1994 qualification before playing.
  23. ^ a b Withdrew from the 1990 qualification before playing.
  24. ^ Withdrew from the 1950 and 1974 qualifications before playing.
  25. ^ Withdrew from the 1998 qualification before playing.
  26. ^ Withdrew from the 1978 qualification before playing. Was disqualified from the 1982 qualification before playing.
  27. ^ Withdrew from the 1966, 1994 and 1998 qualifications before playing.
  28. ^ Withdrew from the 1950, 1994, and 2002 qualifications before playing (entered in 1950 as  Burma).
  29. ^ Withdrew from the 2010 qualification before playing.
Successor and renamed teams
  1. ^ a b c d The Czechoslovakia team was officially renamed as the Representation of Czechs and Slovaks during the 1994 qualification and was then succeeded by the Czech Republic and Slovakia from the 1998 qualification.
  2. ^ a b c Germany was succeeded from the 1954 qualification by West Germany, which in turn was succeeded by the reunified Germany from the 1994 qualification.
  3. ^ a b c The Irish Free State was succeeded in the 1950 qualification by Ireland, which became officially known as the Republic of Ireland from the 1954 qualification.
  4. ^ a b c d Yugoslavia was succeeded from the 1998 qualification by FR Yugoslavia, which was renamed as Serbia and Montenegro for the 2006 qualification and was then succeeded by Serbia from the 2010 qualification.
  5. ^ a b Mandatory Palestine was succeeded by Israel from the 1950 qualification.
  6. ^ Egypt was later succeeded by the  United Arab Republic, a political union with Syria, which entered the 1962 qualification, but withdrew before playing. Then Egypt continued independently but retained the name "United Arab Republic", under which it entered the 1966 qualification and also withdrew before playing. It was renamed back as "Egypt" from the 1974 qualification.
  7. ^ a b Ireland was succeeded by Northern Ireland from the 1954 qualification.
  8. ^ a b The Soviet Union was succeeded by Russia from the 1994 qualification.
  9. ^ a b c The Territory of Curaçao was succeeded from the 1962 qualification by the Netherlands Antilles, which in turn was succeeded by Curaçao from the 2014 qualification.
  10. ^ a b Dutch Guiana was succeeded by Suriname from the 1978 qualification.
  11. ^ a b Rhodesia was succeeded by Zimbabwe from the 1982 qualification.
  12. ^ a b South Vietnam was succeeded by Vietnam from the 1994 qualification.
  13. ^ a b Dahomey was renamed as Benin from the 1986 qualification.
  14. ^ a b Zaire was renamed as DR Congo during the 1998 qualification.
  15. ^ a b The Republic of China became officially known as Chinese Taipei from the 1982 qualification.
  16. ^ a b Upper Volta was renamed as Burkina Faso from the 1990 qualification.
  17. ^ a b North Yemen was succeeded by Yemen from the 1994 qualification.
  18. ^ a b Swaziland was renamed as Eswatini from the 2022 qualification.
  19. ^ a b Macedonia was renamed as North Macedonia from the 2022 qualification.
  20. ^ a b Western Samoa was renamed as Samoa from the 2002 qualification.
Other notes
  1. ^ Italy had to qualify for the 1934 tournament despite being the host.
  2. ^ Tuvalu, a non-FIFA member, formally could not enter the 2010 World Cup, but the team participated in the 2007 South Pacific Games which doubled as a stage of the qualification for that World Cup, and the team's results did count in determining advancement from that stage.

Overview of teams' participations

The below table shows how every team has participated in each World Cup qualification.

Key

  • golden background = successful qualifying campaign
  • grey background = did not take part in qualifying
  • bold red typeface = participated in the final tournament
Q Qualified
w Qualified, then withdrew from the finals (Austria in 1938, and Scotland and Turkey in 1950)
n Did not qualify
w Withdrew during qualifying
d Was disqualified during qualifying
H Qualified automatically as host but took part in qualifiers as they doubled as another tournament (South Africa in 2010 and Qatar in 2022)
\ Was not a FIFA member but took part in qualifiers as they doubled as another tournament (Tuvalu in 2010)
b Received bye to the finals
B Received bye to the finals, then withdrew (India in 1950)
H Qualified automatically as host
C Qualified automatically as reigning champion
i Was invited to the finals (all finalists in 1930 except Uruguay)
w Entered but withdrew before playing, or withdrew during qualifying and had all matches annulled
d Entered but was disqualified before playing, or was disqualified during qualifying and had all matches annulled
s Was suspended from entering, or had entry rejected
Did not enter despite being a FIFA member
Was not a FIFA member
Team 19
30
19
34
19
38
19
50
19
54
19
58
19
62
19
66
19
70
19
74
19
78
19
82
19
86
19
90
19
94
19
98
20
02
20
06
20
10
20
14
20
18
20
22
20
26
20
30
20
34
Current
confederation
 Afghanistan n n n n n AFC
 Albania n s n n n n n n n n n n n n UEFA
 Algeria w n n n Q Q n n n n n Q Q n n CAF
 American Samoa n n n n n w OFC
 Andorra n n n n n n UEFA
 Angola n n n n n Q n n n n CAF
 Anguilla n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Antigua and Barbuda n n n n n n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Argentina i b w w Q Q Q n Q H C Q C Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q H CONMEBOL
 Armenia n n n n n n n UEFA
 Aruba n n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Australia n n Q n n n n n n n Q Q Q Q Q AFC
 Austria Q w w Q Q n n n Q Q n Q n Q n n n n n n UEFA
 Azerbaijan n n n n n n n UEFA
 Bahamas w n n n w n n CONCACAF
 Bahrain n n n w n n n n n n n n AFC
 Bangladesh n n n n n n n n n n AFC
 Barbados n w n n n n n n d n CONCACAF
 Belarus n n n n n n n UEFA
 Belgium i Q Q w Q n n n Q n n Q Q Q Q Q Q n n Q Q Q UEFA
 Belize s n n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Benin (1978–)
 Dahomey (1970–1974)
n n n n n n n n n CAF
 Bermuda n n w n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Bhutan w n n n AFC
 Bolivia i b s n n n n n n n n n Q n n n n n n n CONMEBOL
 Bosnia and Herzegovina n n n n Q n n UEFA
 Botswana n n n n n n n CAF
 Brazil i b b H Q Q C C Q C Q Q Q Q Q C Q Q Q H Q Q CONMEBOL
 British Virgin Islands n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Brunei n n s n n n AFC
 Bulgaria w n n n Q Q Q Q n n Q n Q Q n n n n n n UEFA
 Burkina Faso (1986–)
 Upper Volta (1970–1982)
n n w n n n n n n n CAF
 Burundi n w w n n n n n CAF
 Cambodia n n n n n n n AFC
 Cameroon w n n n Q n Q Q Q Q n Q Q n Q CAF
 Canada n w n n n n Q n n n n n n n n Q H CONCACAF
 Cape Verde n n n n n n CAF
 Cayman Islands n n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Central African Republic w d n w w n n n CAF
 Chad n n n n n n CAF
 Chile i w b n n H Q n Q n Q n n s Q n n Q Q n n CONMEBOL
 China n n n n n n Q n n n n n AFC
 Chinese Taipei (1982–)
 Republic of China (1954–1978)
w w n n n n n n n n n n n n AFC
 Colombia w n Q n n n n n n Q Q Q n n n Q Q n CONMEBOL
 Comoros n n n n CAF
 Congo s n n n n n n n n n n CAF
 Cook Islands n n n n n n w OFC
 Costa Rica w s n n n n n n n n Q n n Q Q n Q Q Q CONCACAF
 Croatia Q Q Q n Q Q Q UEFA
 Cuba n b n s n s n n n w n n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Curaçao (2014–)
 Netherlands Antilles (1962–2010)
 Territory of Curaçao (1934–1958)
n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Cyprus w n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n UEFA
 Czech Republic (1998–)
 Representation of Czechs and Slovaks (1994)
 Czechoslovakia (1930–1994)
Q Q Q Q Q n Q n n Q n Q n n n Q n n n n UEFA
 Denmark n n n n n n Q n n Q Q n Q n Q Q UEFA
 Djibouti n n n n n CAF
 Dominica n n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Dominican Republic n n n n n n n n n CONCACAF
 DR Congo (1998–)
 Zaire (1974–1998)
s Q w n n n n n n n n n n CAF
 East Germany n n n n Q n n n n defunct
 Ecuador w n n n n n n n n n n Q Q n Q n Q CONMEBOL
 Egypt Q w n w w w n n n n Q n n n n n n Q n CAF
 El Salvador w Q n n Q n n n n n n n n n n CONCACAF
 England Q Q Q Q H C n n Q Q Q n Q Q Q Q Q Q Q UEFA
 Equatorial Guinea n n n n n n CAF
 Eritrea n n w n n n w CAF
 Estonia n n n n n n n n n n UEFA
 Eswatini (2022–)
 Swaziland (1982–2018)
n n n n n n n n CAF
 Ethiopia s n w n n n n n n n n d n n n CAF
 Faroe Islands n n n n n n n n UEFA
 Fiji n n n n n n n n n n OFC
 Finland n w n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n UEFA
 France i Q H n Q Q n Q n n Q Q Q n n H C Q Q Q Q Q UEFA
 Gabon w w n n n n n n n n n CAF
 Gambia n n w n n n n n n n CAF
 Georgia n n n n n n n UEFA
 Germany (1994–)
 West Germany (1950–1990)
 Germany (1930–1938)
Q Q s Q C Q Q Q H C Q Q Q C Q Q H Q Q Q Q UEFA
 Ghana n w n n n w n n n n n Q Q Q n Q CAF
 Gibraltar n n UEFA
 Greece w n n n n n n n n n n n Q n n n Q Q n n UEFA
 Grenada n w n n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Guam n w w n n n AFC
 Guatemala n n s n n n n n n n n n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Guinea w s n n n n n n n d n n n n n CAF
 Guinea-Bissau n n n n n n n CAF
 Guyana n n n n n n d n n n n n CONCACAF
 Haiti n n n Q n n n n n n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Honduras n n n n w Q n n n n n n Q Q n n CONCACAF
 Hong Kong n n n n n n n n n n n n n AFC
 Hungary Q Q b Q Q Q n n Q Q Q n n n n n n n n n UEFA
 Iceland s n n n n n n n n n n n n Q n UEFA
 India B s w n w n n n n n n n n AFC
 Indonesia b w w w n n n n n n n n n n n d n AFC
 Iran n Q w d n n Q n Q n Q Q Q AFC
 Iraq n w n Q n n n n n n n n n AFC
 Israel (1950–)
 Palestine, British Mandate (1930–1938)
n n n n n n n Q n n n n n n n n n n n n n UEFA
 Italy Q C C Q n Q Q Q Q Q Q C H Q Q Q Q Q Q n n UEFA
 Ivory Coast n n n n n n n Q Q Q n n CAF
 Jamaica n n w n d n n Q n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Japan w s n n n n n n n n n Q H Q Q Q Q Q AFC
 Jordan n n n n n n n n n n AFC
 Kazakhstan n n n n n n n UEFA
 Kenya n n n n n n n n n n n n n CAF
 Kosovo n n UEFA
 Kuwait n n Q n n n n n n n n d n AFC
 Kyrgyzstan n n n n n n n AFC
 Laos n n n n n n AFC
 Latvia n n n n n n n n n UEFA
 Lebanon w n n n n n n n n AFC
 Lesotho n n w w n n n n n n CAF
 Liberia w n n n w n n n n n n n CAF
 Libya w n n w n w d n n n n n n CAF
 Liechtenstein w n n n n n n n UEFA
 Lithuania n n n n n n n n n n UEFA
 Luxembourg n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n UEFA
 Macau n n n n n n n n n n n AFC
 Madagascar w n n n n n n n n n n CAF
 Malawi n n n n w n n n n n n n CAF
 Malaysia n n n n n n n n n n n n n AFC
 Maldives w n n n n n n n n AFC
 Mali w w w n n n n n n CAF
 Malta n n n n n n n n n n n n n UEFA
 Mauritania n w n n n n n n CAF
 Mauritius n n s n n n n w n n CAF
 Mexico i n w Q Q Q Q Q H n Q n H d Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q H CONCACAF
 Moldova n n n n n n n UEFA
 Mongolia n n n n n n n AFC
 Montenegro n n n n UEFA
 Montserrat n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Morocco n w Q w n n Q n Q Q n n n n Q Q H CAF
 Mozambique n s n n n n n n n n CAF
 Myanmar w w w s n n n n AFC
 Namibia n n n n n n n n CAF
   Nepal n n n n w n n n n AFC
 Netherlands Q Q n n n n Q Q n n Q Q Q n Q Q Q n Q UEFA
 New Caledonia n n n n n OFC
 New Zealand n n n Q n n n n n n Q n n n OFC
 Nicaragua n n n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Niger n n w n w n n n n n CAF
 Nigeria n w n n n n n n Q Q Q n Q Q Q n CAF
 North Korea Q d n w n n n n n Q n n w AFC
 North Macedonia (2022–)
 Macedonia (1998–2018)
n n n n n n n UEFA
 Northern Ireland (1954–)
 Ireland (1950)
n n Q n n n n n Q Q n n n n n n n n n UEFA
 Norway Q n n n n n n n n n n Q Q n n n n n n UEFA
 Oman w n n n n n n n n n AFC
 Pakistan n n n n n n n n n AFC
 Palestine n n n n n n AFC
 Panama n n n n n n n n n n Q n CONCACAF
 Papua New Guinea n n n n n OFC
 Paraguay i b n Q n n n n n n Q n n Q Q Q Q n n n H CONMEBOL
 Peru i w w w n n n Q n Q Q n n n n n n n n Q n CONMEBOL
 Philippines w s w n n n n n AFC
 Poland n Q w n n n n Q Q Q Q n n n Q Q n n Q Q UEFA
 Portugal n n n n n n Q n n n n Q n n n Q Q Q Q Q Q H UEFA
 Puerto Rico n n n n n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Qatar n n n n n n n n n n n H AFC
 Republic of Ireland (1954–)
 Ireland (1950)
 Irish Free State (1930–1938)
n n n n n n n n n n n n Q Q n Q n n n n n UEFA
 Romania i Q b n n w n Q n n n n Q Q Q n n n n n n UEFA
 Russia (1994–)
 Soviet Union (1950–1990)
Q Q Q Q d n Q Q Q Q n Q n n Q H d UEFA
 Rwanda w n n n n n n n CAF
 Saar n defunct
 Saint Kitts and Nevis n n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Saint Lucia n n n n n n n w CONCACAF
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines n n n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Samoa (2002–)
 Western Samoa (1990–1998)
w n n n n n n w OFC
 San Marino n n n n n n n n UEFA
 São Tomé and Príncipe w n n w n n n CAF
 Saudi Arabia n n n n Q Q Q Q n n Q Q H AFC
 Scotland w Q Q n n n Q Q Q Q Q n Q n n n n n n UEFA
 Senegal w n n n n n n n Q n n n Q Q CAF
 Serbia (2010–)
 Serbia and Montenegro (2006)
 FR Yugoslavia (1994–2002)
 Yugoslavia (1930–1990)
i n n Q Q Q Q n n Q n Q n Q d Q n Q Q n Q Q UEFA
 Seychelles n n n n n n CAF
 Sierra Leone n n n n w n n n n n n n CAF
 Singapore n n n n n n n n n n n n AFC
 Slovakia (1998–)
 Representation of Czechs and Slovaks (1994)
 Czechoslovakia (1930–1994)
Q Q Q Q Q n Q n n Q n Q n n n n Q n n n UEFA
 Slovenia n Q n Q n n n UEFA
 Solomon Islands n n n n n n n n OFC
 Somalia n n n n n n n CAF
 South Africa s d s s s n Q Q n H n n n CAF
 South Korea Q s n w n n n n Q Q Q Q H Q Q Q Q Q AFC
 South Sudan n n CAF
 South Yemen n w defunct
 Spain Q s Q n n Q Q n n Q H Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q H UEFA
 Sri Lanka w w n n n n n n n n n AFC
 Sudan w w w n n w n n n w n n n n n n n CAF
 Suriname (1978–)
 Dutch Guiana (1930–1974)
w n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Sweden Q Q Q n H n n Q Q Q n n Q Q n Q Q n n Q n UEFA
  Switzerland Q Q Q H n Q Q n n n n n n Q n n Q Q Q Q Q UEFA
 Syria w n w n n n n n n n n n n d n n AFC
 Tahiti n n n n n n n n OFC
 Tajikistan n n n n n n n AFC
 Tanzania n w n n w n n n n n n n CAF
 Thailand n n n n n n n n n n n n n AFC
 Timor-Leste n n n n n AFC
 Togo n n n w w n n n Q n n n n CAF
 Tonga n n n n n n w OFC
 Trinidad and Tobago n n n n n n n n n n Q n n n n CONCACAF
 Tunisia n w n n Q n n n n Q Q Q n n Q Q CAF
 Turkey w w Q w n n n n n n n n n n Q n n n n n UEFA
 Turkmenistan n n n n n n n AFC
 Turks and Caicos Islands n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Tuvalu \ OFC
 Uganda n w n n w n n n n n n n CAF
 Ukraine n n Q n n n n UEFA
 United Arab Emirates w n Q n n n n n n n n AFC
 United States i Q w Q n n n n n n n n n Q H Q Q Q Q Q n Q H CONCACAF
 U.S. Virgin Islands n n n n n n CONCACAF
 Uruguay H b C n Q Q Q Q n n Q Q n n Q n Q Q Q Q H CONMEBOL
 Uzbekistan n n n n n n n AFC
 Vanuatu n n n n n n n w OFC
 Venezuela w n n w n n n n n n n n n n n n CONMEBOL
 Vietnam (1978–)
 South Vietnam (1954–1974)
s n w n n n n n n n n AFC
 Wales n n Q n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n Q UEFA
 Yemen (1994–)
 North Yemen (1982–1990)
n n n n n n n n n n AFC
 Zambia n n n n n n n n n n n n n n CAF
 Zimbabwe (1982–)
 Rhodesia (1970–1978)
n n n n n n n n n n d n CAF
Team 19
30
19
34
19
38
19
50
19
54
19
58
19
62
19
66
19
70
19
74
19
78
19
82
19
86
19
90
19
94
19
98
20
02
20
06
20
10
20
14
20
18
20
22
20
26
20
30
20
34
Current
confederation
Non-participating incarnations
  1. ^ Known as the  Khmer Republic in 1974, and then as  Kampuchea until 1990.
  2. ^ Known as  Congo-Kinshasa until 1970.
  3. ^ Entered in 1962 as the  United Arab Republic representing a political union with Syria. After that continued independently but retained the name "United Arab Republic" until 1970.
  4. ^ Entered as the  Dutch East Indies in 1938.
  5. ^ Known as the  Malagasy Republic until 1974.
  6. ^ Preceded by  Malaya until 1962.
  7. ^ Known as  Burma until 1990.
  8. ^ Known as  Ceylon until 1974.
Continental allocations
  1. ^ Africa and Asia had a joint zone in 1934 and 1958. Africa, Asia and Oceania had a joint zone in 1966. Asia and Oceania had a joint zone in 1970–1982.
  2. ^ Entered the Oceanian zone in 1986–2006.
  3. ^ Entered the Oceanian zone in 1986–1990.
  4. ^ Entered the North and Central American zone in 1938.
  5. ^ Entered the African/Asian zone in 1958.
  6. ^ a b Participated in the European zone.
  7. ^ Entered the European zone in 1938 and 1954.
  8. ^ Entered the European zone in 1962.
  9. ^ Entered the African/Asian zone in 1934 and 1958, the Asian/Oceanian zone in 1970–1978, and the Oceanian zone in 1986–1990.
  10. ^ Entered the Asian zone in 1998–2002.
  11. ^ Participated in the Asian zone.
  12. ^ Entered the European zone in 1950 and 1966.
  13. ^ Entered the African/Asian zone in 1934 and 1958.
  14. ^ Entered the Asian/Oceanian zone in 1970.

Overall team records

The below table compares the overall records of all teams that have participated in qualification. Teams are ordered by points using the three points for a win system, then by goal difference, and then by goals scored. Note that this order does not represent any official rankings, and qualification tournaments are not direct competitions among all teams.

The "Qualifying attempts" column counts qualifying campaigns where the team played at least one match that was not annulled. An attempt is treated as "successful" if the team gained the right to participate in the finals, even if it did not appear there eventually.

As per statistical convention in football, goals scored during extra time are counted towards matches' scorelines and outcomes, while goals scored during penalty shoot-outs are not. Annulled matches are not counted; for matches that were annulled and then replayed, only the replays are counted. For matches where the scorelines were awarded, the awarded scorelines, and not the original ones (if any), are counted.

Ecuador was deducted 3 points in the 2026 qualifying, which is reflected in the table.

Key
Team has qualified for the main tournament through a qualifying process
Team has qualified for the main tournament only by walkover (Cuba, and Indonesia as Dutch East Indies)
Team has qualified for the main tournament by walkover but has not participated there because it withdrew (India)
Team has qualified for the main tournament only automatically as host (Qatar)
Team has not qualified for the main tournament
Defunct team that qualified for the main tournament (East Germany)
Defunct team that never qualified for the main tournament (Saar and South Yemen)
Team is not a member of FIFA and is not eligible for the main tournament (Tuvalu)

Teams in bold are currently participating or are yet to start in the 2026 qualification. The table is updated to the matches played in November 2023.

No. Team Qualifying attempts Appearances
in the finals
Overall qualification record Points Confederation
Total Successful Pld W D L GF GA GD Total Avg
1  Mexico 17 14 18 189 121 41 27 453 134 +319 404 2.138 CONCACAF
2  Australia 16 6 6 163 97 40 26 415 125 +290 331 2.031 AFC
3  South Korea 16 10 11 153 96 39 18 307 90 +217 327 2.137 AFC
4  Costa Rica 17 6 6 187 93 47 47 309 184 +125 326 1.743 CONCACAF
5  Iran 12 6 6 148 93 36 19 322 91 +231 315 2.128 AFC
6  Argentina 15 13 18 159 91 42 26 270 137 +133 315 1.981 CONMEBOL
7  Netherlands 19 11 11 135 89 26 20 329 101 +228 293 2.170 UEFA
8  United States 19 9 12 168 84 40 44 287 191 +96 292 1.738 CONCACAF
9  Uruguay 18 11 14 178 81 47 50 253 191 +62 290 1.629 CONMEBOL
10  Spain 19 15 16 125 87 26 12 291 81 +210 287 2.296 UEFA
11  Brazil 14 13 22 133 84 34 15 288 82 +206 286 2.150 CONMEBOL
12  Portugal 21 8 8 149 83 35 31 284 146 +138 284 1.906 UEFA
13  Japan 16 6 7 140 85 27 28 315 91 +224 282 2.014 AFC
14  Saudi Arabia 13 6 6 138 83 32 23 272 103 +169 281 2.036 AFC
15  England 17 14 16 122 84 27 11 314 70 +244 279 2.287 UEFA
16  Sweden 20 11 12 141 86 21 34 280 129 +151 279 1.979 UEFA
17  Serbia
 Serbia and Montenegro
 FR Yugoslavia
 Yugoslavia
20 12 13 136 81 33 22 287 123 +164 276 2.029 UEFA
18  Belgium 20 13 14 141 83 27 31 302 147 +155 276 1.957 UEFA
19  Czech Republic
 Representation of Czechs and Slovaks
 Czechoslovakia
20 9 9 147 79 31 37 280 126 +154 268 1.823 UEFA
20  Germany
 West Germany
 Germany
15 15 20 104 83 18 3 328 74 +254 267 2.567 UEFA
21  Russia
 Soviet Union
16 10 11 125 80 24 21 246 81 +165 264 2.112 UEFA
22  Italy 17 14 18 118 78 30 10 234 72 +162 264 2.237 UEFA
23  Slovakia
 Representation of Czechs and Slovaks
 Czechoslovakia
20 9 9 145 75 35 35 271 137 +134 260 1.793 UEFA
24  Colombia 18 6 6 176 65 57 54 206 181 +25 252 1.432 CONMEBOL
25  Honduras 15 3 3 164 69 44 51 262 199 +63 251 1.530 CONCACAF
26  Paraguay 19 6 8 178 70 39 69 214 218 −4 249 1.399 CONMEBOL
27  Romania 18 5 7 138 72 29 37 238 142 +96 245 1.775 UEFA
28  El Salvador 14 2 2 160 70 33 57 260 187 +73 243 1.519 CONCACAF
29  China 13 1 1 128 74 20 34 271 100 +171 242 1.891 AFC
30   Switzerland 20 11 12 140 68 37 35 220 150 +70 241 1.721 UEFA
31  Scotland 19 9 8 136 69 30 37 210 146 +64 237 1.743 UEFA
32  France 18 12 16 119 70 26 23 234 91 +143 236 1.983 UEFA
33  Chile 17 6 9 170 67 35 68 239 228 +11 236 1.388 CONMEBOL
34  Denmark 16 6 6 132 67 30 35 242 144 +98 231 1.750 UEFA
35  Poland 19 9 9 128 67 23 38 260 154 +106 224 1.750 UEFA
36  Canada 15 2 3 137 62 38 37 215 144 +71 224 1.635 CONCACAF
37  Tunisia 16 6 6 114 64 30 20 197 86 +111 222 1.947 CAF
38  Austria 19 8 7 134 64 29 41 232 155 +77 221 1.649 UEFA
39  Nigeria 16 6 6 114 62 34 18 187 86 +101 220 1.930 CAF
40  Republic of Ireland
 Ireland
 Irish Free State
21 3 3 149 58 46 45 210 177 +33 220 1.477 UEFA
41  Hungary 19 8 9 132 63 28 41 235 176 +59 217 1.644 UEFA
42  Morocco 16 6 6 120 59 39 22 177 83 +94 216 1.800 CAF
43  Bulgaria 20 7 7 137 62 29 46 215 191 +24 215 1.569 UEFA
44  Ecuador 17 4 4 167 57 40 70 201 224 −23 208 1.246 CONMEBOL
45  Greece 20 3 3 136 56 33 47 167 179 −12 201 1.478 UEFA
46  Iraq 13 1 1 121 56 32 33 227 120 +107 200 1.653 AFC
47  Qatar 13 0 1 122 59 23 40 210 123 +87 200 1.639 AFC
48  Trinidad and Tobago 15 1 1 141 57 29 55 207 184 +23 200 1.418 CONCACAF
49  Egypt 16 3 3 103 59 21 23 184 94 +90 198 1.922 CAF
50  Cameroon 15 8 8 97 58 23 16 162 72 +90 197 2.031 CAF
51  Peru 18 4 5 174 50 43 81 184 241 −57 193 1.109 CONMEBOL
52  New Zealand 14 2 2 102 58 18 26 239 101 +138 192 1.882 OFC
53  Guatemala 16 0 0 126 52 32 42 208 150 +58 188 1.492 CONCACAF
54  Turkey 18 3 2 139 53 27 59 204 206 −2 186 1.338 UEFA
55  Uzbekistan 8 0 0 104 55 20 29 200 107 +93 185 1.779 AFC
56  United Arab Emirates 11 1 1 118 53 23 42 200 127 +73 182 1.542 AFC
57  Norway 19 3 3 136 49 33 54 185 186 −1 180 1.324 UEFA
58  Kuwait 14 1 1 103 53 16 34 183 100 +83 175 1.699 AFC
59  Northern Ireland
 Ireland
19 3 3 142 45 39 58 155 168 −13 174 1.225 UEFA
60  Israel
 Palestine, British Mandate
21 1 1 132 45 35 52 189 199 −10 170 1.288 UEFA
61  Ivory Coast 13 3 3 86 47 26 13 165 70 +95 167 1.942 CAF
62  Algeria 15 4 4 99 47 25 27 158 98 +60 166 1.677 CAF
63  Zambia 15 0 0 104 48 21 35 158 101 +57 165 1.587 CAF
64  Bolivia 18 1 3 174 44 32 98 204 340 −136 164 0.943 CONMEBOL
65  Ghana 15 4 4 93 45 25 23 141 71 +70 160 1.720 CAF
66  Syria 16 0 0 104 45 23 36 206 125 +81 158 1.519 AFC
67  Wales 19 2 2 130 43 29 58 168 180 −12 158 1.215 UEFA
68  Croatia 7 6 6 72 43 20 9 129 51 +78 149 2.069 UEFA
69  Jamaica 12 1 1 118 39 32 47 127 154 −27 149 1.263 CONCACAF
70  Haiti 15 1 1 95 42 17 36 165 124 +41 143 1.505 CONCACAF
71  Ukraine 7 1 1 80 38 28 14 122 62 +60 142 1.775 UEFA
72  Oman 10 0 0 90 40 21 29 145 87 +58 141 1.567 AFC
73  DR Congo
 Zaire
12 1 1 86 40 20 26 141 93 +48 140 1.628 CAF
74  Panama 12 1 1 114 38 26 50 142 178 −36 140 1.228 CONCACAF
75  North Korea 11 2 2 85 40 19 26 122 79 +43 139 1.635 AFC
76  Bahrain 12 0 0 98 36 28 34 122 100 +22 136 1.388 AFC
77  Finland 20 0 0 137 35 25 77 144 297 −153 130 0.949 UEFA
78  Senegal 14 3 3 73 33 24 16 110 61 +49 123 1.685 CAF
79  Guinea 14 0 0 83 36 14 33 121 110 +11 122 1.470 CAF
80  Venezuela 15 0 0 164 30 29 105 140 351 −211 119 0.726 CONMEBOL
81  Jordan 11 0 0 80 32 17 31 119 98 +21 113 1.413 AFC
82  Iceland 14 1 1 116 30 22 64 128 233 −105 112 0.966 UEFA
83  South Africa 9 2 3 58 33 9 16 74 50 +24 108 1.862 CAF
84  Angola 11 1 1 71 27 26 18 88 66 +22 107 1.507 CAF
85  Burkina Faso
 Upper Volta
10 0 0 68 30 14 24 103 83 +20 104 1.529 CAF
86  Slovenia 7 2 2 72 29 17 26 94 80 +14 104 1.444 UEFA
87  Thailand 14 0 0 99 27 21 51 129 168 −39 102 1.030 AFC
88  Bosnia and Herzegovina 7 1 1 66 29 14 23 121 81 +40 101 1.530 UEFA
89  Kenya 14 0 0 76 25 19 32 87 102 −15 94 1.237 CAF
90  Hong Kong 14 0 0 85 25 17 43 101 149 −48 92 1.082 AFC
91  Togo 12 1 1 73 24 19 30 77 94 −17 91 1.247 CAF
92  Lebanon 9 0 0 74 23 20 31 104 99 +5 89 1.203 AFC
93  Malaysia 14 0 0 71 25 13 33 100 127 −27 88 1.239 AFC
94  Libya 12 0 0 64 24 15 25 69 70 −1 87 1.359 CAF
95  Gabon 10 0 0 65 25 12 28 68 75 −7 87 1.338 CAF
96  Cuba 13 0 1 72 22 20 30 92 105 −13 86 1.194 CONCACAF
97  Zimbabwe
 Rhodesia
12 0 0 71 22 20 29 68 85 −17 86 1.211 CAF
98  Albania 13 0 0 114 24 14 76 84 200 −116 86 0.754 UEFA
99  Latvia 9 0 0 85 21 18 46 93 144 −51 81 0.953 UEFA
100  Indonesia
 Dutch East Indies
14 0 1 83 21 18 44 106 176 −70 81 0.976 AFC
101  Suriname
 Dutch Guiana
15 0 0 69 22 14 33 106 115 −9 80 1.159 CONCACAF
102  Singapore 13 0 0 80 23 11 46 85 152 −67 80 1.000 AFC
103  Congo 11 0 0 69 21 16 32 77 97 −20 79 1.145 CAF
104  Solomon Islands 8 0 0 57 23 9 25 118 121 −3 78 1.368 OFC
105  North Macedonia
 Macedonia
7 0 0 72 20 15 37 95 115 −20 75 1.042 UEFA
106  East Germany 9 1 1 47 22 8 17 87 65 +22 74 1.574 defunct
107  Mali 7 0 0 50 20 14 16 65 55 +10 74 1.480 CAF
108  Fiji 10 0 0 56 21 10 25 114 105 +9 73 1.304 OFC
109  Sudan 14 0 0 74 17 22 35 66 115 −49 73 0.986 CAF
110  Lithuania 10 0 0 81 18 16 47 63 130 −67 70 0.864 UEFA
111  Malawi 12 0 0 68 17 17 34 60 96 −36 68 1.000 CAF
112  Curaçao
 Netherlands Antilles
 Territory of Curaçao
17 0 0 66 16 20 30 69 119 −50 68 1.030 CONCACAF
113  Turkmenistan 8 0 0 48 20 6 22 75 75 0 66 1.375 AFC
114  Uganda 11 0 0 50 18 12 20 46 61 −15 66 1.320 CAF
115  Liberia 11 0 0 68 18 12 38 47 96 −49 66 0.971 CAF
116  Tajikistan 8 0 0 46 18 9 19 84 69 +15 63 1.370 AFC
117  Estonia 10 0 0 84 17 12 55 74 187 −113 63 0.750 UEFA
118  Cyprus 16 0 0 124 16 15 93 91 320 −229 63 0.508 UEFA
119  New Caledonia 5 0 0 38 18 8 12 89 46 +43 62 1.632 OFC
120  Vietnam
 South Vietnam
10 0 0 61 18 6 37 66 106 −40 60 0.984 AFC
121  Tahiti 8 0 0 45 17 8 20 67 85 −18 59 1.311 OFC
122  Yemen
 North Yemen
11 0 0 62 15 14 33 64 101 −37 59 0.952 AFC
123  Bermuda 8 0 0 40 16 10 14 83 58 +25 58 1.450 CONCACAF
124  Cape Verde 7 0 0 42 17 6 19 44 52 −8 57 1.357 CAF
125  Benin
 Dahomey
10 0 0 52 16 9 27 52 95 −43 57 1.096 CAF
126  Armenia 7 0 0 72 13 17 42 61 142 −81 56 0.778 UEFA
127  Belarus 7 0 0 66 14 12 40 68 121 −53 54 0.818 UEFA
128  Kyrgyzstan 8 0 0 41 16 5 20 61 65 −4 53 1.293 AFC
129  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 8 0 0 62 15 8 39 80 186 −106 53 0.855 CONCACAF
130  Montenegro 4 0 0 40 13 13 14 61 58 +3 52 1.300 UEFA
131  Madagascar 11 0 0 44 14 9 21 52 61 −9 51 1.159 CAF
132  Antigua and Barbuda 11 0 0 46 15 6 25 72 98 −26 51 1.109 CONCACAF
133  India 10 0 0 53 12 15 26 50 97 −47 51 0.962 AFC
134  Saint Kitts and Nevis 7 0 0 36 14 8 14 72 62 +10 50 1.389 CONCACAF
135  Georgia 7 0 0 64 11 17 36 57 101 −44 50 0.781 UEFA
136  Namibia 9 0 0 52 13 11 28 48 94 −46 50 0.962 CAF
137  Kazakhstan 7 0 0 68 12 14 42 76 148 −72 50 0.735 UEFA
138  Ethiopia 13 0 0 51 11 15 25 52 76 −24 48 0.941 CAF
139  Sierra Leone 12 0 0 49 12 10 27 41 74 −33 46 0.939 CAF
140  Mozambique 10 0 0 44 12 9 23 38 62 −24 45 1.023 CAF
141  Palestine 7 0 0 36 12 8 16 58 47 +11 44 1.222 AFC
142  Tanzania 11 0 0 43 10 14 19 44 62 −18 44 1.023 CAF
143  Bangladesh 11 0 0 62 11 10 41 41 151 −110 43 0.694 AFC
144  Dominican Republic 9 0 0 33 12 6 15 50 54 −4 42 1.273 CONCACAF
145  Niger 9 0 0 38 12 6 20 42 67 −25 42 1.105 CAF
146  Vanuatu 7 0 0 37 12 3 22 76 89 −13 39 1.054 OFC
147  Botswana 8 0 0 38 11 6 21 36 56 −20 39 1.026 CAF
148  Barbados 9 0 0 41 11 6 24 38 76 −38 39 0.951 CONCACAF
149  Rwanda 8 0 0 46 9 11 26 43 63 −20 38 0.826 CAF
150  Azerbaijan 7 0 0 66 7 15 44 34 122 −88 36 0.545 UEFA
151  Equatorial Guinea 7 0 0 30 10 5 15 27 42 −15 35 1.167 CAF
152  Luxembourg 21 0 0 142 8 10 124 77 451 −374 34 0.239 UEFA
153  Papua New Guinea 5 0 0 26 9 6 11 48 41 +7 33 1.269 OFC
154  Faroe Islands 8 0 0 80 8 8 64 41 207 −166 32 0.400 UEFA
155  Maldives 8 0 0 42 9 4 29 45 143 −98 31 0.738 AFC
156  Belize 7 0 0 29 8 6 15 37 59 −22 30 1.034 CONCACAF
157  Guyana 11 0 0 38 8 6 24 40 89 −49 30 0.789 CONCACAF
158  Burundi 8 0 0 24 8 5 11 23 32 −9 29 1.208 CAF
159  Nicaragua 8 0 0 25 9 1 15 35 45 −10 28 1.120 CONCACAF
160  Puerto Rico 10 0 0 29 7 7 15 32 57 −25 28 0.966 CONCACAF
161  Samoa
 Western Samoa
6 0 0 26 9 1 16 37 88 −51 28 1.077 OFC
162  Moldova 7 0 0 68 5 13 50 40 145 −105 28 0.412 UEFA
163  Chinese Taipei
 Republic of China
13 0 0 70 8 4 58 46 238 −192 28 0.400 AFC
164  Grenada 8 0 0 29 8 3 18 51 59 −8 27 0.931 CONCACAF
165  Philippines 6 0 0 31 7 6 18 29 71 −42 27 0.871 AFC
166    Nepal 9 0 0 42 7 5 30 29 129 −100 26 0.619 AFC
167  Gambia 10 0 0 28 6 6 16 23 44 −21 24 0.857 CAF
168  Guinea-Bissau 8 0 0 22 5 8 9 18 32 −14 23 1.045 CAF
169  Saint Lucia 7 0 0 24 7 1 16 32 62 −30 22 0.917 CONCACAF
170  Afghanistan 6 0 0 26 6 4 16 18 72 −54 22 0.846 AFC
171  Tonga 6 0 0 22 7 1 14 23 82 −59 22 1.000 OFC
172  Myanmar 5 0 0 26 6 3 17 23 85 −62 21 0.808 AFC
173  Malta 13 0 0 112 3 12 97 42 330 −288 21 0.188 UEFA
174  Chad 7 0 0 20 6 2 12 17 32 −15 20 1.000 CAF
175  Mongolia 7 0 0 26 6 1 19 17 77 −60 19 0.731 AFC
176  Sri Lanka 9 0 0 41 4 7 30 27 103 −76 19 0.463 AFC
177  Lesotho 9 0 0 28 2 12 14 16 53 −37 18 0.643 CAF
178  Eswatini
 Swaziland
9 0 0 23 4 5 14 16 44 −28 17 0.739 CAF
179  Dominica 7 0 0 24 4 5 15 20 58 −38 17 0.708 CONCACAF
180  Cambodia 7 0 0 38 4 5 29 22 136 −114 17 0.447 AFC
181  Aruba 7 0 0 20 5 1 14 26 61 −35 16 0.800 CONCACAF
182  Bahamas 6 0 0 18 4 4 10 20 58 −38 16 0.889 CONCACAF
183  Macau 11 0 0 39 4 3 32 17 173 −156 15 0.385 AFC
184  Andorra 6 0 0 62 4 3 55 22 186 −164 15 0.242 UEFA
185  Laos 6 0 0 30 3 5 22 24 127 −103 14 0.467 AFC
186  Liechtenstein 7 0 0 70 2 7 61 25 219 −194 13 0.186 UEFA
187  Mauritania 8 0 0 24 2 6 16 15 44 −29 12 0.500 CAF
188  Bhutan 3 0 0 14 4 0 10 11 62 −51 12 0.857 AFC
189  Comoros 5 0 0 12 2 4 6 10 23 −13 10 0.833 CAF
190  Cook Islands 6 0 0 20 3 1 16 16 63 −47 10 0.500 OFC
191  Guam 4 0 0 22 3 1 18 11 87 −76 10 0.455 AFC
192  American Samoa 5 0 0 18 3 1 14 11 136 −125 10 0.556 OFC
193  Central African Republic 5 0 0 18 2 3 13 15 35 −20 9 0.500 CAF
194  Montserrat 6 0 0 13 2 3 8 17 49 −32 9 0.692 CONCACAF
195  U.S. Virgin Islands 6 0 0 19 3 0 16 8 95 −87 9 0.474 CONCACAF
196  Djibouti 6 0 0 23 2 2 19 12 93 −81 8 0.348 CAF
197  Pakistan 10 0 0 36 1 5 30 15 132 −117 8 0.222 AFC
198  São Tomé and Príncipe 6 0 0 12 2 1 9 5 31 −26 7 0.583 CAF
199  Mauritius 9 0 0 22 1 4 17 14 55 −41 7 0.318 CAF
200  Somalia 8 0 0 15 1 3 11 4 33 −29 6 0.400 CAF
201  Kosovo 2 0 0 18 1 3 14 8 39 −31 6 0.333 UEFA
202  Cayman Islands 7 0 0 20 0 6 14 8 53 −45 6 0.300 CONCACAF
203  Brunei 5 0 0 18 2 0 16 5 74 −69 6 0.333 AFC
204  Saar 1 0 0 4 1 1 2 4 8 −4 4 1.000 defunct
205  South Sudan 3 0 0 6 0 3 3 2 11 −9 3 0.500 CAF
206  Eritrea 5 0 0 10 0 3 7 4 20 −16 3 0.300 CAF
207  British Virgin Islands 6 0 0 14 0 3 11 7 53 −46 3 0.214 CONCACAF
208  Turks and Caicos Islands 6 0 0 13 1 0 12 6 68 −62 3 0.231 CONCACAF
209  Seychelles 7 0 0 18 0 2 16 6 60 −54 2 0.111 CAF
210  San Marino 8 0 0 76 0 2 74 12 356 −344 2 0.026 UEFA
211  South Yemen 1 0 0 2 0 1 1 4 7 −3 1 0.500 defunct
212  Tuvalu 1 0 0 4 0 1 3 2 22 −20 1 0.250 OFC
213  Anguilla 6 0 0 14 0 1 13 2 64 −62 1 0.071 CONCACAF
214  Timor-Leste 5 0 0 18 0 0 18 6 87 −81 0 0.000 AFC
215  Gibraltar 2 0 0 20 0 0 20 7 90 −83 0 0.000 UEFA

Qualification tournament rules

Qualification tournaments generally consist of a number of stages, made up of groups or knock-out ties.

Groups

In all group tournaments, three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw, and none for a loss. FIFA has set the order of the tie-breakers for teams that finish level on points:

  1. goal difference in all group matches
  2. greater number of goals scored in all group matches

Where teams are still not able to be separated, the following tie-breakers are used:

  1. greater number of points obtained in matches between the tied teams
  2. goal difference in matches between the tied teams
  3. greater number of goals scored in matches between the tied teams
  4. goals scored away from home in matches between the tied teams, if the tie is only between two teams

Where teams are still equal, then a play-off on neutral ground, with extra time and penalties if necessary will be played if FIFA deems such a play-off able to be fitted within the coordinated international match calendar. If this is not deemed feasible, then the result will be determined by fair play points and then the drawing of lots.

Note that this order of tie-breaker application has not always been applied. While it was used in the 2010 qualifiers, the qualification for the 2006 World Cup used the head-to-head comparison prior to goal difference (although this system was – where applicable – used in the 2006 finals themselves). If these rules had applied in 2006, then Nigeria would have qualified rather than Angola.

Home-and-away ties

Most knock-out qualifiers (such as the inter-confederation play-offs and many preliminary ties) are played over two legs. The team that scores a greater aggregate number of goals qualifies. Away goals rule applies. If these rules fail to determine the winner, extra time and penalty shootouts are used.

Occasionally – usually when one entrant lacks adequate facilities to host international matches – ties are played over a single leg, in which case matches level after 90 minutes will go to extra time and then to a penalty shootout if required.

Alternatively, "home" matches can be played in neutral countries, or occasionally one team will host both matches. In the latter case the visiting team will still be considered as the "home" team for one of the legs – which may determine which side advances under the away goals rule, as occurred in CONCACAF qualification in 2010.

See also


This page was last updated at 2024-02-23 07:17 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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