Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective

2018 FIFA World Cup qualification

International football competition From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Remove ads

The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification process was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations to decide 31 of the 32 teams which would play in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with Russia qualifying automatically as hosts. All 210 remaining FIFA member associations were eligible to enter the qualifying process, and for the first time in World Cup history, all eligible national teams registered for the preliminary competition,[1] but Zimbabwe and Indonesia were disqualified before playing their first matches.[2][3] Bhutan, South Sudan, Gibraltar and Kosovo made their FIFA World Cup qualification debuts,[4][5][6][7][8] while Myanmar participated after successfully appealing against a ban from the competition, although the team was obliged to play its home matches outside the country.[9][10]

Quick facts Tournament details, Dates ...

While the main qualifying draw took place at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, on 25 July 2015,[11][12] qualification matches were played before that.[13] The first, between Timor-Leste and Mongolia, began in Dili on 12 March 2015 as part of the AFC's qualification,[14] with East Timorese player Chiquito do Carmo scoring the first goal in qualification.[n 2] Matches were also played in CONCACAF prior to the main draw.

Remove ads

Qualified teams

Thumb
  Teams qualified for World Cup
  Teams failed to qualify for World Cup
  Teams expelled from the tournament by FIFA prior to playing a match
  Countries were not FIFA members
More information Team, Method of qualification ...
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. Germany between 1950 and 1990 competed as "West Germany", as a separate East German team existed then.
  3. This is the 2nd appearance of Serbia at the FIFA World Cup. However, FIFA considers Serbia as the successor team of the Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro, who between them qualified on 10 occasions.
  4. In 1978, the second round was another group stage which involved 8 teams qualified from the first round.
Remove ads

Qualification process

Summarize
Perspective

The number of teams participating in the final tournament was 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.[15] It was decided that the same allocation as 2014 would be kept for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.[16]

Proposal for expansion

In October 2013, UEFA President Michel Platini proposed that the World Cup finals should be expanded from 32 to 40 teams starting from 2018. The format would have been the same, but in groups of five instead of four.[17] This was in response to FIFA President Sepp Blatter's comments that Africa and Asia deserved more spots in the World Cup finals at the expense of European and South American teams.[18] However, FIFA general secretary Jérôme Valcke said that expansion in 2018 would be "unlikely", while Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko said that the country was "preparing on the basis that 32 teams will be taking part."[19][20] Expansion was ultimately delayed until 10 January 2017, when the FIFA Council voted unanimously to expand to 48 teams starting in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[21]

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,[22] which eventually resulted in their elimination. Brazil were the first team to achieve qualification for the tournament following their 3–0 victory over Paraguay and Uruguay's loss to Peru on 28 March 2017.[23] Peru became the 32nd and final team to qualify when, 233 days after Brazil secured their place, they beat New Zealand 2–0 on aggregate in the OFC-CONMEBOL play-off.[24]

More information Confederation, Available slots in finals ...

Note: One team each from AFC, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, and OFC played in the inter-confederation play-offs, between 10–15 November 2017 (CONCACAF v AFC and OFC v CONMEBOL).

Note: UEFA total includes +1 for Russia as hosts.

Remove ads

Format

Summarize
Perspective

The formats of the qualifying competitions depended on each confederation (see below). Each round might be played in either of the following formats:[25]

  • League format, where more than two teams formed groups to play home-and-away round-robin matches, or in exceptions permitted by the FIFA Organizing Committee, single round-robin matches hosted by one of the participating teams or on neutral territory.
  • Knockout format, where two teams played home-and-away two-legged matches.

Tiebreakers

In league format, the ranking of teams in each group is based on the following criteria (regulations Articles 20.6 and 20.7):[25]

  1. Points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss)
  2. Overall goal difference
  3. Overall 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 are decided by the confederation and require the approval of FIFA (regulations Article 20.8).[25]

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).[25]

Remove ads

Confederation qualification

Summarize
Perspective

AFC

Main article: 2018 FIFA World Cup 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 was expanded to 24 teams starting in 2019:[26]

  • First round: 12 teams (ranked 35–46) played home-and-away over two legs. The six winners advanced to the second round.
  • Second round: 40 teams (teams ranked 1–34 and six first round winners) were divided into eight groups of five teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The eight group winners and the four best group runners-up advanced to the third round of FIFA World Cup qualification as well as qualified for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup finals.
  • Third round: 12 teams (an increase from 10 for 2014) which had advanced from the second round were divided into two groups of six teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The top two teams of each group qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the two third-placed teams advanced to the fourth round.
  • Fourth round: Two third-placed teams of each third round group played home-and-away over two legs. The winners advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs.

Final positions (third round)

Main article: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC third round

The draw for the third round was held on 12 April 2016 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[27]

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: FIFA

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: FIFA

Fourth round

Main article: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC fourth round

The third-placed teams from each group in the third round played against each other home-and-away over two legs to determine which team advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs.

More information Team 1, Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score ...

CAF

Main article: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF)

The CAF Executive Committee approved the format for the qualifiers of the 2018 FIFA World Cup on 14 January 2015.[28] However, on 9 July 2015 FIFA officially announced that only three rounds would be played instead of four.[29]

  • First round: 26 teams (ranked 28–53) played home-and-away over two legs. The 13 winners advanced to the second round.
  • Second round: 40 teams (teams ranked 1–27 and 13 first round winners) played home-and-away over two legs. The 20 winners advanced to the third round.
  • Third round: 20 teams which had advanced from the second round were divided into five groups of four teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The winners of each group qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

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.

Final positions (third round)

Main article: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF third round

The draw for the third round was held on 24 June 2016 at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.[30]

Remove ads

Goalscorers

Summarize
Perspective

There were 144 goals scored in 61 matches, for an average of 2.36 goals per match.

5 goals

4 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

1 own goal

Remove ads

Goalscorers

Summarize
Perspective

There were 144 goals scored in 61 matches, for an average of 2.36 goals per match.

5 goals

4 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

1 own goal

Remove ads

Goalscorers

Summarize
Perspective

There were 144 goals scored in 61 matches, for an average of 2.36 goals per match.

5 goals

4 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

1 own goal

Remove ads

Goalscorers

Summarize
Perspective

There were 144 goals scored in 61 matches, for an average of 2.36 goals per match.

5 goals

4 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

1 own goal

Remove ads

Goalscorers

Summarize
Perspective

There were 144 goals scored in 61 matches, for an average of 2.36 goals per match.

5 goals

4 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

1 own goal

Inter-confederation play-offs

Top goalscorers

Notes

References

External links

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Remove ads
Remove ads