| FIFA World Cup qualifying is an event in itself. It | | | | home-and-away playoffs. The top eleven winners go |
| determines the 31 teams who qualify-along with the | | | | on to Stage 3, while the eight lowest-ranked winners |
| hosts-for the most prestigious sporting event in the | | | | move on to Stage 2, which involves four |
| world. It is interesting to note that participating teams in | | | | home-and-away play-offs among the lowest-ranked |
| the first two FIFA World Cup (WC) events were | | | | eight Stage 1 winners. All four winners of Stage 2 |
| invited. After 1934, FIFA implemented qualifying | | | | advance to Stage 3. The CAF then draws the 20 |
| tournaments for the quadrennial event, owing to the | | | | remaining teams (including those with byes from the |
| increasing profile and competitiveness of the World | | | | previous stages) into five groups of four teams each. |
| Cup. | | | | These teams play on a round robin, home-and-away |
| Qualifying formats are generally stable but can change | | | | basis. The five group winners and five runners-up |
| from time to time. For the 2010 FIFA WC in South | | | | advance to Stage 4. |
| Africa, 31 teams over six confederations participated in | | | | In Stage 4, ten teams are placed into two groups of |
| qualifying. The majority of FIFA's 207 member | | | | five, which are determined on a round robin, |
| associations participate in the process (although teams | | | | home-and-away basis. The top two teams in each |
| can be absent because of bans or other reasons). | | | | group advance to the World Cup finals. Stage 5 |
| Qualifying generally takes place within confederations, | | | | involves the two third-place teams from Stage 4 in a |
| but there are intercontinental play-offs and | | | | home-and-away playoff to determine the fifth-place |
| intro-continental playoffs (Europe) to fill remaining spots. | | | | finisher from Asia. The playoff winner earns a playoff |
| For the 2010 WC, FIFA allocated spots to its | | | | berth (which was against the top-team from Oceania |
| confederations, based on size and football strength, as | | | | in 2010 qualifying). |
| follows: | | | | == CONCACAF == |
| CAF (Africa) - 5 places | | | | Thirty-five member nations participate in CONCACAF |
| UEFA (Europe) - 13 places | | | | Qualifying. CONCACAF seeds the teams according to |
| AFC (Asia) - 4.5 places | | | | the latest FIFA ranking. The 13th-ranked team normally |
| CONCACAF (North, Central America and the | | | | receives a bye to the second round, while the 22 |
| Caribbean) - 3.5 places | | | | lowest-ranked teams engage in 11 home-and-away |
| CONMEBOL (South America): 4.5 places | | | | playoffs. The twelve winners join the 13th place team |
| OFC (Oceania) - 0.5 | | | | and the top 11 teams in the second stage. |
| *.5 indicates an intercontinental playoff spot | | | | In the second phase, CONCACAF pairs the 24 |
| == UEFA == | | | | remaining teams for 12 home-and-away playoffs. |
| The European Confederation has 53 member | | | | They draw the winners of these playoffs into three |
| associations. For 2010 qualifying, all 53 members | | | | groups of four teams each that are settled on a round |
| participated. UEFA seeds teams according to strength | | | | robin, home-and-away basis. The top two finishers in |
| and draws them into nine groups; eight teams have six | | | | each group advance to the final round of six teams. |
| teams each, while the ninth group has five teams. | | | | Those six teams play on a round robin, |
| There is an equitable distribution of weak and strong | | | | home-and-away basis, with the top three advancing to |
| teams among the groups. | | | | the World Cup and the fourth-place team earning a |
| A round robin, home-and-away format determines the | | | | playoff berth. For 2010 qualifying, this was a playoff |
| winners and group runner-ups in each group. The | | | | against the fifth-place team from CONMEBOL. |
| winners earn an automatic berth in the World Cup | | | | == OCEANIA == |
| finals. UEFA determines the four remaining places via | | | | Being the weakest confederation, Oceania has a |
| four home-and-away playoffs involving the eight best | | | | simple qualifying format involving its 11 member nations. |
| runners-up from the nine groups. Since the ninth group | | | | The top-ranked Oceania team receives a bye to |
| has five teams, UEFA removes results against the | | | | Round 2. Round 1 takes place at the South Pacific |
| last-place teams in the first eight groups to compare | | | | Games, where the top three teams from that |
| like with like. Playoff fixtures are the result of a draw. | | | | tournament join New Zealand in Round Two. That |
| == CAF == | | | | group of four teams is determined based on a round |
| CAF has 53 member associations, all of which | | | | robin, home-and-away format. The top team would |
| normally participate in World Cup Qualifying. In Round 1 | | | | then earn a playoff. This was against the fifth place |
| of CAF qualifying, the ten lowest ranking nations | | | | team from Asia for 2010 qualifying (previously, the |
| (according to FIFA rankings) in this zone are drawn | | | | playoff was against the fifth-place CONMEBOL |
| and paired into five home-and-away playoffs. The | | | | finisher). |
| winners of each playoff advance to Round 2. | | | | == CONMEBOL == |
| In Round 2, the CAF seeds and draws 48 eligible | | | | South American qualifying has the simplest format. All |
| teams into twelve 4-team groups that play a | | | | 10 members play in a round robin, home-and-away |
| round-robin, home-and away format. The 12 group | | | | basis in a single group. The top four teams qualify |
| winners and eight best runners-up advance to the third | | | | automatically for the World Cup finals, with the fifth |
| round. Round 3 involves five groups of four teams | | | | place team earning the intercontinental playoff spot. |
| each. The teams in each group play on a | | | | For the 2010 FIFA WC, the fifth place team earned a |
| home-and-away, round-robin basis. The group winners | | | | playoff spot against the fourth placed CONCACAF |
| qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals. In the event of a | | | | finisher. Previously, CONMEBOL played off against |
| tie for the top spot on all tiebreakers, the two teams | | | | Oceania. |
| participate in a one-off playoff. This occurs in a neutral | | | | == Conclusion == |
| African country (like Algeria playing Egypt in Sudan for | | | | Teams like Mexico, Brazil and Germany regularly |
| 2010 qualifying). | | | | qualify for World Cup finals. Although some teams are |
| == AFC == | | | | regular fixtures in the quadrennial event, qualifying |
| Asian qualifying involves five stages. In the first stage, | | | | ensures that the best teams from various |
| the top five teams in the AFC receive a bye to Stage | | | | confederations get the chance to represent their |
| 3. AFC then eliminates 19 teams through | | | | country on the world stage. |