WC 2018 World cup format
The competition format of the European Qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup has been confirmed by UEFA.

 



FORMAT:
The 52 participating UEFA members (Russia qualify as hosts, and Gibraltar - not a FIFA member) will be divided into 9 groups: 7 groups of 6 teams and 2 groups of 5.

The 9 group winners qualify directly, and the 8 best runners-up go into the play-offs to determine the remaining 4 qualified sides.

Matches for the European qualifiers will be played between September 2016 and November 2017.