2018 FIFA World Cup Qualification Map

This world map shows the status of every country with respect to the 2018 FIFA World Cup: teams that qualified, teams that failed to qualify, teams that were suspended and countries that were not FIFA members.

The tournament was held in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018. France won the final against Croatia, 4 to 2, in Moscow.

The qualifying process

More than 200 national teams entered qualifying, which was organised by continental confederations. Thirty-two teams reached the finals, including Russia as host. Iceland and Panama qualified for the first time, and Iceland remains the smallest nation by population to play at a World Cup.

Some notable teams missed out. Italy failed to qualify for the first time since 1958, and the Netherlands and the United States also stayed at home.

How the map is read

Colour coding on the map separates qualified teams (usually shown in a bright colour) from those that were eliminated. Most of Europe, South America, parts of Africa and Asia are shaded as qualifiers or non-qualifiers, while a few countries were suspended by FIFA for governance reasons.

How qualification works

FIFA divides the world into six confederations: UEFA, CAF, AFC, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF and OFC. For 2018 each received a set number of places. Europe had 13 places plus Russia as host, Africa five, Asia four, South America four, and North and Central America three. Two intercontinental play-offs decided the last two places, and they went to Peru and Australia. Maps of this kind show the result of two years of matches in a single glance.

Key facts

Questions about this map

Who won the 2018 World Cup?

France.

Which major teams failed to qualify?

Italy, the Netherlands and the United States, among others.

How many teams play in the finals?

Thirty-two for the 2018 tournament.