Sunday 26 July 2015 08:16, UK
The qualifying draws for the 2018 World Cup in Russia have been made in St Petersburg.
The nine group winners advance directly to the World Cup finals. The eight runners-up with the best record against the teams first, third, fourth and fifth in their groups proceed to play-offs to decide the remaining four European berths.
Tournament hosts Russia are given a bye to the finals.
GROUP A:
Netherlands, France, Sweden, Bulgaria, Belarus, Luxembourg
GROUP B:
Portugal, Switzerland, Hungary, Faroe Islands, Latvia, Andorra
GROUP C:
Germany, Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, Norway, Azerbaijan, San Marino
GROUP D:
Wales, Austria, Serbia, Republic of Ireland, Moldova, Georgia
GROUP E:
Romania, Denmark, Poland, Montenegro, Armenia, Kazakhstan
GROUP F:
England, Slovakia, Scotland, Slovenia, Lithuania, Malta
GROUP G:
Spain, Italy, Albania, Israel, FYR Macedonia, Liechtenstein
GROUP H:
Belgium, Bosnia, Greece, Estonia, Cyprus
GROUP I:
Croatia, Iceland, Ukraine, Turkey, Finland
One group - teams play others in group home and away between October 2015 and October 2016:
Colombia, Chile, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, Uruguay.
Top four teams go straight to the finals, fifth-placed team goes into a play-off with the winners of the Oceania World Cup qualifying group.
The six third-round winners qualify for the fourth round along with the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago who receive a bye. This consists of three groups of four and the top two qualify for the fifth round.
The fifth round is played as a six-team mini-league. The top three qualify for the World Cup and the fourth goes into an inter-continental play-off with the fifth-placed team from Asia.
Third round (two-legged ties, played from August 31-September 8):
Curacao v El Salvador
Canada v Belize
Grenada v Haiti
Jamaica v Nicaragua
St Vincent and the Grenadines v Aruba
Antigua and Barbuda v Guatemala
Fourth round (group stage):
GROUP A:
Mexico, Honduras, Curacao/El Salvador, Canada/Belize
GROUP B:
Costa Rica, Panama, Grenada/Haiti, Jamaica/Nicaragua
GROUP C:
United States, Trinidad and Tobago, St Vincent and the Grenadines/Aruba, Antigua and Barbuda/Guatemala
The 13 first round winners advance to the second round where they are joined by 27 other teams. The 20 second round winners go into the third round where they are divided into five groups of four and the winners of each group qualify for the World Cup.
First round (two-legged ties, played from October 5-13):
Somalia v Niger
South Sudan v Mauritania
Gambia v Namibia
Sao Tome e Principe v Ethiopia
Chad v Sierra Leone
Comoros v Lesotho
Djibouti v Swaziland
Eritrea v Botswana
Seychelles v Burundi
Liberia v Guinea-Bissau
Central African Republic v Madagascar
Mauritius v Kenya
Tanzania v Malawi
Second round (two-legged ties, played November 9-17):
Somalia/Niger v Cameroon
South Sudan/Mauritania v Tunisia
Gambia/Namibia v Guinea
Sao Tome e Principe/Ethiopia v Congo
Chad/Sierra Leone v Egypt
Comoros/Lesotho v Ghana
Djibouti/Swaziland v Nigeria
Eritrea/Botswana v Mali
Seychelles/Burundi v Congo DR
Liberia/Guinea-Bissau v Ivory Coast
Central African Republic/Madagascar v Senegal
Mauritius/Kenya v Cape Verde
Tanzania/Malawi v Algeria
Sudan v Zambia
Libya v Rwanda
Morocco v Equatorial Guinea
Mozambique v Gabon
Benin v Burkina Faso
Togo v Uganda
Angola v South Africa
The winners of round one qualify for round two, where the top three teams in each group progress to round three.
Round three consists of two groups of three, with the top team in each progressing to a two-legged play-off. The play-off winners qualify for the intercontinental play-off against the fifth-placed South American side.
Round One (group stage):
American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga
Round Two (group stage):
GROUP A:
Tahiti, New Caledonia, Winner Round One, Papua New Guinea
GROUP B:
New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu.
