Draft:2030 FIFA World Cup qualification

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2030 FIFA World Cup qualification

Tournament details
Dates	September 2027 – March 2029
Teams	Maximum of 207 (from 6 confederations)
← 2026 2034 →

The 2030 FIFA World Cup qualification will decide the teams that will join hosts Morocco, Portugal and Spain along with the opening match hosts Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay at the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Qualification will began in September 2027.

Slot allocation

On 30 March 2017, the Bureau of the FIFA Council (composed of the FIFA president and the presidents of each of the six confederations) proposed a slot allocation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The recommendation was submitted for the ratification by the FIFA Council.^[1][2]

On 9 May 2017, two days before the 67th FIFA Congress, the FIFA Council approved the slot allocation in a meeting in Manama, Bahrain. This includes an intercontinental play-off tournament involving six teams to decide the last two FIFA World Cup spots.^[3]

Qualified teams

Team	Method of qualification	Date of qualification	Total times qualified	Last time qualified	Current consecutive appearances	Previous best performance
Morocco	Co-hosts	4 October 2023[4]	7[A]	2022	2	Fourth place (2022)
Portugal			9[B]	2022	6	Third place (1966)
Spain			17[C]	2022	12	Winners (2010)
Argentina	Anniversary match co-hosts	5 October 2023[4]	19[D]	2022	13	Winners (1978, 1986, 2022)
Paraguay			9[E]	2010	0	Quarter-finals (2010)
Uruguay			15[F]	2022	4	Winners (1930, 1950)

Notes

Qualification process

On 9 May 2017, the FIFA Council approved the slot allocation scheme for the new 48-team final format.

Summary of qualification

Confederation	Direct slots	Play-off slots	Teams started	Teams eliminated	Teams can still qualify	Teams qualified	Qualifying start date	Qualifying next match date	Qualifying end date
AFC	8	1	46	0	46	0	October 2027	October 2027	November 2029
CAF	8+1	1	52	0	51	0+1	November 2027	November 2027	November 2029
CONCACAF	6	2	35	0	32	0	March 2028	March 2028	November 2029
CONMEBOL	3+3	1	7	0	7	0+3	September 2027	September 2027	September 2029
OFC	1	1	11	0	11	0	September 2028	September 2028	March 2029
UEFA	14+2	0	53	0	53	0+2	March 2029	March 2029	March 2029
Play-offs	2	—	(6)	0	(2)	0	March 2030	March 2030	March 2030
Total	45+3	6	207+3	0	207	0+6	7 September 2023	March 2024	March 2026

Format

Each confederation is responsible for its own qualification tournament, which will consist of at least one round of competition using the following formats (Regulations Article 11.3):

• A league format in which each team in a group plays all other teams in their group twice – once at home and once away.
• A single round-robin format in which each team in a group plays all other teams in their group once, with the venues either drawn at random or assigned by the confederation with the agreement of the playing associations.
• A knockout format in which each team in a round plays one other team twice – once at home and once away.
• With FIFA's permission, a tournament held in one of the participating nations or in neutral territory.
• With FIFA's permission, a single-leg knockout format.

Tiebreakers

In the two round-robin formats, the tiebreaker criteria are as follows (Regulations Article 11.5):

Should two or more teams still have equal rank after criteria 1-3 are applied, then the following criteria are used:

If the tournament is being held in a single host nation or in neutral territory, then criterion 7 will not be applied (Regulations Article 11.6).

In the home-and-away knockout format, the team scoring more goals over two matches wins the tie and advances. In the single-leg knockout format, the team scoring more goals in a single match wins and advances. If the teams are tied after regulation, then two 15-minute periods of

• First round:On the AFC website, it is listed as Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1, as these are also qualifiers for the 2031 AFC Asian Cup. Twenty teams (ranked 27–46) played home-and-away over two legs.The ten winners advanced to the second round.
• Second round:On the AFC website, it is listed as Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2, as these are also qualifiers for the 2031 AFC Asian Cup. Thirty-six teams (those ranked 1–26 and the ten first-round winners) were divided into nine groups of four teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The eighteen group winners and group runners-up advance to the third round.
• Third round:On the AFC website, it is listed as AFC Asian Qualifiers. The eighteen teams that advance from the second round will be divided into three groups of six teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The top two teams of each group will qualify for the World Cup, while the third-placed and fourth-placed teams of each group will advance to the fourth round.
• Fourth round: On the AFC website, it is listed as Asian Play-off. The six teams that advance from the third round will be divided into two groups of three teams each to play a single round-robin. The winners will qualify for the World Cup.
• Fifth round: The fourth round group runners-up will compete in a two-legged play-off tie to determine the Asian representation at the inter-confederation play-offs.

CAF

Morocco—automatically qualified as host nations. On 4 October 2023.^[5]

The qualification structure is as follows:

• First round: Teams will drawn into groups of teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The winner of each group will qualify for the World Cup.
• Second round: The four best-ranked group runners-up will participate in a play-off to determine which team will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.

CONCACAF

• First round: Four CONCACAF teams, ranked 29 to 32 based on the
  FIFA rankings of November 2023, will be divided into two matchups, played on a two-legged
  home-and-away basis. The two winners will advance to the second round.
• Second round: Thirty teams, the two winners from the first round and CONCACAF teams ranked 1 to 28 based on the FIFA rankings of November 2023, will be drawn into six groups of five teams. They will play single round-robin matches (two home and two away), with group winners and runners-up qualifying for the third round.
• Third round: The twelve teams advancing from the second round will be drawn into three groups of four teams. They will play double round-robin home-and-away matches, with the three group winners qualifying for the World Cup. The two best-ranked runners-up will advance to the
  inter-confederation play-offs
  .

CONMEBOL

Three nations in CONMEBOL—Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay—automatically qualified as centenary host nations on 4 October 2023. Qualifiers will begin in September 2027.

OFC

• First round: The four lowest-ranked teams will play a three-match knockout round in September 2024. The winner will advance to the second round.
• Second round: The winning team from the first round will join the seven highest-ranked teams in two four-team groups in October and November 2024. The top two teams from each group will advance to the third round.
• Third round: The four teams advancing from the second round will play a three-match knockout round in March 2025 with the winner qualifying for the World Cup and the runner-up going to the inter-confederation play-offs.

UEFA

Two nations in UEFA—Portugal and Spain—automatically qualified as host nations. On 4 October 2023.

Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia's national team is currently suspended and their participation is yet to be confirmed.

• First round (group stage): Twelve groups of either four or five teams with group winners qualifying for the World Cup finals.
• Play-off stage: 16 teams (twelve group runners-up and four best Nations League group winners, based on the Nations League overall ranking, that finished outside the top two of their qualifying group) will be drawn into four play-off paths, playing two rounds of single-match play-offs (semi-finals with the seeded teams to host, followed by finals, with the home teams to be drawn). The four path winners will qualify for the World Cup finals.

Inter-confederation play-offs

A play-off tournament involving six teams will be held to decide the last two FIFA World Cup berths: these consist of one team per confederation, except for UEFA, and one additional team from the confederation of the host countries (CONCACAF).

Two of the teams will be seeded based on the