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Who is going to Russia? The state of World Cup 2018 qualification around the globe
It's that time again. World Cup 2018 is just around the corner, which means we can officially start keeping track of the teams that have qualified for the world's most popular sporting event. Russia has already qualified as the host country, but 31 more nations will join as World Cup qualification continues around the world throughout 2017, with tight battles taking place in the AFC (Asia), UEFA (Europe), CONCACAF (North and Central America), CONMEBOL (South America), and CAF (Africa). Here is a guide to which teams have qualified, which teams are on the brink, and the upcoming schedule of qualifiers around the world.
| Nation | How qualified | When qualified | Previous best finish |
|---|---|---|---|
 Russia | Host country | December 2, 2010 | Fourth place (1966) |
 Brazil | CONMEBOL direct qualifier | March 28, 2017 | Winners (five times) |
Iran
Next game: June 12, 2017 vs. Uzbekistan // Qualify with a win
No other teams can qualify in their next game
Separated by confederation.
AFC
Australia vs. Saudi Arabia
CONCACAF
USA vs. Trinidad & Tobago
Costa Rica vs. Panama
Mexico vs. Honduras
UEFA
Belarus vs. Bulgaria
Netherlands vs. Luxembourg
Sweden vs. France
Andorra vs. Hungary
Faroe Islands vs. Switzerland
Latvia vs. Portugal
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Greece
Estonia vs. Belgium
Gibraltar vs. Cyprus
UEFA
Azerbaijan vs. Northern Ireland
Germany vs. San Marino
Norway vs. Czech Republic
Kazakhstan vs. Denmark
Montenegro vs. Armenia
Poland vs. Romania
Scotland vs. England
Slovenia vs. Malta
Lithuania vs. Slovakia
UEFA
Moldova vs. Georgia
Ireland vs. Austria
Serbia vs. Wales
Israel vs. Albania
Italy vs. Liechtenstein
Macedonia vs. Spain
Finland vs. Ukraine
Iceland vs. Croatia
Kosovo vs. Turkey
CONCACAF
Mexico vs. USA
AFC
Iran vs. Uzbekistan
AFC
Syria vs. China
Qatar vs. South Korea
Thailand vs. United Arab Emirates
Iraq vs. Japan
CONCACAF
Panama vs. Honduras
Costa Rica vs. Trinidad & Tobago
CAF
Guinea vs. Libya
Tuniaia vs. DR Congo
Nigeria vs. Cameroon
Zambia vs. Algeria
Gabon vs. Ivory Coast
Morocco vs. Mali
Senegal vs. Burkina Faso
Cape Verde vs. South Africa
Ghana vs. Congo
Uganda vs. Egypt
AFC
Syria vs. Qatar
China vs. Uzbekistan
South Korea vs. Iran
Thailand vs. Iraq
United Arab Emirates vs. Saudi Arabia
Japan vs. Australia
UEFA
Bulgaria vs. Sweden
France vs. Netherlands
Luxembourg vs. Belarus
Hungary vs. Latvia
Portugal vs. Faroe Islands
Switzerland vs. Andorra
Belgium vs. Gibraltar
Cyprus vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
Greece vs. Estonia
CONMEBOL
Chile vs. Paraguay
Brazil vs. Ecuador
Venezuela vs. Colombia
Peru vs. Bolivia
Uruguay vs. Argentina
UEFA
Czech Republic vs. Germany
Norway vs. Azerbaijan
San Marino vs. Northern Ireland
Kazakhstan vs. Montenegro
Denmark vs. Poland
Romania vs. Armenia
Lithuania vs. Scotland
Malta vs. England
Slovakia vs. Slovenia
CONCACAF
USA vs. Costa Rica
Mexico vs. Panama
Trinidad & Tobago vs. Honduras
UEFA
Georgia vs. Ireland
Serbia vs. Moldova
Wales vs. Austria
Albania vs. Liechtenstein
Israel vs. Macedonia
Spain vs. Italy
Croatia vs. Kosovo
Finland vs. Iceland
Ukraine vs. Turkey
CAF
Libya vs. Guinea
DR Congo vs. Tunisia
Algeria vs. Zambia
Cameroon vs. Nigeria
Mali vs. Morocco
Ivory Coast vs. Gabon
South Africa vs. Cape Verde
Burkina Faso vs. Senegal
Egypt vs. Uganda
Congo vs. Ghana
UEFA
Belarus vs. Sweden
Netherlands vs. Bulgaria
France vs. Luxembourg
Faroe Islands vs. Andorra
Hungary vs. Portugal
Latvia vs. Switzerland
Estonia vs. Cyprus
Greece vs. Belgium
Gibraltar vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
UEFA
Azerbaijan vs. San Marino
Germany vs. Norway
Northern Ireland vs. Czech Republic
Armenia vs. Denmark
Montenegro vs. Romania
Poland vs. Kazakhstan
England vs. Slovakia
Scotland vs. Malta
Slovenia vs. Lithuania
UEFA
Austria vs. Georgia
Moldova vs. Wales
Ireland vs. Serbia
Italy vs. Israel
Liechtenstein vs. Spain
Macedonia vs. Albania
Iceland vs. Ukraine
Kosovo vs. Finland
Turkey vs. Croatia
AFC
Qatar vs. China
Iran vs. Syria
Uzbekistan vs. South Korea
Iraq vs. United Arab Emirates
Australia vs. Thailand
Saudi Arabia vs. Japan
CONCACAF
Honduras vs. USA
Panama vs. Trinidad & Tobago
Costa Rica vs. Mexico
CONMEBOL
Colombia vs. Brazil
Paraguay vs. Uruguay
Argentina vs. Venezuela
Ecuador vs. Peru
Bolivia vs. Chile
CAF
Guinea vs. Tunisia
Libya vs. DR Congo
Nigeria vs. Zambia
Cameroon vs. Algeria
Morocco vs. Gabon
Mali vs. Ivory Coast
Cap Verde vs. Senegal
South Africa vs. Burkina Faso
Egypt vs. Congo
Uganda vs. Ghana
UEFA
Azerbaijan vs. Czech Republic
Northern Ireland vs. Germany
San Marino vs. Norway
Armenia vs. Poland
Montenegro vs. Denmark
Romania vs. Kazakhstan
England vs. Slovenia
Malta vs. Lithuania
Scotland vs. Slovakia
CONMEBOL
Colombia vs. Paraguay
Chile vs. Ecuador
Argentina vs. Peru
Venezuela vs. Uruguay
Bolivia vs. Brazil
AFC
AFC 5th place playoff leg 1
UEFA
Georgia vs. Wales
Austria vs. Serbia
Ireland vs. Moldova
Italy vs. Macedonia
Liechtenstein vs. Israel
Spain vs. Albania
Croatia vs. Finland
Kosovo vs. Ukraine
Turkey vs. Iceland
CONCACAF
USA vs. Panama
Costa Rica vs. Honduras
Mexico vs. Trinidad & Tobago
UEFA
Sweden vs. Luxembourg
Belarus vs. Netherlands
Bulgaria vs. France
Faroe Islands vs. Latvia
Andorra vs. Portugal
Switzerland vs. Hungary
Gibraltar vs. Estonia
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Belgium
Cyprus vs. Greece
UEFA
Czech Republic vs. San Marino
Germany vs. Azerbaijan
Norway vs. Northern Ireland
Denmark vs. Romania
Kazakhstan vs. Armenia
Poland vs. Montenegro
Lithuania vs. England
Slovakia vs. Malta
Slovenia vs. Scotland
October 9:
UEFA
Moldova vs. Austria
Serbia vs. Georgia
Wales vs. Ireland
Albania vs. Italy
Israel vs. Spain
Macedonia vs. Liechtenstein
Finland vs. Turkey
Iceland vs. Kosovo
Ukraine vs. Croatia
AFC
AFC 5th place playoff leg 2
UEFA
France vs. Belarus
Luxembourg vs. Bulgaria
Netherlands vs. Sweden
Hungary vs. Faroe Islands
Latvia vs. Andorra
Portugal vs. Switzerland
Belgium vs. Cyprus
Estonia vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
Greece vs. Gibraltar
CONMEBOL
Paraguay vs. Venezuela
Brazil vs. Chile
Ecuador vs. Argentina
Peru vs. Colombia
Uruguay vs. Bolivia
CONCACAF
Trinidad & Tobago vs. USA
Panama vs. Costa Rica
Honduras vs. Mexico
Intercontinental playoff (first leg)
OFC 1st place vs. CONMEBOL 5th place
CONCACAF 4th place vs. AFC 5th place
CAF
Tunisia vs. Libya
DR Congo vs. Guinea
Zambia vs. Cameroon
Algeria vs. Nigeria
Ivory Coast vs. Morocco
Gabon vs. Mali
Burkina Faso vs. Cape Verde
Senegal vs. South Africa
Congo vs. Uganda
Ghana vs. Egypt
Intercontinental playoff second leg
AFC 5th place vs. CONCACAF 4th place
CONMEBOL 5th place vs. OFC 1st place
