International qualifiers are high-stakes contests that help determine which teams will compete at the next World Cup. They serve as a celebration of football’s global diversity and are a testing ground for players to hone their skills in high-stakes environments. The qualification systems across continents differ in structure and challenges, but they all serve the same purpose: to identify the best representatives for the ultimate test of power and pride.

This table compares the results of each country’s qualifying campaigns based on the number of matches won, draws and lost. For matches that have been declared void, only the replays are counted. If a match was abandoned before the end of 90 minutes, extra time and then penalty shootouts are used to decide the winner.

The top four sides in each group automatically qualify for the tournament. The other sides then fight it out in intercontinental play-offs to earn a place in the final tournament. Each zone gets a fixed number of places, with UEFA getting 13 spots, CAF five (with their 5th place duking it out with CONMEBOL’s 4th place for an additional spot), and OFC two.

OFC’s unique position in the sport means they must overcome a series of high-stakes hurdles to reach the World Cup. Their qualification process sees 54 FIFA-affiliated nations divided into nine groups of five or six teams who played home-and-away games in a hexa-format. The winners of each group qualified for the World Cup and the runners-up went into an inter-confederation playoff round.