The race to next summer’s World Cup takes center stage this month as international qualifiers kick off around the globe. These high-stakes contests serve not only to determine who will compete at the finals, but also showcase football’s diversity of global talent. While qualifying systems vary in structure and challenges, they all serve the same purpose: to identify the best teams from each continent.

With the European qualifiers soft-launching in March and kicking off formally in September, the battle to book one of the 35 spots at next summer’s tournament in Qatar starts this month. The intensity of these tournaments often produces thrilling outcomes, as lesser-known nations like Iceland have shown in recent years.

In Europe, England and other top seeds have already made a strong start to their campaigns but the likes of Germany, Spain and Portugal still have plenty to play for as the second round of group matches get underway. The four best second-round group winners will then advance to the inter-confederation playoffs in November, which will be played in a two-legged format.

In South America, Brazil and Ecuador have both secured their places through their respective qualifiers, but Ronald Araujo’s Uruguay team has a chance to secure one of the last two automatic berths with a couple of wins in September. Meanwhile, Robin Lod’s Finland will hope to build on their impressive start as they face Norway and Ukraine in their opening qualifiers, while Honduras begin their campaign on September 5. Click here for more.