The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification process was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations to decide 31 of the 32 teams which would play in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with Russia qualifying automatically as hosts. All 210 remaining FIFA member associations were eligible to enter the qualifying process,…
When was the 2018 World Cup opening ceremony held?
The opening ceremony took place on Thursday, 14 June 2018, at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, preceding the opening match of the tournament between hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia.
How many countries are eligible to qualify for the World Cup?
For the first time in the history of the FIFA World Cup, all eligible nations – the 209 FIFA member associations minus automatically qualified hosts Russia – applied to enter the qualifying process.
How many players are in the 2018 World Cup squad?
Main article: 2018 FIFA World Cup squads Initially, each team had to name a preliminary squad of 30 players, but in February 2018 this was increased to 35. From the preliminary squad, the team had to name a final squad of 23 players (three of whom had to be goalkeepers) by 4 June.
How many teams are in the FIFA World Cup 2018?
The ten teams played in a league of home-and-away round-robin matches. The top four teams qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the fifth-placed team advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs .
Which countries made their World Cup qualifying debut in 2015?
Bhutan, South Sudan, Gibraltar and Kosovo made their FIFA World Cup qualification debuts. While the main qualifying draw took place at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, on 25 July 2015, qualification matches were played before that.
When was the FIFA World Cup qualifying format approved by CAF?
The CAF Executive Committee approved the format for the qualifiers of the 2018 FIFA World Cup on 14 January 2015.
