<P> Bhutan, Brunei, Guam and Mauritania did not enter, and South Sudan joined FIFA after the qualification process started and therefore could not take part . The qualification process consisted of 820 matches, reduced from 824 after the late withdrawals of the Bahamas and Mauritius . </P> <P> The first qualification match, between Montserrat and Belize, was played on 15 June 2011, and the Belizean striker Deon McCaulay scored the first goal in qualification . Qualification ended on 20 November 2013, when Uruguay eliminated Jordan to become the final qualifier for the World Cup . Twenty - three of FIFA's 24 top - ranked countries eventually qualified . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Team </Th> <Th> Method of qualification </Th> <Th> Date of qualification </Th> <Th> Finals appearance </Th> <Th> Consecutive appearances </Th> <Th> Previous best performance </Th> <Th> FIFA Ranking </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Brazil </Td> <Td> CONMEBOL Host </Td> <Td> 01 30 October 2007 </Td> <Td> 20th </Td> <Td> 20 </Td> <Td> Winners (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) </Td> <Td> 11 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Japan </Td> <Td> AFC Fourth Round Group B 1st Winners </Td> <Td> 02 4 June 2013 </Td> <Td> 5th </Td> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> Round of 16 (2002, 2010) </Td> <Td> 44 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Australia </Td> <Td> AFC Fourth Round Group B 2nd Runners - up </Td> <Td> 03 18 June 2013 </Td> <Td> 4th </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Round of 16 (2006) </Td> <Td> 57 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Iran </Td> <Td> AFC Fourth Round Group A 1st Winners </Td> <Td> 04 18 June 2013 </Td> <Td> 4th </Td> <Td> 1 (Last: 2006) </Td> <Td> Group stage (1978, 1998, 2006) </Td> <Td> 49 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> South Korea </Td> <Td> AFC Fourth Round Group A 2nd Runners - up </Td> <Td> 05 18 June 2013 </Td> <Td> 9th </Td> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> Fourth place (2002) </Td> <Td> 56 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Netherlands </Td> <Td> UEFA Group D Winners </Td> <Td> 06 10 September 2013 </Td> <Td> 10th </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Runners - up (1974, 1978, 2010) </Td> <Td> 8 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Italy </Td> <Td> UEFA Group B Winners </Td> <Td> 07 10 September 2013 </Td> <Td> 18th </Td> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> Winners (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006) </Td> <Td> 9 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Costa Rica </Td> <Td> CONCACAF Fourth Round 2nd Runners - up </Td> <Td> 08 10 September 2013 </Td> <Td> 4th </Td> <Td> 1 (Last: 2006) </Td> <Td> Round of 16 (1990) </Td> <Td> 31 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> United States </Td> <Td> CONCACAF Fourth Round 1st Winners </Td> <Td> 09 10 September 2013 </Td> <Td> 10th </Td> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> Third place (1930) </Td> <Td> 13 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Argentina </Td> <Td> CONMEBOL Round Robin 1st Winners </Td> <Td> 10 10 September 2013 </Td> <Td> 16th </Td> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> Winners (1978, 1986) </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Belgium </Td> <Td> UEFA Group A Winners </Td> <Td> 11 11 October 2013 </Td> <Td> 12th </Td> <Td> 1 (Last: 2002) </Td> <Td> Fourth place (1986) </Td> <Td> 5 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Switzerland </Td> <Td> UEFA Group E Winners </Td> <Td> 12 11 October 2013 </Td> <Td> 10th </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Quarter - finals (1934, 1938, 1954) </Td> <Td> 7 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Germany </Td> <Td> UEFA Group C Winners </Td> <Td> 13 11 October 2013 </Td> <Td> 18th </Td> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td> Winners (1954, 1974, 1990) </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Colombia </Td> <Td> CONMEBOL Round Robin 2nd Runners - up </Td> <Td> 14 11 October 2013 </Td> <Td> 5th </Td> <Td> 1 (Last: 1998) </Td> <Td> Round of 16 (1990) </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Bosnia and Herzegovina </Td> <Td> UEFA Group G Winners </Td> <Td> 16 15 October 2013 </Td> <Td> 1st </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td>--</Td> <Td> 16 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Russia </Td> <Td> UEFA Group F Winners </Td> <Td> 15 15 October 2013 </Td> <Td> 10th </Td> <Td> 1 (Last: 2002) </Td> <Td> Fourth place (1966) </Td> <Td> 19 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> England </Td> <Td> UEFA Group H Winners </Td> <Td> 17 15 October 2013 </Td> <Td> 14th </Td> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> Winners (1966) </Td> <Td> 10 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Spain </Td> <Td> UEFA Group I Winners </Td> <Td> 18 15 October 2013 </Td> <Td> 14th </Td> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> Winners (2010) </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Chile </Td> <Td> CONMEBOL Round Robin Third Place </Td> <Td> 19 15 October 2013 </Td> <Td> 9th </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Third place (1962) </Td> <Td> 12 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Ecuador </Td> <Td> CONMEBOL Round Robin Fourth Place </Td> <Td> 20 15 October 2013 </Td> <Td> 3rd </Td> <Td> 1 (Last: 2006) </Td> <Td> Round of 16 (2006) </Td> <Td> 22 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Honduras </Td> <Td> CONCACAF Fourth Round Third Place </Td> <Td> 21 15 October 2013 </Td> <Td> 3rd </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Group stage (1982, 2010) </Td> <Td> 34 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Nigeria </Td> <Td> CAF Third Round Winners </Td> <Td> 22 16 November 2013 </Td> <Td> 5th </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Round of 16 (1994, 1998) </Td> <Td> 33 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Ivory Coast </Td> <Td> CAF Third Round Winners </Td> <Td> 23 16 November 2013 </Td> <Td> 3rd </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Group stage (2006, 2010) </Td> <Td> 17 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Cameroon </Td> <Td> CAF Third Round Winners </Td> <Td> 24 17 November 2013 </Td> <Td> 7th </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Quarter - finals (1990) </Td> <Td> 59 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Ghana </Td> <Td> CAF Third Round Winners </Td> <Td> 25 19 November 2013 </Td> <Td> 3rd </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Quarter - finals (2010) </Td> <Td> 23 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Algeria </Td> <Td> CAF Third Round Winners </Td> <Td> 26 19 November 2013 </Td> <Td> 4th </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Group stage (1982, 1986, 2010) </Td> <Td> 32 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Greece </Td> <Td> UEFA Play - off Winners </Td> <Td> 27 19 November 2013 </Td> <Td> 3rd </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Group stage (1994, 2010) </Td> <Td> 15 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Croatia </Td> <Td> UEFA Play - off Winners </Td> <Td> 28 19 November 2013 </Td> <Td> 4th </Td> <Td> 1 (Last: 2006) </Td> <Td> Third place (1998) </Td> <Td> 18 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Portugal </Td> <Td> UEFA Play - off Winners </Td> <Td> 29 19 November 2013 </Td> <Td> 6th </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Third place (1966) </Td> <Td> 14 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> France </Td> <Td> UEFA Play - off Winners </Td> <Td> 30 19 November 2013 </Td> <Td> 14th </Td> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> Winners (1998) </Td> <Td> 21 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Mexico </Td> <Td> CONCACAF v OFC play - off Winners </Td> <Td> 31 20 November 2013 </Td> <Td> 15th </Td> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> Quarter - finals (1970, 1986) </Td> <Td> 24 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Uruguay </Td> <Td> CONMEBOL AFC v CONMEBOL play - off Winners </Td> <Td> 32 20 November 2013 </Td> <Td> 12th </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Winners (1930, 1950) </Td> <Td> 6 </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Team </Th> <Th> Method of qualification </Th> <Th> Date of qualification </Th> <Th> Finals appearance </Th> <Th> Consecutive appearances </Th> <Th> Previous best performance </Th> <Th> FIFA Ranking </Th> </Tr>

List of countries that qualified for 2014 world cup
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