<P> Qualifying was altered significantly from the 2014 method, with changes to the structure of the preliminary rounds--which were held before the main draw . One home - and - away preliminary round reduced the 12 entrants to 6, followed by a first group stage with the 6 first round winners joining the top sides and 4 best runners - up from 5 groups of 5 advancing to a final group stage . The winners and runners - up of the two final groups of 5 advanced to the World Cup finals with the two third - placed sides playing off in the fourth round for the right to play in an inter-confederation play - off for a final World Cup spot . The first two rounds also acted as the qualifiers for the expanded 2019 AFC Asian Cup . </P> <P> A total of 24 teams eliminated from World Cup qualification in the second round competed in the third round of 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification (which was separate from the third round of 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification), where they were divided into six groups of four teams and competed for the remaining slots of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup . The 24 teams consisted of the 16 highest ranked teams eliminated in the second round, and the eight teams that advanced from the play - off round of 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification which were contested by the remaining 12 teams eliminated in the second round . </P> <P> The European qualification was unchanged from the 2010 system . The 54 national teams were divided into nine groups of six teams, with the group winners qualifying directly to the finals, and the best eight runners - up playing home - and - away ties for the remaining four places . </P> <P> With the admission of Gibraltar and Kosovo as FIFA members in May 2016, both national teams made their debuts in World Cup qualifying . With two groups of only five teams in the first round, Kosovo was assigned to group I as it was decided that Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia should not play against Kosovo for security reasons, and Gibraltar was then added to group H . </P>

How many countries qualify for the world cup in europe