<Tr> <Th> Top scorer (s) </Th> <Td> Robert Lewandowski Mohammad Al - Sahlawi Ahmed Khalil (16 goals each) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> ← 2014 2022 → All statistics correct as of 10 October 2017 (including any matches not played but awarded). </Td> </Tr> <P> The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification process is a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations to decide 31 of the 32 teams which will 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, and for the first time in World Cup history, all eligible national teams registered for the preliminary competition, but Zimbabwe and Indonesia were disqualified before playing their first matches . Bhutan, South Sudan, Gibraltar and Kosovo made their FIFA World Cup qualification debuts . </P> <P> While the main qualifying draw took place at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, on 25 July 2015, a number of qualification matches were played before that . The first began in Dili, Timor Leste, on 12 March 2015 as part of the AFC's qualification, with East Timorese player Chiquito do Carmo scoring the first goal of qualification . Matches were also played in CONCACAF prior to the main draw . </P>

How many teams qualify for the world cup from the groups