2018 World Cup qualifying draw
ST PETERSBURG, July 24 (Reuters) - Factbox on the 2018 World Cup qualifying 競争 draw which will take place in St Petersburg on Saturday (1500 GMT):
BACKGROUND
Thirty-two teams will take part at the 2018 World Cup. Hosts Russia qualify automatically and the others 戦う／戦い through a qualifying 競争 which 伴う／関わるs 851 matches and takes two years and eight months to 完全にする.
The 競争 is divided up by continent; 13 teams qualify from Europe, five from Africa, three or four from CONCACAF, four or five from South America, four or five from Asia and 非，不，無 or one from Oceania.
The exact number per continent depends on the 結果 of two intercontinental プレーオフs, each 行う／開催する／段階d over two 脚s, at the end of the 競争.
Each continent uses a different 判型.
FIFA has 209 member 協会s and all entered a team, although Indonesia and Zimbabwe were disqualified before playing 予定 to off-the-field 問題／発行するs.
The Asian and CONCACAF 競争s have started and 22 teams have already been 除去するd.
Brazil are the only team to have played at every World Cup.
SOUTH AMERICA
The 10 teams play each other home-and-away in a 選び出す／独身 group, starting on Sept 4. The 最高の，を越す four qualify for the World Cup and the fifth-placed team go into an intercontinental プレーオフ.
Only the order of teams will be drawn on S aturday, a technical 演習 which will 影響する／感情 the fixture 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる）.
AFRICA
Fifty-four teams were 予定 to take part but Zimbabwe were disqualified.
The 26-lowest 階級d teams enter in the first 一連の会議、交渉／完成する, which consists of 13 two-脚 home-and-away 関係 played from Oct. 5-13.
The 勝利者s join the remaining 27 teams in the second 行う／開催する／段階, which is again played on a ノックアウト basis with each tie played over two 脚s from Nov. 9-17.
The 20 勝利者s go into the third 一連の会議、交渉／完成する where they are divided into five groups of four and the 勝利者s of each group qualify for the World Cup.
The draw for the first and second 一連の会議、交渉／完成するs will be made on Saturday.
ASIA
The Asian qualifying 競争 is already into its second 段階.
There are 46 entrants and the 12 lowest-階級d 味方するs took part in the first 行う／開催する／段階, organised on a ノックアウト basis with 関係 played over two 脚s, home and away.
The six 勝利者s joined the remaining 34 teams in the second 段階, which consists of eight groups of five. This 段階 started in June and will finish on March 29. Group F has been 減ずるd to four teams after Indonesia were expelled.
The eight group 勝利者s and four best 走者s-up go into the third 段階 where teams are divided into two groups of six.
The 最高の，を越す two in each group qualify for the World Cup. The third-placed teams play off against each other over two 脚s and the 勝利者s of that tie qualify for an の間の-大陸の プレーオフ.
No draw will be made on Saturday.
CONCACAF
Thirty-five 関係者s. The first two 行う／開催する／段階s have already been played. The first 行う／開催する／段階 featured the lowest-階級d 14 teams in two-脚 ノックアウト 関係. Thirteen more teams joined the seven 勝利者s in the second 行う／開催する／段階, which was played on the same basis.
The 10 teams who qualified will be joined by Jamaica and Haiti for the third 一連の会議、交渉／完成する, again played in a ノックアウト 判型 from Aug. 31-Sept. 8.
The six 勝利者s qualify for the fourth 一連の会議、交渉／完成する along with the 部隊d 明言する／公表するs, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, パナマ and Trinidad and Tobago who receive a bye. This consists of three groups of four and the 最高の，を越す two qualify for the fifth 一連の会議、交渉／完成する.
The final 一連の会議、交渉／完成する is played as a six-team 小型の-league. The 最高の，を越す three qualify for the World Cup and the fourth goes into an の間の-大陸の プレーオフ.
行う／開催する／段階s three and four will be drawn on Saturday.
EUROPE
Fifty-two European teams take part and are divided into seven groups of six and two of five. The nine group 勝利者s qualify for the World Cup and the eight best 走者s-up 参加する two-脚 プレーオフs for four more places.
Gibraltar, who are members of UEFA but not FIFA, are not 伴う／関わるd. Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, England, Romania, むちの跡s and Croatia are the 最高の，を越す seeds meaning that 非，不，無 of them can be drawn in the same group. This has opened up the 可能性 of Germany 直面するing フラン or Italy in the qualifying 行う／開催する／段階.
OCEANIA
Eleven teams take part.
In the first 一連の会議、交渉／完成する, American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga will play a 一連の会議、交渉／完成する-略奪する in group at a 選び出す／独身 発生地 and the 勝利者s qualify for 一連の会議、交渉／完成する two.
The remaining seven teams enter in 一連の会議、交渉／完成する two and are divided into two groups of four, with the 最高の，を越す three 進歩ing to 一連の会議、交渉／完成する three. This consists of two groups of three, with the 最高の，を越す team in each 進歩ing to a two-脚 プレーオフ. The プレーオフ 勝利者s qualify for the intercontinental プレーオフ.
一連の会議、交渉／完成する two will be drawn on Saturday.
INTERCONTINENTAL PLAYOFFS
Two 関係, each played over two 脚s, take place in November 2017 with the 勝利者s qualifying for the World Cup. The teams 伴う／関わるd are the fifth-placed 味方する from South America, fourth-placed team from CONCACAF and Asia and the Oceania 勝利者s. The pairings will be drawn on Saturday. (収集するd by Brian Homewood, editing by Ed Osmond)
