Europe WC Qualifying Question

[TxEx84]

Europe has 53 teams competing for 13 spots in South Africa. There are 8 groups of 6 teams and 1 group of 5 teams in qualifying stage. The 9 group winners advance and "the best 8 runner-ups" compete for the other 4 slots.

How are the best 8 runner-ups determined from the 9 groups? Since there are a different number of teams in the groups, it cannot be based on round 1 points. Is it FIFA rankings going in?

 

[1899horn]

Usually they do not take into account the results from the matches against the "weakest" opponent in the groups that have more countries. Once those are thrown out, then it is based on points and goals. So if your team doesn't get its full six points when playing the weakest team, they had better make it up somewhere else.

 

[TxEx84]

My "team" is Scotland. I'd like them to make it to the WC Finals for only the second time since 1990. They are in the group of five and have a decent chance to finish in the top 2 of their group.

 

[Huckleberry]

In reply to:

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[1899horn]

I forgot to add that it is done only to compare against groups with one less team. The last qualifiers had 5 groups of 6 and 3 with 7. So the 2nd place teams in the 7 team groups would have their games vs. the last place team in the group taken out of the equation to see which teams would advance. It was also different in the sense that the 8 group winners advanced + the 2 best 2nd place teams. The remaining 2nd place teams were thrown into a playoff. So Poland and Sweden were the best 2nd placers, even though the Czechs had more points. But since the Czechs were in a group of 7, their results were against Andorra were thrown out. The Czechs went to the knockouts. So I guess you are right, if you stub your toe against a minnow it would help in this portion of the equation. You just have to hope that even with said toe-stubbing, you are still in second place.