Every four years teams fight fiercely for a spot in the world’s most coveted tournament. This journey tests nations’ resilience and strategic adaptability, with intense matches and surprising outcomes enthralling fans worldwide. The results shape not just the teams but global rankings as well.
The qualification structures differ across continents – for instance UEFA uses a group stage system while CONMEBOL and AFC use multi-tiered systems. Understanding these complexities is essential for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of a nation’s squad.
Typically, qualifiers are played over two legs and tiebreakers can include extra time or penalty shootouts if the scores remain level after 90 minutes. Occasionally, a match can be held on neutral ground if one of the teams does not have a stadium suitable to host international fixtures.
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, a new format has been introduced for the Oceania region. In this case the qualifiers are based on two groups of six teams. The winner of each will qualify directly while the second-placed team will enter a playoff against the best runners-up from the other two groups. The winners of those ties will be the only two teams to make it into the final.
This is the first time that all members of OFC have participated in a playoff round and it will be interesting to see how it unfolds. Despite the change in structure, the overall format is the same with all teams playing each other once and then facing the top two from each other twice.
About the Author
