The 2014 FIFA World Cup will feature 32 teams. One place was allocated to the hosts, Brazil, but no automatic place is given to the defending champions, Spain. The remaining 31 places will be determined by a qualification process, in which entrants from among the other 207 teams from the six FIFA confederations will compete. Most qualification will be determined within these confederations, with a limited number of inter-confederation play-offs occurring at the end of the process. Brunei, Bhutan, Guam and Mauritania did not enter. As of 7 October 2011, 168 teams remain in contention for 31 remaining qualification places. The originally published schedule would have consisted of 824 qualifying matches, but the withdrawal of the Bahamas means only 818 will be required.
With the calendar turned to 2011 continental qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup will begin in earnest this year. Keeping in mind that the qualifying process begins slowly and won’t pick up steam until late 2012 when Europe joins in on the fun, let us look at how each continent has set up its qualifying process for this go round.
