<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> 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>
how many teams qualify for the world cup from the groups
how many teams qualify for the world cup from the groups
32
32