| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 4 September 2016 – 14 November 2017 |
| Teams | 54 (from 1 confederation) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 278 |
| Goals scored | 807 (2.9 per match) |
| Attendance | 5,866,771 (21,103 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Robert Lewandowski(16 goals) |
← 2014 2022 → | |
| UEFA European Qualifiers |
|---|
The European section of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification acted as qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which was held in Russia, for national teams that are members of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Apart from Russia, who qualified automatically as hosts, a total of 13 slots in the final tournament were available for UEFA teams.[1]
The qualifying format was confirmed by the UEFA Executive Committee meeting on 22–23 March 2015 in Vienna.[2][3]
The qualification process started on 4 September 2016, almost two months after UEFA Euro 2016, and ended on 14 November 2017. Belgium, England, France, Germany, Iceland (for the first time), Poland, Portugal, Serbia, and Spain qualified in the first round by winning their groups. Croatia, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland qualified by winning their playoffs.
Four-time champions Italy did not qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, missing out on qualification for the first time since 1958 after losing in the playoffs to Sweden,[4] while the three-time FIFA World Cup runners-up Netherlands did not qualify for the tournament for the first time since 2002 after finishing third in 2014,[5] and second in 2010. Iceland, with 335,000 inhabitants, became the smallest country ever to qualify for a FIFA World Cup.[6]
- ^ "Current allocation of FIFA World Cup confederation slots maintained". FIFA.com. 30 May 2015. Archived from the original on 30 May 2015.
- ^ "Executive Committee date in Vienna". UEFA.org. 21 March 2015.
- ^ "New distribution concept for club competitions approved". UEFA.org. 23 March 2015.
- ^ AFP. "Italy Miss Out on FIFA World Cup For the First Time Since 1958". News 18. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
- ^ "A win for the Netherlands, but not enough to secure World Cup qualification". Sydney Morning Herald. 11 October 2017. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017.
- ^ "Iceland become smallest nation ever to qualify for World Cup finals". The Guardian. 9 October 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2017.