Getting to a 48-team World Cup meant the biggest qualifying campaign football has ever seen. Nearly every FIFA nation took part, and the slots were shared out across the six confederations, with two more decided by a play-off between continents.
Slots by confederation
Europe (UEFA) received the most places with 16. Africa (CAF) jumped to 9, a big rise from previous tournaments, while Asia (AFC) took 8 and South America (CONMEBOL) 6. North and Central America (CONCACAF) had 6 including the three automatic host nations, and Oceania (OFC) earned a guaranteed spot for the very first time.
The final two places
The last two tickets came through an inter-confederation play-off featuring six teams from five confederations. It produced late drama and rewarded nations that had just missed automatic qualification, rounding the field out to 48.
Winners and hard-luck stories
The expanded format opened the door to first-time qualifiers, with small nations reaching the World Cup for the first time in their history. It also produced shocks at the other end: four-time winners Italy again failed to make it, extending one of the game's most surprising absences.