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The Asian section of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification acts as qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, to be held in Russia, for national teams which are members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). A total of 4.5 slots (4 direct slots and 1 inter-confederation play-off slot) in the final tournament are available for AFC teams.

On 16 April 2014, the AFC Executive Committee approved a proposal to merge the preliminary qualification rounds of the FIFA World Cup and the AFC Asian Cup, which will be expanded to 24 teams starting in 2019. Therefore, the first two rounds of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers also act as qualifiers for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

Format

The qualification structure is as follows:

First round: A total of 12 teams (teams ranked 35–46) will play home-and-away over two legs. The six winners will advance to the second round.
Second round: A total of 40 teams (teams ranked 1–34 and six first round winners) will be divided into eight groups of five teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The eight group winners and the four best group runners-up will advance to the third round of FIFA World Cup qualification as well as qualify for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup finals.
Third round: The 12 teams (an increase from 10 for 2014) which advance from the second round will be divided into two groups of six teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The top two teams of each group will qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the two third-placed teams will advance to the fourth round.
Fourth round: The two third-placed teams of each group from the third round will play home-and-away over two legs. The winner will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.

A total of 24 teams eliminated from World Cup qualification in the second round will compete in the third round of 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification (which will be separate from the third round of 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification), where they will be divided into six groups of four teams and compete for the remaining slots of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. The 24 teams will consist of the 16 highest ranked teams eliminated in the second round, and the eight teams that advance from the play-off round of 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification which are contested by the remaining 12 teams eliminated in the second round.

Hellcrooner wrote:i always wondered how they decide wich teams go in in uefa and wich teams go on afc.
On what basis
Why georgia on uefa and uzbekistan in afc.

Why israel in uefa and Jordan in afc.

Foye wrote:

Hellcrooner wrote:i always wondered how they decide wich teams go in in uefa and wich teams go on afc.
On what basis
Why georgia on uefa and uzbekistan in afc.

Why israel in uefa and Jordan in afc.

I think the main reason why Israel play in Uefa is that nobody from middle east likes them and the games could enhance political conflicts. Kinda like Russia/Ukraine who are not allowed to play against each other.

Arda K wrote:israel was expelled from afc, uefa is the next logical choice. i believe they were trying to qualify from ocenia federation at some point.

kazakhstan is the one that makes no sense, i bet lot of money exchanged behind the scenes during their move.

Arda K wrote:israel was expelled from afc, uefa is the next logical choice. i believe they were trying to qualify from ocenia federation at some point.

kazakhstan is the one that makes no sense, i bet lot of money exchanged behind the scenes during their move.

NYCLaker wrote:Turkey could, if all them would stop playing for Germany instead.

Foye wrote:

Arda K wrote:israel was expelled from afc, uefa is the next logical choice. i believe they were trying to qualify from ocenia federation at some point.

kazakhstan is the one that makes no sense, i bet lot of money exchanged behind the scenes during their move.

Turkey makes no sense either. Nobody minds because they can not field a relevant squad, though.

Foye wrote:

NYCLaker wrote:Turkey could, if all them would stop playing for Germany instead.

Can you name them? Them is basically Özil. Can is not even a regular member of the NT and other than those two there's nobody else from Turkey.

Meanwhile there's at least a dozen players on Turkish NT roster developed by German teams and they still can't field a competitive roster. Imagine how bad they would be if they had to use only players that Turkish clubs have developed in their youth systems.

NYCLaker wrote:

Foye wrote:

NYCLaker wrote:Turkey could, if all them would stop playing for Germany instead.

Can you name them? Them is basically Özil. Can is not even a regular member of the NT and other than those two there's nobody else from Turkey.

Meanwhile there's at least a dozen players on Turkish NT roster developed by German teams and they still can't field a competitive roster. Imagine how bad they would be if they had to use only players that Turkish clubs have developed in their youth systems.

Ozil. GUndogan. Can.

Foye wrote:

NYCLaker wrote:

Foye wrote:
Can you name them? Them is basically Özil. Can is not even a regular member of the NT and other than those two there's nobody else from Turkey.

Meanwhile there's at least a dozen players on Turkish NT roster developed by German teams and they still can't field a competitive roster. Imagine how bad they would be if they had to use only players that Turkish clubs have developed in their youth systems.

Ozil. GUndogan. Can.

Gündogan never even makes it to a tourney. Always injured.

NYCLaker wrote:

Foye wrote:

NYCLaker wrote:
Ozil. GUndogan. Can.

Gündogan never even makes it to a tourney. Always injured.

He made the euros in 2012 and was part of Germany's world cup qualifying campaign....