ROAD TO RUSSIA 2018
Australia beat Honduras 3-1 to reach World Cup 2018 – as it happened
It's required 22 games, taken 29 months and over 250,000 kilometres but Australia finally reached their final destination; the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The longest and hardest qualifying campaign that any team has endured in the tournament's history couldn't derail the Socceroos as they sealed a 3-1 win over Honduras to qualify for their fourth successive World Cup.
For all the pressure and tension surrounding their most important competitive match in the last 12 years, the Socceroos saved their most comfortable win of the latter stages of qualification to last. A superb second-half performance from Australia was capped off with a hat trick for captain Mile Jedinak. There was no shortage of fortune but it was nothing less than Australia deserved after receiving little favours on their gruelling road to Russia. Jedinak was the hero, converting two penalties and a deflected free-kick to ensure Australia will be part of the biggest show on earth.
More purpose than poise heaped pressure after the restart turned the screws on Honduras and it didn't take much sustained pressure to find an opening and a darting run by Tom Rogic could only be stopped by a foul on the edge of the box.
After such an arduous campaign offered little luck to Australia, fortune finally shone on the Socceroos. A wicked deflection from substitute Henry Figueroa guided Jedinak's free-kick into the net and Australia on the path to Russia as the Socceroos broke the deadlock in the tie.
After 57 minutes of near silence, it brought the 77,060 fans became active once the gravitas sank in. They remained on their feet when Rogic's long-range volley almost achieved the spectacular before Cahill was denied their second by the crossbar with a daring header from the edge of the box.
However, luck shone on the Socceroos once more. Argentinian referee Nestor Pitana gave Australia a chance to book their tickets to Russia after blowing for a contentious penalty after ruling Bryan Acosta handled the ball inside the box. After being denied what looked a certain spot kick in the first leg, Jedinak was in no forgiving mood. Thumping a penalty past Escober to book their ticket to Russia.
The Socceroos were gifted another penalty when Palacios hauled Robbie Kruse en-route to goal and yet again, Jedinak made no mistake as Australia sealed their passage to Russia. A late scramble goal by Elis almost went unnoticed as Australia began the celebrations that will go long into the night, and all the way to Moscow in June.
WORLD CUP 2018: WHICH TEAMS HAVE QUALIFIED FOR THE FINALS IN RUSSIA?
THE WORLD CUP 2018 LINEUP IN FULL
Below is a list of the teams that have qualified for the World Cup in 2018 and the qualification spots still to be filled.
| Country | Qualification place |
|---|
| Russia | Hosts |
| Iran | AFC Third Round Group A winners |
| South Korea | AFC Third Round Group A runners up |
| Japan | AFC Third Round Group B winners |
| Saudi Arabia | AFC Third Round Group B runners up |
| Australia | AFC fifth place vs CONCACAF fourth place play-off winners |
| Tunisia | CAF Group A winners |
| Nigeria | CAF Group B winners |
| Morocco | CAF Group C winners |
| Senegal | CAF Group D winners |
| Egypt | CAF Group E winners |
| Mexico | CONCACAF Fifth Round first place |
| Costa Rica | CONCACAF Fifth Round second place |
| Panama | CONCACAF Fifth Round third place |
| Brazil | CONMEBOL first place |
| Uruguay | CONMEBOL second place |
| Argentina | CONMEBOL third place |
| Colombia | CONMEBOL fourth place |
| TBC | CONMEBOL fifth place vs OFC first place play-off |
| France | UEFA Group A winners |
| Portugal | UEFA Group B winners |
| Germany | UEFA Group C winners |
| Serbia | UEFA Group D winners |
| Poland | UEFA Group E winners |
| England | UEFA Group F winners |
| Spain | UEFA Group G winners |
| Belgium | UEFA Group H winners |
| Iceland | UEFA Group I winners |
| Switzerland | UEFA second-place play-off winners |
| Croatia | UEFA second-place play-off winners |
| Sweden | UEFA second-place play-off winners |
| Denmark | UEFA second-place play-off winners |
AFC (ASIA) QUALIFICATION
World Cup qualification in Asia is split into three rounds plus play-offs.
In the first round, the 12 teams ranked 35th-46th within the continent play in a two-legged knockout round, with the six winners advancing.
In the second round, those six teams join the teams ranked 1st-34th in eight groups of five teams that play each other home and away. The eight group winners and four best runners up advance to the third round and also qualify for the 2019 Asian Cup.
In the third round, the 12 remaining teams are drawn into two groups of six. Again, they play each other home and away and the top two in each group qualify for the World Cup finals.
The third-placed teams in each group then play each other in a two-legged play-off, with the winner qualifying for another two-legged play-off against the fourth-placed team from North and Central America (CONCACAF). The winner of that tie qualifies for the World Cup finals.
Qualified:
| Country | AFC qualification place |
|---|
| Iran | Third Round Group A winners |
| South Korea | Third Round Group A runners up |
| Japan | Third Round Group B winners |
| Saudi Arabia | Third Round Group B runners up |
| Australia | Inter-confederation play-off winners |
Eliminated:
| Country | AFC stage reached |
|---|
| Syria | Fourth Round |
| Uzbekistan | Third Round |
| China | Third Round |
| United Arab Emirates | Third Round |
| Iraq | Third Round |
| Thailand | Third Round |
| Qatar | Third Round |
| Palestine | Second Round |
| Malaysia | Second Round |
| Timor-Leste | Second Round |
| Jordan | Second Round |
| Kyrgyzstan | Second Round |
| Tajikistan | Second Round |
| Bangladesh | Second Round |
| Hong Kong | Second Round |
| Maldives | Second Round |
| Bhutan | Second Round |
| Oman | Second Round |
| Turkmenistan | Second Round |
| Guam | Second Round |
| India | Second Round |
| Singapore | Second Round |
| Afghanistan | Second Round |
| Cambodia | Second Round |
| Vietnam | Second Round |
| Chinese Taipei | Second Round |
| Indonesia | Second Round |
| Lebanon | Second Round |
| Kuwait | Second Round |
| Myanmar | Second Round |
| Laos | Second Round |
| North Korea | Second Round |
| Philippines | Second Round |
| Bahrain | Second Round |
| Yemen | Second Round |
| Nepal | First Round |
| Pakistan | First Round |
| Mongolia | First Round |
| Macau | First Round |
| Brunei | First Round |
| Sri Lanka | First Round |
CAF (AFRICA) QUALIFICATION
World Cup qualification in Africa is split into three rounds.
The first round sees the 26 teams ranked 28th-53rd within the continent play in a two-legged knockout round, with the 13 winners advancing.
The second round follows the same format, with the 13 first-round winners joined by the teams ranked 1st-27th for a total of 40 teams. The 20 winners advance.
The third round sees those 20 teams divided into five groups of four, with each group winner qualifying for the World Cup finals.
Qualified:
| Country | CAF qualification place |
|---|
| Nigeria | Third Round Group B winners |
| Egypt | Third Round Group E winners |
| Senegal | Third Round Group D winners |
| Tunisia | Third Round Group A winners |
| Morocco | Third Round Group C winners |
Eliminated:
| Country | CAF stage reached |
|---|
| DR Congo | Third Round |
| Ivory Coast | Third Round |
| Cape Verde | Third Round |
| Burkina Faso | Third Round |
| South Africa | Third Round |
| Uganda | Third Round |
| Ghana | Third Round |
| Gabon | Third Round |
| Zambia | Third Round |
| Mali | Third Round |
| Cameroon | Third Round |
| Algeria | Third Round |
| Guinea | Third Round |
| Libya | Third Round |
| Congo | Third Round |
| Niger | Second Round |
| Mauritania | Second Round |
| Namibia | Second Round |
| Ethiopia | Second Round |
| Chad | Second Round |
| Comoros | Second Round |
| Swaziland | Second Round |
| Botswana | Second Round |
| Burundi | Second Round |
| Liberia | Second Round |
| Madagascar | Second Round |
| Kenya | Second Round |
| Tanzania | Second Round |
| Sudan | Second Round |
| Rwanda | Second Round |
| Equatorial Guinea | Second Round |
| Mozambique | Second Round |
| Benin | Second Round |
| Togo | Second Round |
| Angola | Second Round |
| Somalia | First Round |
| South Sudan | First Round |
| Gambia | First Round |
| Sao Tome & Principe | First Round |
| Sierra Leone | First Round |
| Lesotho | First Round |
| Djibouti | First Round |
| Eritrea | First Round |
| Seychelles | First Round |
| Guinea-Bissau | First Round |
| Central African Republic | First Round |
| Mauritius | First Round |
| Malawi | First Round |
CONCACAF (NORTH AMERICA) QUALIFICATION
World Cup qualification in North and Central America is split into five rounds plus play-offs.
The first round sees the 14 teams ranked 22nd-35th within the continent play in a two-legged knockout round, with the seven winners advancing.
In the second round, those seven teams are joined by the 13 teams ranked ninth-20th for a total of 20 teams. They play in another two-legged knockout round, with the 10 winners advancing.
In the third round, those 10 teams are joined by the teams ranked seventh and eighth for a total of 12 teams. Again, they play in two-legged knockout ties, with the six winners going through.
The fourth round sees those six teams plus the six top-ranked teams on the continent divided into three groups of four. The teams in each group meet home and away and the top two teams in each group advance to the fifth round.
In the fifth round, the six remaining teams play home and away in one group. The top three countries qualify for the World Cup, and the fourth-place team goes into a play-off against the fifth-place team from Asia.
Qualified:
| Country | CONCACAF qualification place |
|---|
| Mexico | Fifth Round first place |
| Costa Rica | Fifth Round second place |
| Panama | Fifth Round third place |
Eliminated:
| Country | CONCACAF stage reached |
|---|
| Honduras | Inter-confederational play-off |
| United States | Fifth Round |
| Trinidad & Tobago | Fifth Round |
| Canada | Fourth Round |
| El Salvador | Fourth Round |
| Haiti | Fourth Round |
| Jamaica | Fourth Round |
| Guatemala | Fourth Round |
| Saint Vincent & the Grenadines | Fourth Round |
| Curacao | Third Round |
| Belize | Third Round |
| Grenada | Third Round |
| Nicaragua | Third Round |
| Aruba | Third Round |
| Antigua & Barbuda | Third Round |
| Guyana | Second Round |
| Saint Lucia | Second Round |
| Puerto Rico | Second Round |
| Dominica | Second Round |
| Domincan Republic | Second Round |
| Bermuda | Second Round |
| Barbados | Second Round |
| Saint Kitts & Nevis | Second Round |
| Cuba | Second Round |
| Suriname | Second Round |
| Bahamas | First Round |
| British Virgin Islands | First Round |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | First Round |
| Turks & Caicos Islands | First Round |
| Anguilla | First Round |
| Cayman Islands | First Round |
| Montserrat | First Round |
CONMEBOL (SOUTH AMERICA) QUALIFICATION
World Cup qualification in South America consists of only one round.
All of the continent's 10 teams play home and away in one group phase. The top four teams qualify for the World Cup finals, while the fifth team goes into a play-off against the best team from Oceania.
Qualified:
| Country | CONMEBOL qualification place |
|---|
| Brazil | First place |
| Uruguay | Second place |
| Argentina | Third place |
| Colombia | Fourth place |
In contention:
| Country | Best possible CONMEBOL finish |
|---|
| Peru | Inter-confederation play-off winners |
Eliminated:
| Country | CONMEBOL stage reached |
|---|
| Chile | First Round |
| Paraguay | First Round |
| Ecuador | First Round |
| Bolivia | First Round |
| Venezuela | First Round |
OFC (OCEANIA) QUALIFICATION
World Cup qualification in Oceania is split into three rounds plus a play-off. It is the only continent not guaranteed to have a team at the finals.
In the first round, American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga all face each other once in a group, with the group winner advancing to the second round.
The second round sees eight teams - seven new sides plus the first-round winner - split into two groups of four. The top three teams in each group reach the third round, and the top two in each group advance to the knockout stage of the OFC Nations Cup.
In the third round, the six remaining teams are divided into two groups of three. The teams in each group face each other home and away and the winners of each group advance to a final play-off tie.
The winners of the two-legged play-off tie face the fifth place team from South America over two legs for a place at the finals.
Qualified:
In contention:
| Country | Best possible OFC finish |
|---|
| New Zealand | Inter-confederation play-off winners |
Eliminated:
| Country | OFC stage reached |
|---|
| Solomon Islands | Fourth Round |
| New Caledonia | Third Round |
| Fiji | Third Round |
| Tahiti | Third Round |
| Papua New Guinea | Third Round |
| Samoa | Second Round |
| Vanuatu | Second Round |
| American Samoa | First Round |
| Cook Islands | First Round |
| Tonga | First Round |
UEFA (EUROPE) QUALIFICATION
World Cup qualification in Europe consists of one round plus play-offs.
Initially, the 52 countries affiliated with UEFA (excluding hosts Russia) were drawn into seven groups of six teams and two groups of five teams. That later became nine groups of six teams when Kosovo and Gibraltar gained FIFA membership.
The winners of each group qualify for the World Cup finals.
The nine runners up are then ranked by the points they have earned against the teams ranked first to fifth in their group. The top eight teams based on that criteria are drawn into four home-and-away knockout ties, with the winners qualifying for the finals.
Qualified:
| Country | UEFA qualification place |
|---|
| Russia | World Cup hosts |
| France | Group A winners |
| Portugal | Group B winners |
| Germany | Group C winners |
| Serbia | Group D winners |
| Poland | Group E winners |
| England | Group F winners |
| Spain | Group G winners |
| Belgium | Group H winners |
| Iceland | Group I winners |
| Switzerland | Play-off winners |
| Croatia | Play-off winners |
| Sweden | Play-off winners |
| Denmark | Play-off winners |
Eliminated:
| Country | UEFA stage reached |
|---|
| Republic of Ireland | Play-off |
| Italy | Play-off |
| Greece | Play-off |
| Northern Ireland | Play-off |
| Netherlands | First Round |
| Slovakia | First Round |
| Wales | First Round |
| Ukraine | First Round |
| Bulgaria | First Round |
| Austria | First Round |
| Turkey | First Round |
| Cyprus | First Round |
| Albania | First Round |
| Estonia | First Round |
| Israel | First Round |
| Romania | First Round |
| Armenia | First Round |
| Czech Republic | First Round |
| Norway | First Round |
| Azerbaijan | First Round |
| Hungary | First Round |
| Belarus | First Round |
| Luxembourg | First Round |
| San Marino | First Round |
| Malta | First Round |
| Macedonia | First Round |
| Liechtenstein | First Round |
| Finland | First Round |
| Kosovo | First Round |
| Faroe Islands | First Round |
| Andorra | First Round |
| Latvia | First Round |
| Gibraltar | First Round |
| Georgia | First Round |
| Moldova | First Round |
| Lithuania | First Round |
| Kazakhstan | First Round |
| Montenegro | First Round |
| Slovenia | First Round |
| Scotland | First Round |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | First Round |
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