Qualification

Top two teams each from the two fourth round groups will automatically qualify for the World Cup. The 3rd placed teams in each group would play a fifth round match to qualify for a playoff with a sixth placed team from CONMEBOL. The winner of this AFC vs CONMEBOL match would have the right to play at the World Cup.

Effectively 4-5 members from AFC  can play at the World Cup

During the 2014 World Cup qualification, Iran and Japan qualified at the top of their respective groups whereas South Korea and Australia qualified in second place. The third placed Uzbekistan lost to Jordan to play the fifth qualifier from CONMEBOL, Uruguay. Uruguay won the playoff match against Jordan to qualify for the World Cup.

A total of forty three teams from AFC competed for a potential five (four guaranteed and one playoff) places and four teams (Iran, Japan, South Korea and Australia) qualified

52 CAF teams competed for the five guaranteed spots at the finals and the qualification process took place for three rounds. In the third Knockout round Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Algeria made it to the World Cup main draw

In the six-team round four of the qualifying known as "the Hexagonal", the top three teams USA, Costa Rica and Honduras qualified directly for the World Cup whereas the fourth placed Mexico defeated New Zealand in the playoffs with the top placed OFC team for right to play.

A total of 35 teams participated for a potential four (three guaranteed and one playoff) places

CONMEBOL has a potential six (five guaranteed and one playoff) places at the World Cup. But as Brazil automatically qualified as hosts for the 2014 edition, the remaining nine teams competed for the remaining  places on offer. The top four teams from the double round robin group, Argentina, Colombia, Chile and Ecuador qualified directly whereas the sixth placed Uruguay defeated AFC fifth place Qualifier Jordan to book the final place on the offer

The smallest confederation of the FIFA consists of four nations competing for a playoff position in the third round of qualification and the round is won by New Zealand  which was pitted against the qualifier from CONCACAF, Mexico for a place at the finals. New Zealand lost the playoff and hence OFC has no official representation at this edition of FIFA World Cup

UEFA has 53 member associations and thirteen places at the finals are at stake during the qualification which is competed in nine groups. All the top placed members qualified directly and the best eight second placed teams advanced to the second round of playoffs for the remaining four places.

Belgium, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Russia, Bosnia, England and Spain qualified in the first round and Portugal, France, Greece and Croatia qualified in the second