THE WINNERS of the nine European groups automatically qualify for the World Cup finals, with the eight best runners-up going through to the play-offs (played over two legs on November 14th and 18th) for the four remaining qualifying slots.

Spain, England and the Netherlands have already won their groups and, so, have qualified for the finals. First and second places in all the other groups, though, have yet to be decided.

If two or more teams finish level on points in first or second place in their group the criteria used to separate them are: (1) Goal difference, (2) Goals scored, (3) Greater number of points obtained in matches between the tied teams, (4) Goal difference in matches between the tied teams, (5) Greater number of goals scored in matches between the tied teams, (6) A play-off on neutral ground, with extra-time and penalties if necessary.

Because Group Nine, which is now completed, had five teams, one less than all the other groups, when calculating the best runners-up the results from matches played against the bottom teams in Groups 1 to 8 will be discounted.

The criteria used to determine the eight best runners-up are: (1) Total points, (2) Goal difference, (3) Goals scored, (4) Goals scored away from home, (5) Disciplinary record, (6) Drawing of lots.

While the Republic of Ireland have 16 points from eight games so far their tally in the current ranking of second-placed teams is just 10 because Georgia are currently bottom of Group Eight so the six points Ireland have taken from them in the campaign are excluded.

Fifa announced last week that they will use a seeding system, based on the world rankings, for the draw for the play-offs. Using the latest rankings, then, the order of the current second-placed teams (bearing in mind one will miss out on the play-offs) is:

1 Russia (6th)

2 Croatia (9th)

3 France (10th)

4 Greece (12th)

5 Rep of Ireland (38th)

6 Sweden (41st)

7 Norway (43rd)

8 Bosnia (46th)

9 Slovenia (54th)

The top-four seeds – Russia, Croatia, France and Greece, as it now stands – would go into the first pot for the draw, with Ireland (if they end up in the play-offs) joining the remaining countries in the second.

There are likely, though, to be several changes to that table by next Wednesday night, when all the groups will have been completed.