EUROPEGroup 1: Czech Republic, Holland, Romania, Finland, Macedonia, Armenia, Andorra.
Group 2: Turkey, Denmark, Greece, Ukraine, Georgia, Albania, Kazakhstan.
Group 3: Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Latvia, Estonia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg.
Group 4: France, Republic of Ireland, Switzerland, Israel, Cyprus, Faroe Islands.
Group 5: Italy, Slovenia, Scotland, Norway, Belarus, Moldova.
Group 6: England, Poland, Austria, Wales, Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan.
Group 7: Spain, Belgium, Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia Herzegovina, Lithuania, San Marino.
Group 8: Sweden, Croatia, Bulgaria, Iceland, Hungary, Malta.
Qualifiers: Thirteen, plus hosts Germany who qualify automatically.

The eight group winners and the two best runners-up qualify for the World Cup finals in Germany.

The remaining six runners-up will be drawn into three playoff matches over two legs with winners qualifying for finals.

AFRICAGroup 1: Senegal, Mali, Zambia, Togo, Liberia, Congo.
Group 2: South Africa, RD Congo, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Uganda, Cape Verde.
Group 3: Cameroon, Egypt, Cote d'Ivoire, Libya, Sudan, Benin.
Group 4: Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Algeria, Angola, Gabon, Rwanda.
Group 5: Tunisia, Morocco, Kenya, Guinea, Malawi, Botswana.
Qualifiers: Five

Five group winners qualify for the 2006 World Cup finals.

A total of 21 nations already eliminated in qualifying in October and November 2003: Burundi, Niger, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Namibia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Chad, Madagascar, Swaziland, Eritrea, Lesotho, Gambia, Sao Tome, Mauritius, Mozambica, Equitorial Guinea, Somalia, Central African Republic

Qualification tournament will also count for 2006 African Nations Cup finals in Egypt.

CONCACAFGroup 1: Granada or Guyana versus USA.
Group 2: Bermuda or Montserrat versus El Salvador.
Group 3: Haiti or Turks and Caicos Islands versus Jamaica.
Group 4: British Virgin Islands or St Lucia versus Panama.
Group 5: Cayman Islands or Cuba versus Costa Rica.
Group 6: Aruba or Surinam versus Guatemala.
Group 7: Antigua and Barbuda or Netherlands Antilles versus Honduras.
Group 8: Canada versus Belize
Group 9: Dominica or Bahamas versus Mexico
Group 10: US Virgin Islands or St Kitts and Nevis versus Barbados
Group 11: Dominican Republic or Anguilla versus Trinidad and Tobago
Group 12: Nicaragua versus St Vincent and the Grenadines
Number of qualifiers: Three and one team into playoff against fifth-placed team in Asian qualifying competition

Twelve winners from preliminary round are divided into three groups of four.

Teams which finish first and second in each of these groups go into single group of six. The top three qualify for finals in Germany and fourth-placed team plays off against fifth-placed Asian team.

OCEANIAGroup 1: Tahiti, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Tonga, Cook Islands.
Group 2: Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, American Samoa.
Qualifiers: One team into playoff against fifth-placed team in South American qualifying.
Group 2: Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, American Samoa.
Qualifiers: One team into playoff against fifth-placed team in South American qualifying.

First two from each group qualify for six-team tournament which includes Australia and New Zealand who are exempt from the first round.

The first two in this group play off in two-legged tie in September 2005, with the winner going on to play the fifth-placed team in South America.

ASIAGroup 1: Iran, Qatar, Jordan, Laos
Group 2: Uzbekistan, Iraq, Palestine, Taiwan
Group 3: Japan, Oman, India, Singapore
Group 4: China, Kuwait, Malaysia, Hong Kong
Group 5: United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Yemen, North Korea
Group 6: Bahrain, Syria, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
Group 7: South Korea, Lebanon, Vietnam, Maldives
Group 8: Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkmenistan, Sri Lanka
Qualifiers: Four and one team into playoffs

Eight winners from the first phase qualify for second phase, with two groups of four. Top two in each group qualify for World Cup finals in Germany.

Third-placed groups in each group play off over two legs and the winner plays off against fourth-placed team from North, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF) region.

Seven teams have already been eliminated in a preliminary round: Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Macao, Pakistan, Mongolia, Guam, Nepal.

SOUTH AMERICANumber of finalists: Four plus one into playoff.
Preliminary tournament consisting of one group of 10 teams has already started. The top four qualify for the finals. The fifth-placed team goes into a playoff against the Oceania qualifier.