32 teams still for 2022 yea but likely changing for 2026, each continental confederation is alloted a number of spots, no rhyme or reason officially, but it's been this for awhile
Africa: 5
Asia: 4.5
Europe: 13
North, Central America and Caribbean: 3.5
Oceania: 0.5
South America: 4.5
Host: 1
Each continwnts association gets to decide on how they do qualification
UEFA puts teams into groups, I think its gonna be 10, based on random draw of pots, I.e the top 10 teams in the world ranking are in pot a, next 10 in b etc.
10 winners qualify, and then the 3 other spots are through some sort of playoff, I dont know exact way they will do it for 2022, they change it every year
CONMEBOL just has all of their teams in 1 group, do home and always, top 4 make it, 5th goes in international playoff
CONCACAF changed theirs, used to be 3 or 4 stages and end in a group of 6. Now the top 6 teams go in their own group. Play home and homes, top 3 qualify. 4th placed team plays against the winner of the other 28 teams.
Those 28 teams in 8 groups, winners of the groups qualify to a mini tournament, winner of that plays 4th placed team from the hex. Winner of that playoff plays in the international playoff
So it's up to the nation, all have to do it different because of different sizes of their confederation, some, looking at you concacaf, are overly complicated
The 0.5 allotments are the confederations that go into the international playoff
And play a home and home for those finally 2 slots, I dont knowing it rotates or is random draw which nation plays which
