Each confederation ran qualifying differently. The format, the number of spots, and the path to the tournament all varied by region.
CONMEBOL used one table for all ten South American nations. Everyone played everyone else home and away over 18 matchdays. Top six qualify directly. Seventh goes to the inter-confederation playoff. It is the most transparent system in world football qualifying and also the most unforgiving — there is no group to coast through, no weak draw to hide behind.
UEFA had 54 teams across 12 qualifying groups, home and away within each group. Group winners went straight to the World Cup. Runners-up entered a playoff bracket, alongside some teams who qualified through Nations League results. The Nations League route made that competition relevant to World Cup qualification in a way the old friendly-based system never was.
CAF put 54 teams through multiple rounds before a group stage produced nine direct qualifiers via group winners and two-legged playoffs between runners-up. A tenth African team went into the inter-confederation playoff.
AFC ran a final qualifying round of 18 teams in three groups of six, 10 games each. Top two from each group qualify. Third and fourth go into an Asian playoff for additional spots, and the Asian playoff winner enters the inter-confederation playoff after that.
CONCACAF qualifying was shaped around the three host nations going through automatically. The remaining spots went through a Nations League-based system and a final qualifying round. One CONCACAF team also entered the inter-confederation playoff.
OFC has no guaranteed direct berth in the World Cup. The Oceania qualifying winner enters the inter-confederation playoff and needs to beat a runner-up from another confederation to get in. New Zealand have been through this before. It is a hard road for a small confederation.