(Q) Brazil, Japan, Australia, Iran, South Korea, Netherlands, Italy, United States, Costa Rica, Argentina, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Colombia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Russia, England, Spain, Chile, Ecuador, Honduras
ENGLAND held their nerve to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil following a 2-0 win against Poland at Wembley.
The unbeaten Three Lions topped Group H with 22 points, six wins and four draws ensuring Roy Hodgson's men finished ahead of Ukraine by a single point.
Ukraine, who faced San Marino in their last game, were clearly going to win that match, and indeed they were 3-0 up inside 19 minutes, eventually prevailing 8-0.
Therefore, there was real pressure on England to get a positive result last night. Worryingly, the Poles began well on the counter attack with dangerous Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski calling Joe Hart into action before dragging an even better chance wide.
But, far from appearing burdened by their task, England took the game to their opponents from the start.
Indeed, it was quite amazing it took until 41 minutes for England to take the lead, considering the trio of glorious chances which were spurned by Danny Welbeck.
When the goal eventually came, though, it was a moment of real quality. Everton full-back Leighton Baines, supporting the attack brilliantly throughout, sent in an pinpoint cross which talisman Wayne Rooney glanced into the far corner for his 38th international goal and his seventh in six qualifiers.
Still, at just 1-0, the game was far from safe and - backed by 18,000 vocal visiting supporters - Poland continued to threaten intermittently with Gary Cahill blocking from Mateusz Klich.
Lewandowski again forced a stop from Hart before Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny saved brilliantly from a curling effort by the outstanding Rooney.
The game was a frantic, and frighteningly open affair and the danger of a 1-1 draw, like in 1973, never felt too far away.
At the same time, though, England had deserved far more than just their solitary goal for their efforts and, with one final push, doubled their lead.
Skipper Steven Gerrard applied the finishing touches to a fraught qualifying campaign, prodding the ball home following a powerful run against a tired defence.
Gerrard, who won his 107th cap, has often been criticised in the past for performing on a different level in the red of Liverpool but this was a moment in an England shirt of which he could be rightly proud.
Similarly, head coach Hodgson could celebrate what he considers to be the pinnacle of his career, although he was not getting too carried away in his debrief today.
After all, holders Spain also confirmed their place at the finals last night with a standard 2-0 win over Georgia, rendering France's 3-0 victory over Finland as irrelevant.
Les Bleus are, therefore, condemned to the playoffs and, such is their lowly ranking, are unlikely even to be seeded.
That fate does not quite apply to Portugal but they, too, must play two additional matches after Russia gained the point they needed in Azerbaijan to qualify automatically from Group F.
The playoffs are hardly a new experience for the Portuguese, though, having been forced into them in their previous two qualification campaigns, beating Bosnia-Herzegovina both times.
Bosnia, then, will have breathed a huge sigh of relief in having qualified automatically for their first ever World Cup as an independent nation, Vedad Ibisevic scoring midway through the second half in a 1-0 win over Lithuania.
So, in full, the European qualifiers are: Belgium, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Russia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, England, and Spain.
Contesting the playoffs will be Croatia, Sweden, Romania - who bettered Turkey's result, Portugal, Greece, Ukraine, France... and, rather delightfully, Iceland.
The Icelanders were actually bottom seeds when the qualifying draw was made in July 2011, with a FIFA ranking of 121.
That position has rather improved and they are now at number 54 in the world although, considering some of the opponents they could face in the playoffs, seeing them in Brazil would still be a Nordic fairytale.
The draw for the playoffs will be made on Monday with the ties played next month. Portugal, Croatia, Greece and Ukraine can expect to be seeded.
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Elsewhere in the qualifiers, Chile and Ecuador sealed their places in the finals from the marathon South American group, leaving perennial playoff contestants Uruguay in that spot yet again.
Semi finalists in 2010, Uruguay beat group winners Argentina 3-2 to draw level with the Ecuadorians on points, La Tri having been left without a single away win in the campaign after losing 2-1 to Chile in Santiago.
Ultimately, though, the Uruguayans defence let them down. 25 goals scored and conceded left them four goals short of a top-four place, although Óscar Tabárez's men are quite used to requiring additional matches.
Incredibly, La Celeste are in a playoff for a fourth successive World Cup - two of the previous three campaigns were successful and they will start as strong favourites again against Jordan.
The prize for the luckiest team left in the World Cup simply has to be Mexico. Another defeat, this time 2-1 away to already-qualified Costa Rica, had left the two-time hosts in grave danger of missing out on even a playoff spot with Panama in the process of beating group winners United States.
But, amazingly, the Americans came to the Mexicans' rescue, as two stoppage-time goals by Graham Zusi and Aron Jóhannsson totally turned the tie around for the USA who ran out 3-2 winners.
Panama had dramatically failed to hold their nerve, finishing three points behind Mexico who won just twice and scored just seven times in 10 games.
Their next opponents, New Zealand, who qualified for - and remained unbeaten (with three draws) at - the last World Cup should therefore approach the tie next month with little to fear. Even the Estadio Azteca has rather lost its legend in this dreadful campaign.
Finally, one playoff in Africa which has just begun already looks over after Ghana thumped Egypt 6-1 in what was expected to be a keenly-contested match.
Two goals from Asamoah Gyan leave the Black Stars almost already assured of a place in the World Cup finals for a third successive time. Egypt's wait, which has lasted since 1990, seems likely to go on.
The other African playoff matches were held over the weekend, with the second legs next month. Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso, seeking a first finals appearance, both travel away with 3-1 and 3-2 leads respectively.
Cameroon host Tunisia with all to play for after a 0-0 draw in North Africa, while a last-minute Emmanuel Emenike penalty has put Nigeria in control following their 2-1 win over another surprise package, Ethiopia.
RESULTS
UEFA (Europe)Group A
(Q) Belgium (P) Croatia
| 19:30 | Serbia | 5-1 | FYR Macedonia |
| 20:00 | Belgium | 1-1 | Wales |
| 20:00 | Scotland | 2-0 | Croatia |
Group B
(Q) Italy
| 19:15 | Bulgaria | 0-1 | Czech Republic |
| 19:15 | Denmark | 6-0 | Malta |
| 19:15 | Italy | 2-2 | Armenia |
Group C
(Q) Germany (P) Sweden
| 19:45 | Faroe Islands | 0-3 | Austria |
| 19:45 | Ireland | 3-1 | Kazakhstan |
| 19:45 | Sweden | 3-5 | Germany |
Group D
(Q) Netherlands (P) Romania
| 19:00 | Hungary | 2-0 | Andorra |
| 19:00 | Romania | 2-0 | Estonia |
| 19:00 | Turkey | 0-2 | Netherlands |
Group E
(Q) Switzerland (P) Iceland
| 17:00 | Cyprus | 0-0 | Albania |
| 19:00 | Norway | 1-1 | Iceland |
| 19:00 | Switzerland | 1-0 | Slovenia |
Group F
(Q) Russia (P) Portugal
| 18:00 | Azerbaijan | 1-1 | Russia |
| 18:00 | Israel | 1-1 | Northern Ireland |
| 18:00 | Portugal | 3-0 | Luxembourg |
Group G
(Q) Bosnia-Herzegovina (P) Greece
| 18:00 | Greece | 2-0 | Liechtenstein |
| 18:00 | Lithuania | 0-1 | Bosnia-Herzegovina |
| 19:10 | Latvia | 2-2 | Slovakia |
Group H
(Q) England (P) Ukraine
| 20:00 | England | 2-0 | Poland |
| 20:00 | Montenegro | 2-5 | Moldova |
| 20:00 | San Marino | 0-8 | Ukraine |
Group I
(Q) Spain (P) France
| 20:00 | France | 3-0 | Finland |
| 20:00 | Spain | 2-0 | Georgia |
CONMEBOL (South America)
(Q) Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador (P) Uruguay v Jordan
| 00:30 | Chile | 2-1 | Ecuador |
| 00:30 | Paraguay | 1-2 | Colombia |
| 00:30 | Uruguay | 3-2 | Argentina |
| 03:15 | Peru | 1-1 | Bolivia |
CONCACAF (Caribbean, North & Central America)
(Q) United States, Costa Rica, Honduras (P) Mexico v New Zealand
| 02:30 | Costa Rica | 2-1 | Mexico |
| 02:30 | Jamaica | 2-2 | Honduras |
| 02:30 | Panama | 2-3 | United States |
CAF (Africa)
Final playoff matches, first leg
| 17:00 | Ghana | 6-1 | Egypt |
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