Europe is actually the only qualifying region with it's own play-off system.

The best-performing countries that fail to qualify automatically from the remaining regions will compete in an inter-confederation 'Play-Off Tournament', which will be held in Mexico in March.

Eight teams will take part in the tournament, with two progressing to the World Cup finals.

Here is how the World Cup places are determined by region:

• Asia: Eight direct spots + one Play-Off Tournament place
• Africa: Nine direct spots + one Play-Off Tournament place
• Concacaf: Six direct spots + two Play-Off Tournament places
• South America: Six direct spots + one Play-Off Tournament place
• Oceania: One direct spot + one Play-Off Tournament place
• Europe: 16 direct spots (12 group winners and four play-off winners)

NB: The Concacaf region, which includes Mexico, Canada and the United States, was given two places in the Play-off Tournament as host confederation of the World Cup finals

Image source, Getty Images

There are 48 places up for grabs at next summer's World Cup in Mexico, Canada and the United States.

At present, 28 of those spots have been filled, with England, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Ivory Coast, Senegal and South Africa all booking their place last night.

Here is a full list of the countries that have already qualified from each region:

Co-hosts: Canada, Mexico, USA

Asia: Australia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Uzbekistan

Africa: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia

Europe: England

South America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay

Oceania: New Zealand

Alex Fletcher
BBC Sport journalist

Keep the England chat coming.

We are still working our way through the best ones.

For now, we are going to take a look at what else has happened in World Cup qualifying this week and focus on what you can expect from the tournament itself.

England are not the only nation to secure their spot in Canada, USA and Mexico this international break.

Ian Dennis
BBC Radio 5 Live senior football reporter in Riga

Image source, Getty Images

Thomas Tuchel's been quite clear regarding Marcus Rashford.

You can only be a great player if you go on and achieve great things and he's said about Marcus Rashford 'you've got no limits where your career is concerned but you've got to go out and prove it'.

Anthony Gordon deserved to start, he put in a lively performance and scored a fine goal, so I think Rashford now knows what he's got to do to try and usurp or dislodge Gordon from that position.

You can see now in the England set-up which positions players will be competing against each other for and Tuchel has made a point. He wants to ramp up competition, see that privilege and desire from players to wear the shirt now because if they don't, they won't necessarily keep the shirt.

Alex Fletcher
BBC Sport journalist

It is, of course, less than 24 hours since England secured their spot at the World Cup.

There will be plenty of chat over who deserves to be in Thomas Tuchel's squad in the coming months but is it too early to be thinking about it?

They do say that patience is a virtue... and a couple of you seem to be aligned to that way of thinking.

Paul Birch
BBC Sport journalist

No one can accuse Jack Grealish of not doing all he can to force his way into Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup plans.

His form since signing for Everton on loan from Manchester City has been sensational with four assists and a dramatic match-winning goal in his last outing against Crystal Palace.

The Premier League Player of the Month for August has strung together six successive top-flight starts for the first time in nearly two and a half years and his arrival has immediately made Everton more of an attacking threat. Only Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes has created more top-flight chances than his 17.

There is no doubting that the Toffees’ fans have taken him to their hearts, but will the same be said for Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel? Yet to feature under the German, and with competition in his position so fierce, he really has his work cut out if he is to add to his 39 caps, the last of which he won in October last year.

"Jack knows that I see how influential he is for Everton and that he is on his way to be the best version of himself," Tuchel said when he announced his last squad.

Grealish is taking a pragmatic view of his chances of making the plane next summer. "At the end of the day, you want to play for the national team but people are doing well in my position,” the 30 year-old says. “I'm doing well also, but the people picked last month did really well in the two games so that's fine with me. That's the manager's decision and I fully respect that."

There has been plenty to look at so far this Wednesday.

And after England became the first European nation to qualify for the World Cup, we have been analysing who might make Thomas Tuchel's squad.

Of course, Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Jordan Pickford are three of those who are almost guaranteed a place in the squad.

What about those with a point to prove?

• Jude Bellingham
• Trent Alexander-Arnold
• Cole Palmer
• Adam Wharton
• Jack Grealish
• Phil Foden

Also, perhaps there are some clues in looking at who has featured the most during Tuchel's reign.

We've also been hearing plenty of your thoughts via the 'Get Involved' tab at the top of the page, keep them coming.

Who do you think should be on the plane?

Conor Coady
Former England defender on BBC Football Daily

Image source, Getty Images

As footballers, you want managers to be honest with you, whether it's good news or bad news you want managers to be honest.

You don't want them to string you along in any way, you want them to tell you what they went and how they want you to play so you can go away and get better.

When I said Tuchel was ruthless, I meant it in a good way. Footballers want honesty. I think the culture he's creating in the squad is that it's not always the best players that make the best team.

The talent pool he has to pick from is unbelievable.

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

I think we can all agree that Thomas Tuchel has some tough choices to make.

Whoever he picks for his World Cup squad, some players will be left disappointed.

But former England defender Conor Coady believes that the German head coach has already shown he is willing to make those tough decisions - and for that he will have already earned the players' respect...

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

This ship may have already sailed.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's World Cup hopes were already in deep trouble even before he sustained the hamstring injury that has interrupted the start to his Real Madrid career.

If Alexander-Arnold has been looking for signs of a bright England future under Thomas Tuchel, then not many of them are promising.

He played former Liverpool team-mate Curtis Jones, a midfield player, ahead of him at right-back in the 1-0 win away to Andorra then dropped Alexander-Arnold completely for the return World Cup qualifiers with Andorra and visit to Serbia.

This came after Tuchel appeared to publicly cast doubt on Alexander-Arnold's defensive capabilities when he spoke about his influence at Liverpool, saying: "If he wants to have this impact in the English national team, then he has to take the defensive part very, very seriously."

Tuchel is also a big admirer of another right-back, Reece James, who played under him at Chelsea, although he has had injury problems of his own.

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

From the midfield and attack, we finally arrive at full-back, where players like Djed Spence, Reece James, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Tino Livramento have staked their claim.

On the outside looking in, is Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold...

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

Jarrod Bowen is in the mix as well, of course! Thanks for pulling us up on that one Julian.

So England's potential crop of wide players and number 10s includes:

• Jude Bellingham
• Phil Foden
• Cole Palmer
• Morgan Rogers
• Eberechi Eze
• Morgan Gibbs-White
• Bukayo Saka
• Noni Madueke
• Jarrod Bowen
• Anthony Gordon
• Marcus Rashford
• Jack Grealish

That's 12 players, with how many places in the squad up for grabs? Maybe six at a push?

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Adam Wharton has been outstanding for Crystal Palace for a long time now, running games against elite opponents, especially Manchester City when the Eagles won the FA Cup at Wembley last season, and in the win against Premier League champions Liverpool recently.

Wharton's loping, languid style may sometimes disguise a classy, fiercely competitive midfielder, but his England breakthrough has not arrived, despite going to Germany as part of Southgate's Euro 2024 squad.

He is yet to get his first minutes under Thomas Tuchel and was another surprise omission.

Wharton's only England cap came under Southgate against Bosnia & Herzegovina in June 2024, when he made a 28-minute appearance as a substitute.

Like others, he is still waiting for his chance to make his mark as Nottingham Forest's Elliott Anderson has taken the opportunity handed to him by Tuchel with excellent performances, looking right at home on the international stage.

Tuchel has made all the right noises, even down to contacting Wharton to re-assure him he is in his thoughts.

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport reporter

The variety and scope of players available to Thomas Tuchel in those forward positions - we didn't even mention Eberechi Eze or Morgan Gibbs-White before - is in direct contrast to the central striker, where Harry Kane and Ollie Watkins are currently unchallenged.

Central midfield is another position where the choices are not quite as endless.

Declan Rice is a sure starter, while Nottingham Forest's Elliott Anderson is proving to be the perfect foil for the Arsenal midfielder.

As previously mentioned, Jordan Henderson is in the squad as a back-up to those two, while AC Milan's Ruben Loftus-Cheek has earned a recall.

Kobbie Mainoo has been mentioned in this page today, while many pundits are clamouring for Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton to be given a chance...

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Jack Grealish has been a player and personality reborn since joining Everton on loan from Manchester City, but Thomas Tuchel saw fit to ignore the clamour for an England recall when he selected his latest squad.

Tuchel is a confirmed Grealish fan but, at present, it is hard to see where the midfielder would fit into England's plans, and who would make way to accommodate him.

Grealish can join names like Cole Palmer and Phil Foden, who both face a fight to win places either as the 10 or on the flank.

This is not to denigrate Grealish's form, which has already made him a hero with Everton's fans, but a brutal reality.

Tuchel may also want to see Grealish produce consistently over 20 Premier League games rather than the seven so far. This is the task facing the popular 30-year-old if he is to put himself back in World Cup contention.