The FIFA World Cup runs the same two-year-long qualification and Finals system as the EURO. However, the qualification for the FIFA World Cup Finals are run entirely by UEFA. FIFA awards a number of slots in the 32-team Final to UEFA, and UEFA hosts a Group Stage and Qualifying Stage competition to field those clubs.

The one additional step to the World Cup process is that FIFA may award UEFA 13-"and-a-half" slots. What this means is that UEFA will qualify 13 teams on its own, and then offer one additional team to face off against a team from another continent for a 14th slot. For example, in 2002, Iran from Asia faced Australia from Oceania for one of the slots.