The nine group winners will automatically qualify for the 2010 World Cup and the eight best second placed teams will contest home and away play-off matches for the remaining four places.

In determining the rank of the second placed teams, only results against those finishing 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th will be counted.

Group 1: Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Hungary, Albania, Malta

Group 2: Greece, Israel, Switzerland, Moldova, Latvia, Luxembourg

Group 3: Czech Republic, Poland, Northern Ireland, Slovakia, Slovenia, San Marino

Group 4: Germany, Russia, Finland, Wales, Azerbaijan, Liechtenstein

Group 5: Spain, Turkey, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Armenia, Estonia

Group 6: Croatia, England, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Andorra

Group 7: France, Romania, Serbia, Lithuania, Austria, Faroe Islands

Group 8: Italy, Bulgaria, Republic of Ireland, Cyprus, Georgia, Montenegro

Group 9: Holland, Scotland, Norway, FYR Macedonia, Iceland