The 53 countries will be split into eight groups of six teams, and one group of five.

The nine group winners will qualify automatically and the best eight runners-up will play home and away play-off matches for the remaining four places.

UEFA have already announced that seeding for the European qualifying competition for the 2010 World Cup will be based on FIFA's latest world rankings.

FIFA are expected to confirm these seeding pots tomorrow.

Pot one:

Italy

Spain

Germany

Czech Republic

France

Portugal

Holland

Croatia

Greece

Pot two:

England

Romania

Scotland

Turkey

Bulgaria

Russia

Poland

Sweden

Israel

Pot three:

Norway

Ukraine

Serbia

Denmark

Northern Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Finland

Switzerland

Belgium

Pot four:

Slovakia

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Hungary

Moldova

Wales

Macedonia

Belarus

Lithuania

Cyprus

Pot five:

Georgia

Albania

Slovenia

Latvia

Iceland

Armenia

Austria

Kazakhstan

Azerbaijan

Pot six:

Liechtenstein

Estonia

Malta

Luxembourg

Montenegro

Andorra

Faroe Islands

San Marino