Europe will have 13 places, Africa 5, S.America 4.5, Asia
4.5, Concacaf 3.5 and Oceania 0.5, while hosts Russia qualify
automatically in 2018 and Qatar in 2022.
A half place means that the team in question has to play off
over two legs against a team from another continent for a place
in the finals.
UEFA president Michel Platini had on Thursday warned that
cutting the number of European teams at the finals was "a red
line that must not be crossed".
(Writing by Brian Homewood in Berne; editing by Justin Palmer)
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