France defender and goal scorer William Gallas reacts at the end of the match [AFP]

Les Bleus progressed after a 1-1 draw in Paris, giving the 2006 finalists a 2-1 aggregate victory, but they needed Gallas's close-range goal - after a blatant Thierry Henry handball in the lead-up - to win the tie.

They go through to next year's extravaganza in South Africa along with Greece, Portugal and Slovenia who upset Russia in a nail biting night of European qualifiers.

Luck of the Irish

Ireland captain Robbie Keane had put the visitors ahead and levelled the tie at 1-1 on aggregate shortly after the half-hour, tapping home from inside the box a fine backward pass from the left by winger Damien Duff.

France only equalised 13 minutes into extra time when Gallas scored, helped by Henry controlling the ball with his hand in a crowded penalty area and then crossing for the defender to bundle home.

Henry first stopped the ball from going out with his arm, then controlled it with his hand in the penalty area and then crossed for the defender to give France the edge after they had struggled for most the game.

"I just received the ball at the far post and went for it," Gallas told French television when asked whether he had noticed any infringement by Henry in the build-up to a goal certain to stir a heated debate.

The Ireland players protested but Swedish referee Martin Hansson did not hesitate to award the goal, enabling the World Cup runners-up to book a trip to next year's finals in South Africa after a shaky qualifying campaign.

France, who won the first leg 1-0 at Croke Park on Saturday, looked nervous and clumsy until the closing stages while Ireland kept pushing and had the better chances.

"It was tough, laborious at times, miraculous at others but I only knew one thing, that it would be a 1-1 draw and we would qualify," France coach Raymond Domenech, whose job was on the line, told French television.

Russia out

Unlike Ireland, Slovenia managed to clinch an upset by knocking out Russia who paid a heavy price for not wrapping up the first leg on Saturday when they allowed Slovenia a late goal in a 2-1 win.

Russia's late lapse proved costly in Maribor as Zlatko Dedic scored the only goal just before the break.

That was enough to give Slovenia the tie on the away goals rule as they reached the World Cup finals for the second time since joining Fifa as an independent nation in 1992.

Russia finished with nine men after substitute Alexander Kerzhakov and Yuri Zhirkov were sent off.

The defeat also denied Russia's Dutch coach Guus Hiddink a fourth appearance in the finals after coaching his native Netherlands in the 1998 World Cup, South Korea in 2002 and Australia in 2006.

Greek players celebrate their qualification [EPA]

Greece, held to a 0-0 draw by Ukraine in Athens on Saturday, went to Donetsk as underdogs, but stunned the home team by winning with a first-half goal from Dimitris Salpigidis.

Striker Giorgos Samaras supplied the pass in the 32nd minute for Salpigidis who sent Greece to the World Cup for only the second time after their debut appearance in the US in 1994.

Greece coach Otto Rehhagel thanked the gods after their victory, saying: "Our boys were rewarded today for an unbelievable passion and fighting spirit. We said that no road should be too far and before you have success you have to have the gods sweating for you."

Rehhagel, who took charge of Greece in 2001, has now steered the 2004 European champions to one World Cup and two European championships in his eight years at the helm and will be involved in the World Cup for the first time in his 50-year football career.

Portugal clinched their place 2-0 on aggregate, following up Saturday's 1-0 home win over Bosnia with another 1-0 win thanks to midfielder Raul Meireles who silenced a raucous 15,000 home fans in cauldron of the Bilino Polje stadium after 56 minutes.

Bosnia's Sejad Salihovic was sent off for dissent in the 76th minute.

The draw for the finals takes place in Cape Town on December 4.