In the ranking of teams according to the results of qualification, Valery Karpin's team takes second place with 16 points and will be seeded.
12 teams from Europe will take part in the play-off tournament.
The draw for this stage will take place on 26 November.
The semi-finals will take place on March 24 and 25, and the finals on March 28 and 29.
The three best national teams in the finals will get tickets to the world championship in Qatar.
The Russian team was defeated in Split with a score of 0: 1.
Fedor Kudryashov (81st minute) cut the ball into his own net after serving from the flank.
The Russian national team under the leadership of Karpin with 22 points took second place in the standings.
Croatia (23 points) topped the group and secured a direct ticket to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
To get out of the first place for the Russians, it was enough to play a draw.
Earlier, Karpin said that Smolov's appearance in the starting lineup of the match with Croatia was not a mistake.