1954 FIFA World Cup qualification

1954 FIFA World Cup Qualification
Tournament details
Teams 39 (from 3 confederations)
Tournament statistics
Matches played 57
Goals scored 208 (3.65 per match)

A total of 39 teams entered the 1954 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. Switzerland, as the hosts, and Uruguay, as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition.

37 teams were divided into 13 groups, based on geographical considerations, as follows:

A total of 33 teams played at least one qualifying match. A total of 57 qualifying matches were played, and 208 goals were scored (an average of 3.65 per match).

Listed below are the dates and results of the qualification rounds.

Groups

The 13 groups had different rules, as follows:

Group 1

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  West Germany 74310123+9
2  Saar 3411248−4
3  Norway 2402249−5

West Germany qualified.

Group 2

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Belgium 74310116+5
2  Sweden 3411298+1
3  Finland 24022713−6

Belgium qualified.

Group 3

This group was also the 1953-1954 British Home Championship.

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  England 63300114+7
2  Scotland 33111880
3  Northern Ireland 2310247−3
4  Wales 1301259−4

England and Scotland qualified.

Group 4

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  France 84400204+16
2  Republic of Ireland 4420286+2
3  Luxembourg 04004119−18

France qualified.

Group 5

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Austria 3211091+8
2  Portugal 1201119−8

Austria qualified.

Group 6

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1=  Spain 2210142+2
1=  Turkey 2210124−2

Spain and Turkey finished level on points, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would qualify.

Turkey qualified after drawing lots. Since the 1970 FIFA World Cup finals, goal difference was used as a tiebreaker for future qualifying rounds. Had those rules been in place, Spain would have qualified, and Turkey would have been eliminated. A 14 year old local (i.e. Roman) boy whose father worked at the stadium, Luigi Franco Gemma, picked Turkey's name from the lots with his eyes blindfolded.[1][2]

Group 7

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Hungary qualified
—  Poland withdrew

Poland withdrew, so Hungary qualified automatically.

Group 8

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Czechoslovakia 7431051+4
2  Romania 44202550
3  Bulgaria 1401337−4

Czechoslovakia qualified.

Group 9

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Italy 4220072+5
2  Egypt 0200227−5

Italy qualified.

Group 10

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Yugoslavia 8440040+4
2  Greece 4420232+1
3  Israel 0400405−5

Yugoslavia qualified.

Group 11

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Brazil 8440081+7
2  Paraguay 4420286+2
3  Chile 04004110−9
—  Peru Withdrew

Brazil qualified.

Group 12

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Mexico 84400191+18
2  United States 4420279−2
3  Haiti 04004218−16

Mexico qualified.

Group 13

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  South Korea 3211073+4
2  Japan 1201137−4
—  Republic of China withdrew

Korea Republic qualified.

Qualified teams

FIFA World Cup qualification 1954
Qualifying countries
Team Finals Appearance Streak Last Appearance
 Austria 2nd11934
 Belgium 4th11938
 Brazil 5th51950
 Czechoslovakia 3rd11938
 England 2nd21950
 France 4th11938
 Hungary 3rd11938
 Italy 4th41950
 South Korea 1st1–
 Mexico 3rd21950
 Scotland 1st1–
  Switzerland (h) 4th41950
 Turkey 1st1–
 Uruguay (c) 3rd21950
 West Germany 3rd11938
 Yugoslavia 3rd21950

(h) - qualified automatically as hosts

(c) - qualified automatically as defending champions

Notes

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "FIFA Fact Sheet: History of the FIFA World Cup (TM) Preliminary Competition (by year)" (PDF). FIFA. 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 June 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-09.
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ "History of the FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition (by year)" (PDF). FIFA. Retrieved 20 June 2014.

External links