1970 FIFA World Cup qualification

1970 FIFA World Cup Qualification
Tournament details
Teams 75 (from 6 confederations)
Tournament statistics
Matches played 172
Goals scored 542 (3.15 per match)

A total of 75 teams entered the 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. Hosts Mexico and defending champions England qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition.

For the first time, the winners of both the African zone and the Asian and Oceanian zone were guaranteed a direct place in the final tournament. The 16 spots available in the 1970 World Cup would be distributed among the continental zones as follows:

A total of 68 teams played in at least one qualifying match. A total of 172 qualifying matches were played, and 542 goals were scored (an average of 3.15 per match).

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

Key:

Qualified teams

FIFA World Cup qualification 1970
Team Qualified as Qualification date Appearance
in finals		 Consecutive
Streak		 Previous best performance
 MexicoHost8 October 1964 7th6 Group Stage (1930, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966)
 EnglandHolders30 July 19666th6 Winners (1966)
 BelgiumUEFA Group 6 Winners 30 April 19695th1 (Last: 1954) Group Stage (1930, 1934, 1938, 1954)
 UruguayCONMEBOL Group 3 Winners 10 August 19696th3 Winners (1930, 1950)
 BrazilCONMEBOL Group 2 Winners 24 August 19699th9 Winners (1958, 1962)
 PeruCONMEBOL Group 1 Winners 31 August 19692nd1 (Last: 1930) Group Stage (1930)
 El SalvadorCONCACAF Winners 8 October 19691st1–
 SwedenUEFA Group 5 Winners 15 October 19695th1 (Last: 1958) Runners-Up (1958)
 West GermanyUEFA Group 7 Winners 22 October 19697th5 Winners (1954)
 MoroccoCAF Winners 26 October 19691st1–
 Soviet UnionUEFA Group 4 Winners 4 November 19694th4 Fourth Place (1966)
 RomaniaUEFA Group 1 Winners 16 November 19694th1 (Last: 1938)Group Stage (1930, 1934, 1938)
 ItalyUEFA Group 3 Winners 22 November 19697th3 Winners (1934, 1938)
 CzechoslovakiaUEFA Group 2 Winners 3 December 19696th1 (Last: 1962)Runners-Up (1962)
 BulgariaUEFA Group 8 Winners 7 December 19693rd3 Group Stage (1962, 1966)
 IsraelAFC/OFC Winners 14 December 19691st1–

Europe (UEFA)

(30 teams competing for 8 berths)

FIFA rejected the entry of Albania and both Iceland and Malta withdrew before draw. The remaining 29 teams were divided into 8 groups of 3 or 4 teams each (three groups with 3 teams and five groups with 4 teams). The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify.

Group 1
Team Pld Pts
 Romania 68
 Greece 67
  Switzerland 65
 Portugal 64
 Group 2
Team Pld Pts
 Czechoslovakia 69
 Hungary 69
 Denmark 65
 Republic of Ireland 61
 Group 3
Team Pld Pts
 Italy 47
 East Germany 45
 Wales 40
Group 4
Team Pld Pts
 Soviet Union 47
 Northern Ireland 45
 Turkey 40
 Group 5
Team Pld Pts
 Sweden 46
 France 44
 Norway 42
 Group 6
Team Pld Pts
 Belgium 69
 Yugoslavia 67
 Spain 66
 Finland 62
Group 7
Team Pld Pts
 West Germany 611
 Scotland 67
 Austria 66
 Cyprus 60
 Group 8
Team Pld Pts
 Bulgaria 69
 Poland 68
 Netherlands 67
 Luxembourg 60

South America (CONMEBOL)

The 10 teams were divided into 3 groups; two groups with 3 teams and one group with 4 teams. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify.

Group 1

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Peru 5421174+3
2  Bolivia 4420256−1
3  Argentina 3411246−2

Peru qualified.

This was the only time that Argentina failed to qualify.

Group 2

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Brazil 126600232+21
2  Paraguay 8640265+1
3  Colombia 36114712−5
4  Venezuela 16015118−17

Brazil qualified.

Group 3

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Uruguay 7431050+5
2  Chile 4412154+1
3  Ecuador 1401328−6

Uruguay qualified.

North, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF)

FIFA rejected the entry of Cuba. There would be three rounds of play:

First Round

Group 1

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  United States 64301116+5
2  Canada 5421183+5
3  Bermuda 14013212−10

United States advanced to the Semifinal Round.

Group 2

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Haiti 5421195+4
2  Guatemala 4412153+2
3  Trinidad and Tobago 34112410−6

Haiti advanced to the Semifinal Round.

Group 3

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Honduras 7431072+5
2  Costa Rica 5421173+4
3  Jamaica 04004211−9

Honduras advanced to the Semifinal Round.

Group 4

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  El Salvador 64301105+5
2  Dutch Guyana 44202109+1
3  Netherlands Antilles 2410339−6

El Salvador advanced to the Semifinal Round.

Semifinal Round

Group 1

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Haiti 4220030+3
2  United States 0200203−3

Haiti advanced to the Final Round.

Group 2

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1=  El Salvador 2210131+2
1=  Honduras 2210113−2

El Salvador and Honduras finished level on points, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would advance to the Final Round.

El Salvador advanced to the Final Round. Additionally, these matches featured prominently in the Football War.

Final Round

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1=  Haiti 2210142+2
1=  El Salvador 2210124−2

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

El Salvador qualified.

Africa (CAF)

FIFA rejected the entries of Guinea and Democratic Republic of the Congo. There would be three rounds of play:

First Round

Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg3rd leg
Zambia  6–6  Sudan 4–2 2–4 (aet)
Morocco  1–0  Senegal 1–0 1–22–0
Algeria  1–2  Tunisia 1–2 0–0
Nigeria  4–3  Cameroon 1–1 3–2
Libya  3–5  Ethiopia 2–0 1–5

The aggregate score was tied 6–6, but Sudan advanced to the Second Round as they scored more goals in the second match.

The aggregate score was tied 2–2, and since extra time was not played in the second match, a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would advance to the Second Round.

Morocco advanced to the Second Round, via the play-off.

Tunisia advanced to the Second Round.

Nigeria advanced to the Second Round.

Ethiopia advanced to the Second Round.

Second Round

Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg3rd leg
Tunisia  2–2  Morocco 0–0 0–0 (aet)2–2 (aet)
Ethiopia  2–4  Sudan 1–1 1–3
Nigeria  3–2  Ghana 2–1 1–1

The aggregate score was tied 0–0, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would advance to the Final Round.

Morocco advanced to the Final Round, by winning a coin toss.

Sudan advanced to the Final Round.

Nigeria advanced to the Final Round.

Final Round

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Morocco 5421153+2
2  Nigeria 4412187+1
3  Sudan 3403158−3

Morocco qualified.

Asia and Oceania (AFC/OFC)

North Korea withdrew before the matches were played as they refused to play Israel. There would be three rounds of play:

First Round

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Australia 6422074+3
2  South Korea 4412165+1
3  Japan 2402248−4

Australia advanced to the Second Round.

Second Round

Group 1

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1=  Australia 22020110
1=  Rhodesia 22020110

Australia and Rhodesia finished level on points, and a play-off was played to decide who would advance to the Final Round.

Australia advanced to the Final Round.

Group 2

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Israel 4220060+6
2  New Zealand 0200206−6
—  North Korea withdrew

Israel advanced to the Final Round. North Korea, despite their good performance in the previous tournament staged in England in 1966, refused to play in Israel.[4]

Final Round

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Israel 3211021+1
2  Australia 1201112−1

Israel qualified.

Notes

References

  1. ↑ http://www.allworldcup.narod.ru/1970/PROTOCOL/QUALIF/CONMEBOL/G2/BRAVSCOL.HTM
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and New Zealand played all of their matches away. Rhodesia and Australia played their matches at a neutral venue.
  3. ↑ Netherlands Antilles played its "home" game away in El Salvador.
  4. ↑ Fifa.com: preliminaries 1970

External links