1962 FIFA World Cup qualification

1962 FIFA World Cup qualification
Tournament details
Dates 21 August 1960 – 16 December 1961
Teams 56 (from 6 confederations)
Tournament statistics
Matches played 92
Goals scored 325 (3.53 per match)
Top scorer(s) Czechoslovakia Andrej Kvašňák
(7 goals)

A total of 56 teams entered the 1962 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. Chile, as the hosts, and Brazil, as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition.

As with previous World Cups, the rules of the qualification rounds were quite confusing. Moreover, the winners of the four weakest continental zones: North America (NAFC), Central America and Caribbean (CCCF), Africa (CAF) and Asia (AFC), were not guaranteed direct spots in the final tournament. Instead, each of them had to enter a play-off against a team from either Europe (UEFA) or South America (CONMEBOL), with the winners of the three play-offs qualifying.

The 16 spots available in the 1962 World Cup would be distributed among the continental zones as follows:

  • Europe (UEFA): 8 direct places + 2 spots in the Intercontinental Play-offs (against teams from CAF and AFC), contested by 30 teams (including Israel and Ethiopia).
  • South America (CONMEBOL): 5 direct places + 1 spot in the Intercontinental Play-offs (against a team from CCCF/NAFC); 2 direct places went to automatic qualifiers Chile and Brazil, while the other 3.5 places were contested by 7 teams.
  • North, Central America and Caribbean (CCCF/NAFC): 1 spot in the Intercontinental Play-offs (against a team from CONMEBOL), contested by 8 teams.
  • Africa (CAF): 1 spot in the Intercontinental Play-offs (against a team from UEFA), contested by 6 teams.
  • Asia (AFC): 1 spot in the Intercontinental Play-offs (against a team from UEFA), contested by 3 teams.

A total of 49 teams played at least one qualifying match. A total of 92 qualifying matches were played, and 325 goals were scored (an average of 3.53 per match).

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

Europe

The 30 teams were divided into 10 groups. The groups had different rules, as follows:

  • Groups 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 had 3 teams each. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify.
  • Group 7 had 5 teams. The teams played in a knockout tournament, with matches on a home-and-away basis. The group winner would qualify.
  • Group 9 had 2 teams. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner would advance to the UEFA / CAF Intercontinental Play-off.
  • Group 10 had 2 teams. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner would advance to the UEFA / AFC Intercontinental Play-off.

UEFA Group 1

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1=  Sweden 4301103+76
1=   Switzerland 43019906
3  Belgium 4004310−70

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

Switzerland qualified

UEFA Group 2

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1=  France 4301103+76
1=  Bulgaria 430164+26
3  Finland 4004312−90

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

Bulgaria qualified

UEFA Group 3

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  West Germany 4400115+68
2  Northern Ireland 410378−12
3  Greece 410338−52

West Germany qualified

UEFA Group 4

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Hungary 4310115+67
2  Netherlands 302147−32
3  East Germany 301236−31

Hungary qualified

UEFA Group 5

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Soviet Union 4400113+88
2  Turkey 42024404
3  Norway 4004311−80

Soviet Union qualified

UEFA Group 6

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  England 4310162+147
2  Portugal 411297+23
3  Luxembourg 4103521−162

England qualified

UEFA Group 7

First round

Israel advanced to the Second Round.

Second round

Romania withdrew, so Italy advanced to the Final Round automatically.

Israel advanced to the Final Round.

Final round

Italy qualified

UEFA Group 8

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1=  Czechoslovakia 4301165+116
1=  Scotland 4301107+36
3  Republic of Ireland 4004317−140

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

Czechoslovakia qualified

UEFA Group 9

First Round

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Spain advanced
—  Denmark withdrew

Second Round

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Spain 211032+13
2  Wales 201123−11
—  Austria withdrew

Spain advanced to the UEFA / CAF Intercontinental Play-off.

UEFA Group 10

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Yugoslavia 211032+13
2  Poland 201123−11
—  Iceland Withdrew

Yugoslavia advanced to the UEFA / AFC Intercontinental Play-off.

South America

Among the 7 teams, Paraguay were drawn to play in the CONMEBOL / CCCF / NAFC Intercontinental Play-off. The remaining 6 teams were divided into 3 groups of 2 teams each. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify.

CONMEBOL Group 1

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Argentina 2200113+84
2  Ecuador 2002311−80

Argentina qualified

CONMEBOL Group 2

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Uruguay 211032+13
2  Bolivia 201123−11

Uruguay qualified

CONMEBOL Group 3

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Colombia 211021+13
2  Peru 201112−11

Colombia qualified

North, Central America and Caribbean

There would be two rounds of play:

  • First Round: The remaining 7 teams (Canada withdrew before the matches began) were divided into 3 groups of 2 or 3 teams each (Group 1 with teams from Northern America and Mexico, Group 2 with teams from Central America and Group 3 with teams from Caribbean). The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would advance to the Final Round.
  • Final Round: The 3 teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner would advance to the CONMEBOL/CCCF/NAFC Intercontinental Play-off.

CCCF/NAFC First Round

Group 1

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Mexico 211063+33
2  United States 201136−31
—  Canada withdrew

Mexico advanced to the Final Round.

Group 2

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1=  Costa Rica 4211138+55
1=  Honduras 421157−25
3  Guatemala 4022710−32

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

Costa Rica advanced to the Final Round.

Group 3

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Netherlands Antilles 211021+13
2  Suriname 201112−11

Netherlands Antilles advanced to the Final Round.

CCCF/NAFC Final Round

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Mexico 4211112+95
2  Costa Rica 420286+24
3  Netherlands Antilles 4112213−113

Mexico advanced to the CONMEBOL/CCCF/NAFC Intercontinental Play-off.

Africa

There would be two rounds of play:

  • First Round: The 6 teams were divided into 3 groups of 2 teams each. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would advance to the Final Round.
  • Final Round: The 3 teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner would advance to the UEFA/CAF Intercontinental Play-off.

CAF First Round

Group 1

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
—  United Arab Republic withdrew
—  Sudan withdrew

United Arab Republic and Sudan both withdrew as FIFA refused to allow them to rearrange their games to avoid the monsoon season.

Group 2

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1=  Morocco 21013302
1=  Tunisia 21013302

Morocco and Tunisia finished level on points, 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.

Group 3

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Ghana 211063+33
2  Nigeria 201136−31

Ghana advanced to the Final Round.

CAF Final Round

Only 2 teams competed due to the withdrawals of both teams in Group 1.

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Morocco 211010+13
2  Ghana 201101−11

Morocco advanced to the UEFA/CAF Intercontinental Play-off.

Asia

There would be only one round of play. The 3 teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner would advance to the UEFA/AFC Intercontinental Play-off.

AFC Final Round

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  South Korea 220041+34
2  Japan 200214−30
—  Indonesia withdrew

Korea Republic advanced to the UEFA/AFC Intercontinental Play-off.

Inter-confederation play-offs

In each play-off, the teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winners would qualify.

CAF v UEFA

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification Spain Morocco
1  Spain 2 2 0 0 4 2 +2 4 Qualification to 1962 FIFA World Cup — 3–2
2  Morocco 2 0 0 2 2 4 −2 0 0–1 —
Source: FIFA

UEFA v AFC

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia South Korea
1  Yugoslavia 2 2 0 0 8 2 +6 4 Qualification to 1962 FIFA World Cup — 5–1
2  South Korea 2 0 0 2 2 8 −6 0 1–3 —
Source: FIFA

CCCF/NAFC v CONMEBOL

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification Mexico Paraguay
1  Mexico 2 1 1 0 1 0 +1 3 Qualification to 1962 FIFA World Cup — 1–0
2  Paraguay 2 0 1 1 0 1 −1 1 0–0 —
Source: FIFA

Qualified teams

FIFA World Cup qualification 1962
Qualifying countries
Team Finals Appearance Streak Last Appearance
 Argentina 4th21958
 Brazil (c) 7th71958
 Bulgaria 1st1–
 Chile (h) 3rd11950
 Colombia 1st1–
 Czechoslovakia 5th31958
 England 4th41958
 Hungary 5th31958
 Italy 5th11954
 Mexico 5th41958
 Spain 3rd11950
  Switzerland 5th11954
 Uruguay 4th11954
 Soviet Union 2nd21958
 West Germany 5th31958
 Yugoslavia 5th41958

(h) – qualified automatically as host nation

(c) – qualified automatically as defending champions


3 of the 16 teams subsequently failed to qualify for the 1966 finals: Colombia, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia.

Goalscorers

7 goals
6 goals
5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
1 own goal

Notes

  • For the second World Cup in a row, no teams from Africa or Asia qualified.

References

  1. ↑ The Netherlands v. East Germany match was scratched, as due to visa problems, the East German players were not allowed to enter the Netherlands. As Hungary was already de facto qualified with three wins, no other date was arranged.
  2. ↑ FIFA awarded Honduras a 2-0 win because Guatemala forfeited.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.