Puneet Varma (Editor)

1954 FIFA World Cup qualification

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Top scorer(s)
  
Max Morlock (6 goals)

Teams
  
37

Matches played
  
57

Start date
  
1954

Goals scored
  
208

1954 FIFA World Cup qualification

Similar
  
1950 FIFA World Cup qualification, 1958 FIFA World Cup qualification, 1934 FIFA World Cup qualification, 1962 FIFA World Cup qualification, 1938 FIFA World Cup qualification

A total of 37 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.

Contents

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

  • Groups 1 to 10 - Europe: 11 places, contested by 27 teams (including Egypt, Israel and Syria).
  • Group 11 and 12 - The Americas: 2 places, contested by 7 teams.
  • Group 13 - Asia: 1 place, contested by 3 teams.

    • 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:

  • Groups 1, 2, 4, 8, and 10 had 3 teams each. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify.
  • Groups 5, 6, 7 and 9 had 2 teams each. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify.
  • Group 3 had 4 teams. The teams played against each other once. The group winner and runner-up would qualify.
  • Group 11 had 4 teams. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner would qualify.
  • Group 12 had 3 teams. The teams played against each other twice. The group winner would qualify.
  • Group 13 had 3 teams. After Republic Of China withdrew before the matches began, the remaining 2 teams played against each other twice. The group winner would qualify.

    • West Germany qualified.

    Belgium qualified.

    This group was also the 1953–54 British Home Championship.

    England and Scotland qualified.

    France qualified.

    Austria qualified.

    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.

    Group 7

    Poland withdrew, so Hungary qualified automatically.

    Czechoslovakia qualified.

    Italy qualified.

    Yugoslavia qualified.

    Brazil qualified.

    Mexico qualified.

    South Korea qualified.

    Qualified teams

    (h) - qualified automatically as hosts

    (c) - qualified automatically as defending champions

    References

    1954 FIFA World Cup qualification Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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