Start date 1962 Goals scored 325 | Teams 56 Matches played 92 | |
 | ||
Similar 1958 FIFA World Cup qualification, 1950 FIFA World Cup qualification, 1934 FIFA World Cup qualification, 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification, 1938 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||
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.
Contents
- Europe
- Second round
- South America
- North Central America and Caribbean
- Africa
- Group 1
- CAF Final Round
- Asia
- Intercontinental Play offs
- Qualified teams
- References
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:
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:
Sweden and Switzerland finished level on points, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would qualify.
Switzerland qualified for FIFA World Cup 1962 in Chile
Bulgaria and France finished level on points, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would qualify.
Bulgaria qualified for FIFA World Cup 1962 in Chile
West Germany qualified.
Hungary qualified.
Soviet Union qualified.
England qualified.
Israel advanced to the Second Round.
Second round
Romania withdrew, so Italy advanced to the Final Round automatically.
Israel advanced to the Final Round.
Italy qualified.
Czechoslovakia and Scotland finished level on points, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would qualify.
Czechoslovakia qualified.
Spain advanced to the UEFA / CAF Intercontinental Play-off.
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.
Argentina qualified.
Uruguay qualified.
Colombia qualified.
North, Central America and Caribbean
There would be two rounds of play:
Mexico advanced to the Final Round.
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.
Netherlands Antilles advanced to the Final Round.
Mexico advanced to the CONMEBOL/CCCF/NAFC Intercontinental Play-off.
Africa
There would be two rounds of play:
Group 1
United Arab Republic and Sudan both withdrew as FIFA refused to allow them to rearrange their games to avoid the monsoon season.[1]
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.
Ghana advanced to the Final Round.
CAF Final Round
Only 2 teams competed due to the withdrawals of both teams in Group 1.
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.
Korea Republic advanced to the UEFA/AFC Intercontinental Play-off.
Intercontinental Play-offs
In each play-off, the teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winners would qualify.
Spain qualified.
Yugoslavia qualified.
Mexico qualified.
Qualified teams
(h) - qualified automatically as host nation
(c) - qualified automatically as defending champions