Listed below are the dates and results for the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone (UEFA). For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification.
A total of 33 UEFA teams entered the competition. Moreover, Israel were also assigned to the European zone despite not being a UEFA member. The European zone was allocated 14 places (out of 24) in the final tournament. Spain, the hosts, qualified automatically, leaving 13 spots open for competition between 33 teams.
The 33 teams were divided into 7 groups. The teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The number of teams and spots for each group were as follows:
Draw
The draw for the qualifying groups took place in Zürich, Switzerland on 14 October 1979. During the draw teams were drawn from the 5 pots into the 7 groups. The seedings below were announced ten days before the draw.
West Germany and Austria qualified.
Belgium and France qualified.
Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia qualified.
Hungary and England qualified.
Yugoslavia and Italy qualified.
Scotland and Northern Ireland qualified.
Poland qualified.