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A total of 174 teams entered the 1998 World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 32 spots in the final tournament. This is the first time there would be 32 teams in the finals. France, as the hosts, and Brazil, as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 30 spots open for competition.

The 32 spots available in the 1998 World Cup would be distributed among the continental zones as follows:

  • Europe (UEFA): 15 places, 1 of them went to automatic qualifier France, while the other 14 places were contested by 49 teams.
  • South America (CONMEBOL): 5 places, 1 of them went to automatic qualifier Brazil, while the other 4 places were contested by 9 teams.
  • North, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF): 3 places, contested by 30 teams.
  • Africa (CAF): 5 places, contested by 38 teams.
  • Asia (AFC): 3.5 places, contested by 36 teams. The winner of the 0.5 place would advance to the Intercontinental Play-offs (against a team from OFC).
  • Oceania (OFC): 0.5 place, contested by 10 teams. The winner of the 0.5 place would advance to the Intercontinental Play-offs (against a team from AFC).

Overview

643 matches and over 15 million spectators. There were some individual records too: Iran beat the Malvides by the widest margin in World Cup history, the score being 17-0 (this record was broken twice by Australia in the 2002 World Cup qualification). Karim Bagheri scored seven of the total, also a new best (this record was also broken in the 2002 qualification, by Australian player Archie Thompson).

Iran continued to capture the headlines as the surprise team: in an AFC/OFC play-off in Australia they were trailing 0-2 but Iran pulled level, to the consternation of 85,000 spectators in the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Already qualified were Korea Republic, now becoming regulars, and Saudi Arabia for the second time in a row.

In Europe, fixed play-offs were arranged between the group second teams for the first time. Norway, Italy, Spain, Germany and Romania came through undefeated, but even five wins and three draws was not enough to take Italy to the top of their group, which was won by England. A goal from Tony Cascarino for Ireland Rep. in the last match against Romania earned his team a 1-1 draw and ruined Romania's 100% record. In the play-offs, Yugoslavia rattled up an aggregate score of 12-1 against the poor Hungarians. Not unexpectedly, Croatia eliminated Ukraine and so one of Europe's new countries would be making a first appearance.

No fewer than 72 matches were played in South America, where the eliminations were held for the first time in a single group. The teams coming out on top were Argentina, Colombia (for the third time in succession), Chile and Paraguay.

The longest qualifying round was, as usual, in the CONCACAF zone, where favourites Mexico and the USA were successful, encountering few problems along the way. Third place went to newcomers Jamaica, the "Reggae Boys" thus confirming the progress they had made over the last few years. Rather curiously, Mexico, who had been undefeated in the qualifiers and were sure of a place in France, released their coach Bora Milutinovic from his contract after a run of disappointing results.

In Africa it was the established teams that made the running; Nigeria, Cameroon, Tunisia and Morocco had all qualified on previous occasions. The only new name was South Africa, but their success was hardly a surprise, in view of the potential of their players and their victory in the African Nations' Cup in 1996. But Congo nearly caused a sensation on 16 August 1997 in Johannesburg, when a single goal decided that South Africa would get the final place, not Congo.

Continental zones

To see the dates and results of the qualification rounds for each continental zone, click on the following articles:
Group 1 - Denmark qualified. Croatia advanced to the UEFA Play-offs.
Group 2 - England qualified. Italy advanced to the UEFA Play-offs.
Group 3 - Norway qualified. Hungary advanced to the UEFA Play-offs.
Group 4 - Austria qualified. Scotland also qualified with the best record among the runners-up.
Group 5 - Bulgaria qualified. Russia advanced to the UEFA Play-offs.
Group 6 - Spain qualified. Yugoslavia advanced to the UEFA Play-offs.
Group 7 - Netherlands qualified. Belgium advanced to the UEFA Play-offs.
Group 8 - Romania qualified. Republic of Ireland advanced to the UEFA Play-offs.
Group 9 - Germany qualified. Ukraine advanced to the UEFA Play-offs.
Play-offs - Croatia, Italy, Belgium and Yugoslavia qualified over Ukraine, Russia, Republic of Ireland and Hungary respectively.
Argentina, Paraguay, Colombia and Chile qualified.
Mexico, USA and Jamaica qualified.
Group 1 - Nigeria qualified.
Group 2 - Tunisia qualified.
Group 3 - South Africa qualified.
Group 4 - Cameroon qualified.
Group 5 - Morocco qualified.
Group A - Saudi Arabia qualified. Iran advanced to the AFC Play-off.
Group B - South Korea qualified. Japan advanced to the AFC Play-off.
Play-off - Japan qualified. Iran advanced to the AFC / OFC Intercontinental Play-off.
Australia advanced to the AFC / OFC Intercontinental Play-off.

Intercontinental Play-offs

The teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winner would qualify.

1998 FIFA World Cup AFC / OFC Intercontinental Play-off

November 22, 1997, Tehran, Iran - 1 - 1

November 29, 1997, Melbourne, Australia - 2 - 2

Iran qualified due to the away goals rule, scoring 2 to Australia's 1.

Qualified teams

Team Appearance Streak Previous appearance
12th71994
7th11990
10th51994
(c) 16th161994
7th21994
4th31994
7th11982
4th31994
1st1-
2nd11986
10th11990
(h) 10th11986
14th(1)12(1)1994
2nd11978
14th101994
1st1-
1st1-
11th21994
4th21994
7th31994
2nd21994
3rd21994
5th11986
7th31994
2nd21994
8th11990
1st1-
5th41994
10th61994
2nd11978
6th31994
1st(2)1-(2)

(h) - qualified automatically as hosts

(c) - qualified automatically as defending champions

1Includes 10 appearances by DFB representing West Germany between 1954 and 1990.

2Excludes 8 appearances by pre-division Yugoslavia.

Trivia

So near and yet so far: Australia’s dreams of qualifying for the World Cup where shattered in the very last game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground packed with 85,000 spectators who saw the Socceroos go 2-0 up against Iran only to concede the equaliser late in the second half - and lose the set of tickets to France.

  • Japan’s Kazuyoshi Miura added another 11 goals to the 10 he had scored in the previous Preliminary Competition. His record total of 21 was equalled four years later by Iranian striker Ali Daei.

Notes

  • For the first time, the South American qualifiers were held in a single group.
  • Australia had a 2-0 lead against Iran in the second leg of their play-off against Iran, but conceded two late goals and was denied a place in the finals.

External links

1998 FIFA World Cup qualification

Fußball-Weltmeisterschaft 1998/Qualifikation | WK voetbal 1998 (kwalificatie)

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "1998 FIFA World Cup qualification".

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