1938 FIFA World Cup qualification

1938 FIFA World Cup Qualification
Tournament details
Teams 37 (from 3 confederations)
Tournament statistics
Matches played 22
Goals scored 96 (4.36 per match)

A total of 37 teams entered the 1938 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. For the first time the title holders and the host country were given automatic qualification. Therefore, France, as the hosts, and Italy, as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition.

Due to the Spanish Civil War, Spain withdrew from the competition. The remaining 34 teams were divided into 12 groups, based on geographical considerations, as follows:

However, due to the withdrawal of Austria after qualifying (they had been annexed by Germany), only 15 teams actually competed in the final tournament. FIFA did not offer participation to the runner-up of the group that Austria had played in, Latvia.

A total of 21 teams played at least one qualifying match. A total of 22 qualifying matches were played, and 96 goals were scored (an average of 4.36 per match).

Format

The 12 groups had different rules, as follows:

Key:

Group 1

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Germany 330011111.06
2  Sweden 32011171.574
3  Estonia 31024110.362
4  Finland 3003070.000

Germany and Sweden qualified.

Group 2

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Norway 2110651.203
2  Irish Free State 2011560.831

Norway qualified.

Group 3

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Poland 2101414.002
2  Yugoslavia 2101140.252

Poland finished above Yugoslavia on goal average, and thus qualified.

Group 4

Egypt were to play Romania in December 1937 however Egypt refused to play Romania during the Ramadan month, Egyptian officials had argued it was "impossible" to play football during that time period. Egyptian officials went on to invite Austrian club side First Vienna FC to Egypt to participate in a friendly game against the national team during the holy month. As a result, Egypt were withdrawn from the competition by FIFA, so Romania qualified automatically.[1]

Group 5

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1   Switzerland 1100212.002
2  Portugal 1001120.500

Switzerland qualified.

Group 6

First round

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Greece 2200414.004
2  Palestine, British Mandate 2002140.250

Greece qualified for the final round.

Final round

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Hungary 110011111.02
2  Greece 10011110.090

Hungary qualified.

Group 7

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Czechoslovakia 2110717.003
2  Bulgaria 2011170.141

Czechoslovakia qualified.

Group 8

First round

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Latvia 2200933.004
2  Lithuania 2002390.330

Latvia qualified for the final round.

Final round

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Austria 1100212.002
2  Latvia 1001120.500

Austria qualified, but was later incorporated by Germany during the Anschluss. FIFA offered the place to England (winner of the 1937–38 British Home Championship), who had opted not to enter the competition, but they declined the offer; FIFA decided not to allow anyone else to qualify, leaving the World Cup one team short.

Group 9

Pos. Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Netherlands 2110515.003
2  Belgium 2110431.333
3  Luxembourg 2002270.290

Netherlands and Belgium qualified.

Group 10

Argentina withdrew, so Brazil qualified automatically.

Group 11

Colombia, Costa Rica, Dutch Guiana, El Salvador, Mexico, and the United States all withdrew, so Cuba qualified automatically.

Group 12

Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and the Philippines all withdrew, so Dutch East Indies qualified automatically.

Qualified teams

FIFA World Cup qualification 1938
Qualifying countries
Team Finals Appearance Streak Last Appearance
 Austria 2nd21934
 Belgium 3rd31934
 Brazil 3rd31934
 Cuba 1st1–
 Czechoslovakia 2nd21934
 Dutch East Indies 1st1–
 France (h) 3rd31934
 Germany 2nd21934
 Hungary 2nd21934
 Italy (c) 2nd21934
 Netherlands 2nd21934
 Norway 1st1–
 Poland 1st1–
 Romania 3rd31934
 Sweden 2nd21934
  Switzerland 2nd21934

Notes

References

  1. ↑ Dietschy, Paul (6 June 2013). "Making football global? FIFA, Europe, and the non-European football world, 1912–74". Journal of Global History. 8 (02): 288. doi:10.1017/S1740022813000223.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 9/11/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.