1962 FIFA World Cup Qualification
1962 FIFA World Cup Qualification
1962 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.
As with previous World Cups, the rules of the qualification rounds were quite confusing. Moreover, the
winners of the three weakest continental zones, North, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF),
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:
Europe (UEFA): 8 direct places + 2 spots in the Intercontinental Play-offs (against teams
from CAF and AFC), contested by 30 teams (including Israel and Ethiopia).
South America (CONMEBOL): 5 direct places + 1 spot in the Intercontinental Play-offs
(against a team from CONCACAF); 2 direct places went to automatic qualifiers Chile and
Brazil, while the other 3.5 places were contested by 7 teams.
North, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF): 1 spot in the Intercontinental Play-
offs (against a team from CONMEBOL), contested by 8 teams.
Africa (CAF): 1 spot in the Intercontinental Play-offs (against a team from UEFA),
contested by 6 teams.
Asia (AFC): 1 spot in the Intercontinental Play-offs (against a team from UEFA), contested
by 3 teams.
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.
[edit] Europe
The 30 teams were divided into 10 groups. The groups had different rules, as follows:
Groups 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 had 3 teams each. The teams would play against each
other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify.
Group 7 had 5 teams. The teams would play in a knockout tournament, with matches on a
home-and-away basis. The group winner would qualify.
Group 9 had 2 teams. The teams would play against each other on a home-and-away
basis. The group winner would advance to the UEFA / CAF Intercontinental Play-off.
Group 10 had 2 teams. The teams would play against each other on a home-and-away
basis. The group winner would advance to the UEFA / AFC Intercontinental Play-off.
[edit] UEFA Group 1
1= Sweden 6 4 3 0 1 10 3
1= Switzerland 6 4 3 0 1 9 9
3 Belgium 0 4 0 0 4 3 10
Sweden and Switzerland finished level on points, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to
decide who would qualify.
Switzerland qualified.
1= Bulgaria 6 4 3 0 1 6 4
1= France 6 4 3 0 1 10 3
3 Finland 0 4 0 0 4 3 12
Bulgaria and France finished level on points, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide
who would qualify.
Bulgaria qualified.
October 26, 1960, Belfast, Northern Ireland - Northern Ireland 3 - 4 West Germany
May 10, 1961, Berlin, West Germany - West Germany 2 - 1 Northern Ireland
October 17, 1961, Belfast, Northern Ireland - Northern Ireland 2 - 0 Greece
October 22, 1961, Hamburg, West Germany - West Germany 2 - 1 Greece
1 West Germany 8 4 4 0 0 11 5
2 Northern Ireland 2 4 1 0 3 7 8
3 Greece 2 4 1 0 3 3 8
May 14, 1961, Leipzig, East Germany - East Germany 1 - 1 Netherlands
September 10, 1961, Berlin, East Germany - East Germany 2 - 3 Hungary
Netherlands vs East Germany (scheduled October 1, 1961) was not played since the East German
players were refused visas. Neither team could qualify with a win anyway.
1 Hungary 7 4 3 1 0 11 5
2 Netherlands 2 3 0 2 1 4 7
3 East Germany 1 3 0 1 2 3 6
Hungary qualified.
1 USSR 8 4 4 0 0 11 3
2 Turkey 4 4 2 0 2 4 4
3 Norway 0 4 0 0 4 3 11
USSR qualified.
1 England 7 4 3 1 0 16 2
2 Portugal 3 4 1 1 2 9 7
3 Luxembourg 2 4 1 0 3 5 21
England qualified.
2 Cyprus 1 2 0 1 1 2 7
1 Israel 4 2 2 0 0 4 2
2 Ethiopia 0 2 0 0 2 2 4
1 Italy 4 2 2 0 0 10 2
2 Israel 0 2 0 0 2 2 10
Italy qualified.
1= Czechoslovakia 6 4 3 0 1 16 5
1= Scotland 6 4 3 0 1 10 7
3 Republic of Ireland 0 4 0 0 4 3 17
Czechoslovakia and Scotland finished level on points, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to
decide who would qualify.
Czechoslovakia qualified.
1 Spain 3 2 1 1 0 3 2
2 Wales 1 2 0 1 1 2 3
1 Yugoslavia 3 2 1 1 0 3 2
2 Poland 1 2 0 1 1 2 3
1 Argentina 4 2 2 0 0 11 3
2 Ecuador 0 2 0 0 2 3 11
Argentina qualified.
1 Uruguay 3 2 1 1 0 3 2
2 Bolivia 1 2 0 1 1 2 3
Uruguay qualified.
1 Colombia 3 2 1 1 0 2 1
2 Peru 1 2 0 1 1 1 2
Colombia qualified.
First Round: The remaining 7 teams were divided into 3 groups of 2 or 3 teams each
(Group 1 with teams from North America, Group 2 with teams from Central America and
Group 3 with teams from Caribbean). The teams would play against each other on a home-
and-away basis. The group winners would advance to the Final Round.
Final Round: The 3 teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The
group winner would advance to the CONMEBOL / CONCACAF Intercontinental Play-off.
[edit] Group 1
1 Mexico 3 2 1 1 0 6 3
2 USA 1 2 0 1 1 3 6
[edit] Group 2
August 21, 1960, San José, Costa Rica - Costa Rica 3 - 2 Guatemala
August 28, 1960, Guatemala City, Guatemala - Guatemala 4 - 4 Costa Rica
September 11, 1960, San José, Costa Rica - Costa Rica 5 - 0 Honduras
1= Costa Rica 5 4 2 1 1 13 8
1= Honduras 5 4 2 1 1 5 7
3 Guatemala 2 4 0 2 2 7 10
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.
January 14, 1961, Guatemala City, Guatemala - Costa Rica 1 - 0 Honduras
[edit] Group 3
October 2, 1960, Paramaribo, Dutch Guyana - Dutch Guiana 1 - 2 Netherlands Antilles
November 27, 1960, Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles - Netherlands Antilles 0 - 0 Dutch
Guiana
1 Netherlands Antilles 3 2 1 1 0 2 1
2 Dutch Guiana 1 2 0 1 1 1 2
March 22, 1961, San José, Costa Rica - Costa Rica 1 - 0 Mexico
March 29, 1961, San José, Costa Rica - Costa Rica 6 - 0 Netherlands Antilles
April 12, 1961, Mexico City, Mexico - Mexico 4 - 1 Costa Rica
April 23, 1961, Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles - Netherlands Antilles 2 - 0 Costa Rica
May 21, 1961, Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles - Netherlands Antilles 0 - 0 Mexico
1 Mexico 5 4 2 1 1 11 2
2 Costa Rica 4 4 2 0 2 8 6
3 Netherlands Antilles 3 4 1 1 2 2 13
[edit] Africa
There would be two rounds of play:
First Round: The 6 teams were divided into 3 groups of 2 teams each. The teams would
play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would advance to
the Final Round.
Final Round: The 3 teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The
group winner would advance to the UEFA / CAF Intercontinental Play-off.
[edit] Group 1
[edit] Group 2
1= Morocco 2 2 1 0 1 3 3
1= Tunisia 2 2 1 0 1 3 3
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.
[edit] Group 3
1 Ghana 3 2 1 1 0 6 3
2 Nigeria 1 2 0 1 1 3 6
Ghana advanced to the Final Round.
1 Morocco 3 2 1 1 0 1 0
2 Ghana 1 2 0 1 1 0 1
[edit] Asia
There would be only one round of play. The 3 teams would play against each other on a home-and-
away basis. The group winner would advance to the UEFA / AFC Intercontinental Play-off.
Indonesia withdrew.
1 Korea Republic 4 2 2 0 0 4 1
2 Japan 0 2 0 0 2 1 4
1 Spain 4 2 2 0 0 4 2
2 Morocco 0 2 0 0 2 2 4
Spain qualified.
November 26, 1961, Seoul, South Korea - Korea Republic 1 - 3 Yugoslavia
1 Yugoslavia 4 2 2 0 0 8 2
2 Korea Republic 0 2 0 0 2 2 8
Yugoslavia qualified.
1 Mexico 3 2 1 1 0 1 0
2 Paraguay 1 2 0 1 1 0 1
Mexico qualified.
Qualifying countries
Finals Last
Team Streak
Appearance Appearance
Bulgaria 1st 1 -
Colombia 1st 1 -
[edit] Notes
For the second World Cup in a row, no teams from Africa or Asia qualified.