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:
Groups 1 to 9 – Europe: 11 places, contested by 23 teams (including Egypt and Palestine).
Groups 10 and 11 – The Americas: 2 places, contested by 9 teams.
Group 12 – Asia: 1 place, contested by 2 teams.
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).
and 26 Related for: 1938 FIFA World Cup qualification information
The FIFAWorldCupqualification is a set of competitive matches that a national association football team plays in order to qualify for one of the available...
The 2006 FIFAWorldCupqualification competition was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation – the AFC (Asia)...
The 2034 FIFAWorldCup will be the 25th FIFAWorldCup, a quadrennial international football tournament contested by the men's national teams of the member...
Qualifying for the 2010 FIFAWorldCup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation – the AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa)...
The 2018 FIFAWorldCupqualification process was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations to decide 31 of the 32 teams which would...
The 2030 FIFAWorldCup will be the 24th FIFAWorldCup, a quadrennial international football tournament contested by the men's national teams of the member...
The 1998 FIFAWorldCupqualification competition was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC (Asia)...
The 1994 FIFAWorldCupqualification was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. The 1994 FIFAWorldCup featured 24 teams with...
The 2002 FIFAWorldCupqualification competition was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC (Asia)...
A total of 34 teams entered the qualification rounds of the 1950 FIFAWorldCup, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. Brazil, as...
The 2022 FIFAWorldCupqualification was the qualifying process which decided the 31 teams that would join hosts Qatar, who received an automatic spot...
In the 1938FIFAWorldCupqualification Group 5, the two teams played against each once on neutral ground. The winner Switzerland qualified for the third...
total of 109 teams entered the 1982 FIFAWorldCupqualification rounds, which began with the preliminary qualification draw on 14 October 1979 at Zürich...
A total of 37 teams entered the 1954 FIFAWorldCupqualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. Switzerland, as the...
A total of 75 teams entered the 1970 FIFAWorldCupqualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. Hosts Mexico and defending...
The qualification competition for the 1990 FIFAWorldCup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the...
Global Information
Fricis Kaņeps
Gyula Zsengellér