1998 FIFA World Cup qualification

The 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification competition was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (North, Central America and Caribbean), CONMEBOL (South America), OFC (Oceania), and UEFA (Europe) — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament. A total of 174 teams entered the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 32 spots in the final tournament. The 1998 FIFA World Cup featured 32 teams, with two places reserved for France and Brazil as host nation and defending champions, respectively. The remaining 30 places were determined by a qualification process, in which the other 174 teams, from the six FIFA confederations, competed.

1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
Tournament details
Dates10 March 1996 – 29 November 1997
Teams174 (from 6 confederations)
Tournament statistics
Matches played643
Goals scored1,922 (2.99 per match)
Top scorer(s) Karim Bagheri
(19 goals)

Qualified teams
  Country qualified for World Cup
  Country failed to qualify
  Country did not enter World Cup
  Country not a FIFA member
Team Method of
qualification		 Date of
qualification		 Finals
appearance		 Last
appearance		 Consecutive
finals
appearances		 Previous best
performance		 FIFA ranking
at start of event[1]
 FranceHost2 July 199210th19861Third place (1958, 1986)18
 Brazil1994 FIFA World Cup Winners17 July 199416th199416Winners (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994)1
 NigeriaCAF Final Round Group 1 Winners7 June 19972nd19942Round of 16 (1994)74
 TunisiaCAF Final Round Group 2 Winners8 June 19971st19781Group stage (1978)21
 MoroccoCAF Final Round Group 5 Winners8 June 19974th19942Round of 16 (1986)13
 South AfricaCAF Final Round Group 3 Winners16 August 19971st—1—24
 CameroonCAF Final Round Group 4 Winners17 August 19974th19943Quarter-finals (1990)49
 RomaniaUEFA Group 8 Winners18 August 19977th19943Quarter-finals (1994)22
 NorwayUEFA Group 3 Winners6 September 19973rd19942Group stage (1938, 1994)7
 BulgariaUEFA Group 5 Winners10 September 19977th19942Fourth place (1994)35
 ArgentinaCONMEBOL Round Robin Winners10 September 199712th19947Winners (1978, 1986)6
 ColombiaCONMEBOL Round Robin 3rd Place10 September 19974th19943Round of 16 (1990)10
 ParaguayCONMEBOL Round Robin 2nd Place10 September 19975th19861Round of 16 (1986)29
 DenmarkUEFA Group 1 Winners11 October 19972nd19861Round of 16 (1986)27
 EnglandUEFA Group 2 Winners11 October 199710th19901Winners (1966)5
 AustriaUEFA Group 4 Winners11 October 19977th19901Third place (1954)31
 SpainUEFA Group 6 Winners11 October 199710th19946Fourth place (1950)15
 NetherlandsUEFA Group 7 Winners11 October 19977th19943Runners-up (1974, 1978)25
 GermanyUEFA Group 9 Winners11 October 199714th199412Winners (1954, 1974, 1990)2
 ScotlandUEFA Group 4 Runners-up11 October 19978th19901Group stage (1954, 1958, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990)41
 MexicoCONCACAF Fourth Round Winners12 October 199711th19942Quarter-finals (1970, 1986)4
 South KoreaAFC Final Round Group B Winners18 October 19975th19944Group stage (1954, 1986, 1990, 1994)20
 United StatesCONCACAF Fourth Round 2nd Place9 November 19976th19943Third place (1930)11
 Saudi ArabiaAFC Final Round Group A Winners12 November 19972nd19942Round of 16 (1994)34
 CroatiaUEFA play-off Winners15 November 19971st—1—19
 ItalyUEFA play-off Winners15 November 199714th199410Winners (1934, 1938, 1982)14
 BelgiumUEFA play-off Winners15 November 199710th19945Fourth place (1986)36
 FR YugoslaviaUEFA play-off Winners15 November 19979th19901Fourth place (1930, 1962)8
 JapanAFC play-off Winners16 November 19971st—1—12
 JamaicaCONCACAF Fourth Round 3rd Place16 November 19971st—1—30
 ChileCONMEBOL Round Robin 4th Place16 November 19977th19821Third place (1962)9
 IranAFC v OFC play-off Winners29 November 19972nd19781Group stage (1978)42

12 of the 32 teams subsequently failed to qualify for the 2002 finals: Austria, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Iran, Jamaica, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Scotland and Yugoslavia.

Qualification process

The distribution by confederation for the 1998 FIFA World Cup was:

  • AFC (Asia): 3 or 4 places
  • CAF (Africa): 5 places
  • CONCACAF (North America): 3 places
  • CONMEBOL (South America): 4 places (+ Brazil qualified automatically as 1994 FIFA World Cup winners for a total of 5 places)
  • OFC (Oceania): 0 or 1 place(s)
  • UEFA (Europe): 14 places (+ France qualified automatically as host nation for a total of 15 places)

Confederation qualification

AFC
Main article: 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)

A total of 36 teams entered the competition. The Asian zone was allocated 3.5 places (out of 32) in the final tournament.

There were three rounds of play:

  • First round: The 36 teams were divided into 10 groups of 3 or 4 teams each. The teams played against each other twice, except in Group 10, where the teams played against each other once. The group winners would advance to the final round.
  • Final round: The 10 teams were divided into 2 groups of 5 teams. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify. The runners-up would advance to the AFC play-off.
  • Play-off: The two teams played against each other once in Malaysia. The winner would qualify. The loser would advance to the AFC–OFC intercontinental play-offs.
Legend
Countries that qualified for the 1998 World Cup
Countries that advanced to the Play-off for third place

Final positions (Final Round)
Main article: 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) § Final round
Group A Group B
Team Pld Pts
 Saudi Arabia 814
 Iran 812
 China PR 811
 Qatar 810
 Kuwait 88
Team Pld Pts
 South Korea 819
 Japan 813
 United Arab Emirates 89
 Uzbekistan 86
 Kazakhstan 86

Play-off for 3rd place
Main article: 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) § Play-off
Team 1 Score Team 2
Japan  3–2 (aet) Iran

CAF
Main article: 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF)

A total of 38 CAF teams entered the competition. However, Mali and Niger both withdrew before the draw was made. The African Zone was allocated five places (out of 32) in the final tournament.

There would be two rounds of play:

  • First Round: Cameroon, Nigeria, Morocco and Egypt, the four highest-ranked teams according to FIFA, received byes and advanced to the Final Round directly. The remaining 32 teams were paired up to play knockout matches on a home-and-away basis. The winners would advance to the Final Round.
  • Final Round: The 20 teams were divided into five groups of four teams each. The teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify.
Legend
Countries that qualified for the 1998 World Cup

Final positions (Final Round)
Main article: 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) § Final round
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3
Team Pld Pts
 Nigeria 613
 Guinea 612
 Kenya 610
 Burkina Faso 60
Team Pld Pts
 Tunisia 616
 Egypt 610
 Liberia 64
 Namibia 64
Team Pld Pts
 South Africa 613
 Congo 610
 Zambia 68
 DR Congo 62
Group 4 Group 5
Team Pld Pts
 Cameroon 614
 Angola 610
 Zimbabwe 64
 Togo 64
Team Pld Pts
 Morocco 616
 Sierra Leone 57
 Ghana 66
 Gabon 51

CONCACAF
Main article: 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)
John Harkes playing for the United States in a fourth round qualifying match against Mexico on April 20, 1997

A total of 30 CONCACAF teams entered the competition. Mexico, the US, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador and Canada, the six highest-ranked teams according to FIFA, received byes and advanced to the third round directly. The remaining 24 teams were divided into two zones, based on geographical locations, as follows:

  • Caribbean Zone: The 20 teams played in three rounds of knockout matches on a home-and-away basis to determine four winners advancing to the third round.
  • Central American Zone: The four teams were paired up to play knockout matches on a home-and-away basis. The winners would advance to the third round.

In the third round, the 12 teams were divided into three groups of four teams each. They played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners and runners-up would advance to the final round.

In the final round, the six teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The top three teams would qualify.

Legend
Countries that qualified for the 1998 World Cup

Final positions (Fourth Round)
Main article: 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF Fourth Round
Team Pld Pts
 Mexico 1018
 United States 1017
 Jamaica 1014
 Costa Rica 1012
 Honduras 1010
 Canada 106

CONMEBOL
Main article: 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)

A total of 10 CONMEBOL teams entered the competition. The South American zone was allocated 5 places (out of 32) in the final tournament. Brazil, the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 4 spots open for competition between 9 teams.

The rules were very simple. The 9 teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The top 4 teams would qualify.

Legend
Countries that qualified for the 1998 World Cup

Final positions
Team Pld Pts
 Argentina 1630
 Paraguay 1629
 Colombia 1628
 Chile 1625
 Peru 1625
 Ecuador 1621
 Uruguay 1621
 Bolivia 1617
 Venezuela 163

OFC
Main article: 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC)

A total of 10 teams entered the competition. The Oceanian zone was allocated 0.5 places (out of 32) in the final tournament.

There were three rounds of play:

  • First Round: Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tahiti, the four best ranked teams according to FIFA, received byes and advanced to the Second Round directly. The remaining 6 teams were divided into 2 groups of 3 teams each, namely the Melanesian Group and the Polynesian Group, based on geographical considerations. The teams played against each other once. The winner of the Melanesian Group would advance to the Second Round. The runner-up of the Melanesian Group and the winner of the Polynesian Group would advance to the First Round Play-off. In the Play-off, they played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winner would advance to the Second Round.
  • Second Round: The 6 teams were divided into 2 groups of 3 teams each. The teams played against each other twice. The group winners would advance to the Final Round.
  • Final Round: The 2 teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winner would advance to the AFC / OFC Intercontinental Play-off.

Final positions (Third Round)
Main article: 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification – OFC Third Round
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
New Zealand  0–5  Australia 0–3 0–2

UEFA
Main article: 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)

A total of 50 UEFA teams entered the competition. The European zone was allocated 15 places (out of 32) in the final tournament. France, the hosts, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition between 49 teams.

The 49 teams were divided into nine groups, four groups of six teams and five groups of five teams. The teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify. The runners-up would be ranked according to their records against the 1st, 3rd and 4th-placed team in their groups, and the team with the best record would also qualify. The remaining runners-up would advance to the UEFA Play-offs.

In the play-offs, the 8 teams were paired up to play knockout matches on a home-and-away basis. The winners would qualify.

Legend
Countries that qualified for the 1998 World Cup
Countries that advanced to the Play-offs

Final positions (First Round)
Main article: 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) § First round
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3
Team Pld Pts
 Denmark 817
 Croatia 815
 Greece 814
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 89
 Slovenia 81
Team Pld Pts
 England 819
 Italy 818
 Poland 810
 Georgia 810
 Moldova 80
Team Pld Pts
 Norway 820
 Hungary 812
 Finland 811
  Switzerland 810
 Azerbaijan 83
Group 4 Group 5 Group 6
Team Pld Pts
 Austria 1025
 Scotland 1023
 Sweden 1021
 Latvia 1010
 Estonia 104
 Belarus 104
Team Pld Pts
 Bulgaria 818
 Russia 817
 Israel 813
 Cyprus 810
 Luxembourg 80
Team Pld Pts
 Spain 1026
 FR Yugoslavia 1023
 Czech Republic 1016
 Slovakia 1016
 Faroe Islands 106
 Malta 100
Group 7 Group 8 Group 9
Team Pld Pts
 Netherlands 819
 Belgium 818
 Turkey 814
 Wales 87
 San Marino 80
Team Pld Pts
 Romania 1028
 Republic of Ireland 1018
 Lithuania 1017
 North Macedonia 1013
 Iceland 109
 Liechtenstein 100
Team Pld Pts
 Germany 1022
 Ukraine 1020
 Portugal 1019
 Armenia 108
 Northern Ireland 107
 Albania 104

Play-offs
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Croatia  3–1  Ukraine 2–0 1–1
Russia  1–2  Italy 1–1 0–1
Republic of Ireland  2–3  Belgium 1–1 1–2
Hungary  1–12  FR Yugoslavia 1–7 0–5

Inter-confederation play-offs: AFC v OFC
Main article: 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC–OFC play-off)

It was a two-legged home-and-away tie between the winners of the Oceania qualifying tournament, Australia, and the losing team in the AFC play-off from the Asian qualifying tournament, Iran. The games were played on 22 and 29 November 1997 in Tehran and Melbourne respectively. Australia was hoping to play in the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1974 and Iran in 1978. The second game is known in Iran as the Saga of Melbourne.

Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Iran  (a) 3–3  Australia 1–1 2–2

Top goalscorers
19 goals
14 goals
12 goals
11 goals
9 goals
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References
  1. "FIFA/Coca Cola World Ranking (20 May 1998)". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 27 January 2012.
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