Football World Cup 1958 / qualification

Participant in the qualification for the 1958 World Cup

Overview

A total of 52 teams had registered for the 1958 World Cup in Sweden , including

• 29 teams from Europe , with Cyprus and Turkey still included in Asia
• 2 teams from Africa
• 7 teams from Asia (4 from the Middle East and 3 from the Far East)
• 8 teams from South America and
• 6 teams from North and Central America

Again no team reported from Oceania. The number of registrations of 52 meant a new record of participants. Since defending champions BR Germany and organizer Sweden were directly qualified and the World Cup tournament was held with 16 teams, 14 free final round places were available for the remaining 50 teams.

The 16 World Cup places were distributed as follows:

Defending champion:	BR Germany			Host:	Sweden
9 to Europe	England	France	Hungary	Czechoslovakia	Austria
	USSR	Yugoslavia	Northern Ireland	Scotland
3 to South America	Brazil	Argentina	Paraguay
1 to North and Central America	Mexico
1 in Africa and Asia	Wales *

* In the Africa / Asia qualification there was a politically motivated withdrawal of three teams in the course of the tournament , so that Israel was declared the winner without a fight. However, in order not to let the Israelis go to the World Cup without a qualifier, they were assigned an opponent, Wales , who was drawn from among the runners-up of the European groups. As the Welsh won, the number of European qualifiers increased to ten.

Europe / UEFA

The 27 European national teams played for nine free World Cup places. The teams were divided into nine groups of three teams each. The respective group winners qualified for the World Cup. If there was a tie on first rank, the goals weren't decisive, but a deciding game on neutral ground. Due to the delayed qualification of Wales, all four British teams were able to go to a World Cup final for the first and so far only time.

Group 1

Closing table
Pl.	country	Gates	Pt.
1	England	15: 05	7: 1
2	Ireland	6: 07	5: 3
3	Denmark	4:13	0: 8

Game results:

10/03/1956	Dublin	Ireland	-	Denmark	2: 1 (2: 0)
05.12.1956	Wolverhampton	England	-	Denmark	5: 2 (2: 1)
05/08/1957	London	England	-	Ireland	5: 1 (4: 0)
05/15/1957	Copenhagen	Denmark	-	England	1: 4 (1: 1)
05/19/1957	Dublin	Ireland	-	England	1: 1 (1: 0)
10/02/1957	Copenhagen	Denmark	-	Ireland	0: 2 (0: 0)

Group 2

Closing table
Pl.	country	Gates	Pt.
1	France	19: 04	7: 1
2	Belgium	16:11	5: 3
3	Iceland	06:26	0: 8

Game results:

11/11/1956	Colombes	France	-	Belgium	6: 3 (4: 1)
06/02/1957	Nantes	France	-	Iceland	8: 0 (5: 0)
06/05/1957	Brussels	Belgium	-	Iceland	8: 3 (7: 1)
09/01/1957	Reykjavík	Iceland	-	France	1: 5 (0: 2)
09/04/1957	Reykjavík	Iceland	-	Belgium	2: 5 (1: 2)
October 27, 1957	Brussels	Belgium	-	France	0-0

Group 3

Closing table
Pl.	country	Gates	Pt.
1	Hungary	12: 04	6: 2
2	Bulgaria	11: 07	4: 4
3	Norway	03:15	2: 6

Game results:

05/22/1957	Oslo	Norway	-	Bulgaria	1: 2 (0: 1)
06/12/1957	Oslo	Norway	-	Hungary	2: 1 (1: 1)
06/23/1957	Budapest	Hungary	-	Bulgaria	4: 1 (3: 0)
09/15/1957	Sofia	Bulgaria	-	Hungary	1: 2 (1: 2)
03/11/1957	Sofia	Bulgaria	-	Norway	7: 0 (3: 0)
11/10/1957	Budapest	Hungary	-	Norway	5: 0 (2: 0)

Group 4

Closing table
Pl.	country	Gates	Pt.
1	Czechoslovakia	9: 03	6: 2
2	Wales *	6: 05	4: 4
3	GDR	5:12	2: 6

Game results:

05/01/1957	Cardiff	Wales	-	Czechoslovakia	1: 0 (0: 0)
05/19/1957	Leipzig	GDR	-	Wales	2: 1 (1: 1)
05/26/1957	Prague	Czechoslovakia	-	Wales	2: 0 (1: 0)
06/16/1957	Brno	Czechoslovakia	-	GDR	3: 1 (0: 1)
09/25/1957	Cardiff	Wales	-	GDR	4: 1 (3: 0)
October 27, 1957	Leipzig	GDR	-	Czechoslovakia	1: 4 (1: 3)

* Subsequently qualified for the World Cup finals against Israel

Group 5

Closing table
Pl.	country	Gates	Pt.
1	Austria	14: 03	7: 1
2	Netherlands	12: 07	5: 3
3	Luxembourg	03:19	0: 8

Game results:

09/30/1956	Vienna	Austria	-	Luxembourg	7: 0 (2: 0)
03/20/1957	Rotterdam	Netherlands	-	Luxembourg	4: 1 (2: 1)
05/26/1957	Vienna	Austria	-	Netherlands	3: 2 (0: 2)
09/11/1957	Rotterdam	Luxembourg	-	Netherlands	2: 5 (1: 4)
09/25/1957	Amsterdam	Netherlands	-	Austria	1: 1 (0: 1)
09/29/1957	Luxembourg	Luxembourg	-	Austria	0: 3 (0: 1)

Group 6

Closing table
Pl.	country	Gates	Pt.
1	USSR	16: 03	6: 2
2	Poland	09: 05	6: 2
3	Finland	02:19	0: 8

Game results:

06/23/1957	Moscow	USSR	-	Poland	3: 0 (1: 0)
07/05/1957	Helsinki	Finland	-	Poland	1: 3 (0: 1)
07/27/1957	Moscow	USSR	-	Finland	2: 1 (1: 1)
08/15/1957	Helsinki	Finland	-	USSR	0:10 (0: 7)
10/20/1957	Chorzów	Poland	-	USSR	2: 1 (1: 0)
03/11/1957	Warsaw	Poland	-	Finland	4: 0 (2: 0)
Playoff:
11/24/1957	Leipzig	USSR	-	Poland	2: 0 (1: 0)

Group 7

Closing table
Pl.	country	Gates	Pt.
1	Yugoslavia	7: 2	6: 2
2	Romania	6: 4	5: 3
3	Greece	2: 9	1: 7

Game results:

05/05/1957	Athens	Greece	-	Yugoslavia	0-0
06/16/1957	Athens	Greece	-	Romania	1: 2 (1: 1)
09/29/1957	Bucharest	Romania	-	Yugoslavia	1: 1 (0: 0)
03/11/1957	Bucharest	Romania	-	Greece	3: 0 (0: 0)
11/10/1957	Belgrade	Yugoslavia	-	Greece	4: 1 (2: 1)
11/17/1957	Belgrade	Yugoslavia	-	Romania	2: 0 (0: 0)

Group 8

Closing table
Pl.	country	Gates	Pt.
1	Northern Ireland	6: 3	5: 3
2	Italy	5: 5	4: 4
3	Portugal	4: 7	3: 5

Game results:

January 16, 1957	Lisbon	Portugal	-	Northern Ireland	1: 1 (1: 1)
04/25/1957	Rome	Italy	-	Northern Ireland	1: 0 (1: 0)
05/01/1957	Belfast	Northern Ireland	-	Portugal	3: 0 (1: 0)
05/26/1957	Lisbon	Portugal	-	Italy	3: 0 (1: 0)
12/22/1957	Milan	Italy	-	Portugal	3: 0 (1: 0)
January 15, 1958	Belfast	Northern Ireland	-	Italy	2: 1 (2: 0)

The last World Cup qualifying game, originally scheduled for December 4, 1957, was initially played as a friendly game because the designated referee did not arrive. He was stuck in the London fog. The game was directed by the Northern Irishman Michael Thomas Ross. It ended 2: 2; this result would have been enough for the Italians to qualify for the World Cup.

Group 9

Closing table
Pl.	country	Gates	Pt.
1	Scotland	10: 09	6: 2
2	Spain	12: 08	5: 3
3	Switzerland	06:11	1: 7

Game results:

03/10/1957	Madrid	Spain	-	Switzerland	2: 2 (1: 1)
05/08/1957	Glasgow	Scotland	-	Spain	4: 2 (2: 1)
05/19/1957	Basel	Switzerland	-	Scotland	1: 2 (1: 1)
05/26/1957	Madrid	Spain	-	Scotland	4: 1 (2: 0)
11/06/1957	Glasgow	Scotland	-	Switzerland	3: 2 (1: 1)
11/24/1957	Lausanne	Switzerland	-	Spain	1: 4 (0: 2)

South America / CONMEBOL

Eight South American national teams fought for three free World Cup places. The teams were divided into two groups of three teams each and one group of two teams. The respective group winners qualified for the World Cup finals. If there was a tie on the first rank, the goals weren't decisive, but there was a decisive game on a neutral pitch.

Group 1

Game results:

04/14/1957	Lima	Peru	-	Brazil	1: 1 (1: 0)
04/21/1957	Rio de Janeiro	Brazil	-	Peru	1: 0 (1: 0)

Group 2

Closing table
Pl.	country	Gates	Pt.
1	Argentina	10: 02	6: 2
2	Bolivia	06: 06	4: 4
3	Chile	02:10	2: 6

Game results:

09/22/1957	Santiago de Chile	Chile	-	Bolivia	2: 1 (0: 1)
09/29/1957	La Paz	Bolivia	-	Chile	3: 0 (1: 0)
10/06/1957	La Paz	Bolivia	-	Argentina	2: 0 (1: 0)
10/13/1957	Santiago de Chile	Chile	-	Argentina	0: 2 (0: 1)
10/20/1957	Buenos Aires	Argentina	-	Chile	4: 0 (2: 0)
October 27, 1957	Buenos Aires	Argentina	-	Bolivia	4: 0 (1: 0)

Group 3

Closing table
Pl.	country	Gates	Pt.
1	Paraguay	11: 4	6: 2
2	Uruguay	04: 6	5: 3
3	Colombia	03: 8	1: 7

Game results:

07/16/1957	Bogotá	Colombia	-	Uruguay	1: 1 (1: 0)
07/20/1957	Bogotá	Colombia	-	Paraguay	2: 3 (1: 1)
07/30/1957	Montevideo	Uruguay	-	Colombia	1: 0 (0: 0)
07.10.1957	Asunción	Paraguay	-	Colombia	3: 0 (2: 0)
10/14/1957	Asunción	Paraguay	-	Uruguay	5: 0 (1: 0)
10/28/1957	Montevideo	Uruguay	-	Paraguay	2: 0 (1: 0)

North and Central America / CONCACAF

A total of six teams from North and Central America competed for a qualification place. The teams were initially divided into two groups of three each and played in a home and away match against each group opponent. Mexico and Costa Rica were able to prevail in their groups and then also played out the World Cup participants in the two legs. The team from Mexico could ultimately triumph.

Group 1

Closing table
Pl.	country	Gates	Pt.
1	Costa Rica	15: 04	8-0
2	Curacao	06: 07	4: 4
3	Guatemala	04:14	0: 8

Game results:

02/10/1957	Guatemala City	Guatemala	-	Costa Rica	2: 6 (1: 4)
02/17/1957	San Jose	Costa Rica	-	Guatemala	3: 1 (3: 0)
03/03/1957	San Jose	Costa Rica	-	Curacao	4: 0 (2: 0)
03/10/1957	Guatemala City	Guatemala	-	Curacao	1: 3 (1: 2)
08/01/1957	Curacao	Curacao	-	Costa Rica	1: 2 (1: 0)
		Curacao	-	Guatemala	2: 0 *

* rated at the Green Table

Group 2

Closing table
Pl.	country	Gates	Pt.
1	Mexico	18: 02	8-0
2	Canada	08: 08	4: 4
3	United States	05:21	0: 8

Game results:

04/07/1957	Mexico city	Mexico	-	United States	6: 0 (4: 0)
04/28/1957	Long Beach	United States	-	Mexico	2: 7 (2: 3)
06/22/1957	Toronto	Canada	-	United States	5: 1 (2: 1)
06/30/1957	Mexico city	Mexico	-	Canada	3: 0 (1: 0)
07/04/1957	Mexico city	Canada	-	Mexico	0: 2 (0: 2)
07/06/1957	St. Louis	United States	-	Canada	2: 3 (1: 3)

final

Game results:

10/20/1957	Mexico city	Mexico	-	Costa Rica	2: 0 (0: 0)
October 27, 1957	San Jose	Costa Rica	-	Mexico	1: 1 (1: 1)

Africa and Asia / CAF and AFC

Seven Asian and two African national teams played for a free World Cup place. The teams were initially divided into three groups of two and one group of three teams. The group winners should then play the World Cup participant in the final round. In Group 1, the Taiwanese Football Association withdrew its team before the start of the qualifying games. As a result, China and Indonesia played against each other in the return leg. After both teams won their home games, a play-off was played on neutral ground. When this ended goalless, Indonesia was declared the winner due to the better goal difference.

There were no games in groups 2 and 3, as both Turkey and Cyprus * did not play. The opponents Israel and Egypt thus moved into the final round without a fight.

Sudan was able to prevail in Group 4 against Syria in two games and thus completed the starting field in the final round.

The final round itself was overshadowed by the Middle East conflict when Sudan and Egypt refused to take on Israel. Indonesia, on the other hand, only wanted to play on neutral ground, which FIFA refused. In order to still carry out the final round, Israel was drawn from the pool of runners-up from all other groups (Belgium and Uruguay waived) with Wales, an opponent. He was able to assert himself sovereignly against the Israelis in two games and go to the finals in Sweden as "Asia and Africa representative".

* The Cypriot team did not receive an exit permit from the British authorities

Preliminary round

Group 1

Game results:

05/12/1957	Jakarta	Indonesia	-	People's Republic of China	2: 0 (0: 0)
06/02/1957	Beijing	People's Republic of China	-	Indonesia	4: 3 (2: 1)
Playoff:
06/23/1957	Rangoon	Indonesia *	-	People's Republic of China	0-0
				Republic of China (Taiwan)	withdrawn

* Indonesia declared the winner due to the better goal difference

Group 2

Game results:

Israel

-

Turkey

not carried out

Group 3

Game results:

Cyprus

-

Egypt

not carried out

Group 4

Game results:

05/08/1957	Khartoum	Sudan	-	Syria	1: 0 (0: 0)
05/24/1957	Damascus	Syria	-	Sudan	1: 1 (1: 0)

Final round

Game results:

January 15, 1958	Tel Aviv	Israel	-	Wales *	0: 2 (0: 1)
02/05/1958	Cardiff	Wales	-	Israel	2: 0 (0: 0)
		Sudan	Egypt	Indonesia	withdrawn

* Wales was chosen as substitute opponent due to the cancellations

Web links

• RSSSF - qualification for the 1958 FIFA World Cup (Engl.)

References and footnotes

1. ↑ Süddeutsche Zeitung WM library WM 1958, p. 152 u. 153; figc.it: IRLANDA DEL NORD - ITALIA (ita.)