FIFA World Cup qualification

The FIFA World Cup qualification is the process that a national association football team goes through to qualify for the FIFA World Cup finals. The FIFA World Cup is the largest international team sport competition in the world with a qualification process required to reduce the large field of countries from 52 to just 16 for the World Cup finals until the 1982 edition.

History

First appearance in qualification by team

Note: Only teams that played at least one match are considered for the purposes of first appearance. Teams that withdrew prior to the qualification, or that qualified to the World Cup by walkover due to other teams' withdrawals, are not considered. Teams that succeeded in their first qualification are in bold.

World Cup	Europe	South America	North, Central America and Caribbean	Asia and Pacific	Africa	Total	Successor and renamed teams
1914	Finland Italy Luxembourg Norway Russia Scotland Wales	Chile	none	none	none	8
1926	Austria Belgium Czechoslovakia Denmark England France Germany Ireland Hungary Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Switzerland Sweden Turkey Yugoslavia	Argentina Brazil Paraguay Uruguay	Canada Mexico United States	Japan Philippines China	Egypt	28
1930	Bulgaria Estonia Greece Irish Free State Spain	Peru	Costa Rica Haiti Honduras Trinidad and Tobago	none	none	10
1934	none	Bolivia	Barbados El Salvador Jamaica Hawaii	Dutch East Indies	none	6
1938	none	none	Cuba	Palestine, British Mandate	none	2
1950	Cyprus	Colombia	Panama	India Korea Westrailia	none	6
1954	Brittany Iceland Saar	Ecuador	none	South Vietnam	none	5	Israel
1958	East Germany	none	Curaçao Nicaragua	Thailand	Kenya Nigeria South Africa	7	China PR
1962	Albania	none	Suriname	Malaya	Algeria Ethiopia Morocco Sudan Tunisia	8

Overview of teams' participations

The below table shows how every team has participated in each World Cup qualification.

Key

• Template:Font color = successful qualifying campaign
• Template:Font color = did not take part in qualifying
• Template:Font color = participated in the final tournament

Team	19 06	19 10	19 14	19 22	19 26	19 30	19 34	19 38	19 50	19 54	19 58	19 62	Current confederation
	Algeria													n	CAF
Albania									w	w	w	n	EFU
Argentina	i	i	i	—	n	Q	Q	H	n	—	Q	Q	CONMEBOL
Australia					—	—	—	—	—	—	—	w	APFC
Austria	i	H	i	—	Q	n	n	n	Q	Q	n	n	EFU
Barbados							n	—	n	—	n	—	CONCACAF
Belgium	i	i	i	i	Q	n	Q	n	Q	n	n	n	EFU
Bolivia						w	n	w	n	n	n	—	CONMEBOL
Brazil				—	Q	Q	Q	Q	Q	n	Q	C	CONMEBOL
Brittany								—	—	n	n	w	EFU
Bulgaria					—	n	Q	Q	n	n	Q	Q	EFU
Canada					n	—	—	—	n	—	Q	n	CONCACAF
Chile			Q	—	—	n	n	Q	Q	H	n	n	CONMEBOL
China PR			—	—	n	—	n	w	w	w	n	—	APFC
Costa Rica						w	n	—	Q	n	n	n	CONCACAF
Colombia									n	—	n	Q	CONMEBOL
Cuba								n	n	n	—	—	CONCACAF
Cyprus									n	w	n	n	EFU
Czechoslovakia				i	Q	Q	Q	n	w	n	n	Q	EFU
Denmark		i	i	—	n	n	n	Q	Q	n	n	n	EFU
East Germany										—	n	n	EFU
Ecuador									w	n	—	n	CONMEBOL
El Salvador						w	n	—	n	—	n	—	CONCACAF
England	i	i	H	—	n	—	n	—					EFU
Estonia					—	n	n	n					EFU
Egypt				—	n	Q	n	—	—	—	Q	Q	CAF
Ethiopia									—	—	—	n	CAF
Finland			n	—	Q	n	n	n	n	n	n	n	EFU
France	H	i	i	i	Q	Q	Q	n	Q	Q	Q	Q	EFU
West Germany (1954–) Germany (1910–1938)		i	i	—	n	Q	Q	n	—	n	n	Q	EFU
Great Britain									Q	Q	Q	Q	EFU
Greece						n	n	n	n	n	n	n	EFU
Guatemala									w	—	n	n	CONCACAF
Hawaii							n	—	n	—	—		CONCACAF
Haiti						n	n	—	n	n	—	—	CONCACAF
Honduras						n	—	—	n	n	n	n	CONCACAF
Hungary	i	i	i	—	Q	n	n	Q	w	Q	C	n	EFU
Iceland									w	n	n	n	EFU
India									n	n	n	—	APFC
Indonesia (1950–) Dutch East Indies (1934–1938)							n	Q	n	n	n	n	APFC
Iran									—	—	—	w	APFC
Ireland	i	i	i	—	n	—							EFU
Israel (1954–) Palestine, British Mandate (1938)								n	—	n	—		APFC
Italy			Q	i	Q	Q	H	C	C	n	Q	Q	EFU
Jamaica						w	n	—	Q	n	n	n	CONCACAF
Japan			—	—	n	—	n	w	—	n	n	n	APFC
Kenya						—	—	—	—	—	n	—	CAF
Korea									Q	Q	n	n	APFC
Latvia					—	n	n	Q					EFU
Lithuania					—	n	n	n					EFU
Luxembourg			n	i	n	n	n	n	n	n	n	n	EFU
Malaya									—	—	—	n	APFC
Mexico					n	w	Q	w	Q	Q	Q	H	CONCACAF
Morocco											—	n	CAF
Netherlands	i	i	i	H	Q	Q	Q	Q	Q	n	n	Q	EFU
Netherlands Antilles					—	—	—	—	—	—	n	n	CONCACAF
Nicaragua						—	—	—	—	—	n	n	CONCACAF
Nigeria									—	—	n	w	CAF
Northern Ireland							n	—					EFU
Norway		i	Q	—	n	Q	Q	n	Q	n	n	n	EFU
Panama									n	n	n	—	CONCACAF
Paraguay				—	n	Q	n	n	n	Q	n	Q	CONMEBOL
Peru						Q	n	n	w	n	n	n	CONMEBOL
Philippines			—	—	n	—	n	w	w	—	—	—	APFC
Poland					n	n	n	n	w	n	n	n	EFU
Portugal				—	n	n	n	n	n	Q	n	n	EFU
Republic of Ireland					—	n	Q	n	n	n	n	n	EFU
Romania				—	n	n	n	Q	Q	Q	n	Q	EFU
Saar										n			EFU
Scotland	i	i	Q	—	Q	—	n	—	n				EFU
South Africa		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	n	—	CAF
South Vietnam										n	—	n	APFC
Soviet Union (1930–) Russia (1914)			n			n	—	—	w	Q	Q	Q	EFU
Spain				i	H	n	n	—	Q	Q	n	n	EFU
Sudan											—	n	CAF
Suriname				—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	n	CONCACAF
Switzerland	i	i	i	i	n	Q	n	Q	n	n	H	n	EFU
Sweden		i	i	i	Q	Q	Q	n	H	C	Q	n	EFU
Thailand									—	—	n	n	CAF
Trinidad and Tobago						w	n	—	n	n	n	—	CONCACAF
Tunisia											—	n	CAF
Turkey					n	n	n	—	n	Q	Q	n	EFU
United States				—	Q	Q	n	Q	Q	n	n	n	CONCACAF
Uruguay	i	—	—	—	Q	H	Q	Q	Q	Q	Q	n	CONMEBOL
Wales	i	i	n	—	Q	—	Q	—					EFU
Westrailia									n	n	n	n	APFC
Venezuela								—	—	—	w	—	CONMEBOL
Yugoslavia				i	Q	Q	Q	Q	Q	Q	Q	Q	EFU

Overall team records

Key
Team has won the World Cup
Team has qualified for the main tournament through a qualifying process
Team has qualified for the main tournament only by walkover or by invite
Team has not qualified for the main tournament
Defunct team that never qualified for the main tournament (Saar, Russian Empire)

Teams in bold are currently participating or are yet to start in the 1962 qualification. The table is updated to the matches played in December 1961.

No.	Team	Qualifying attempts		Appearances in the finals	Overall qualification record							Points	Confederation
		Total	Successful		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
1	France	8	7	11	27	20	5	2	62	25	+37	45	EFU
2	Yugoslavia	8	8	9	24	18	4	2	57	20	+37	40	EFU
3	United States	8	4	4	25	18	2	5	76	21	+55	38	CONCACAF
4	Netherlands	8	6	10	30	17	4	9	63	32	+31	38	EFU
5	Norway	9	3	4	29	15	8	6	59	28	+31	38	EFU
6	Egypt United Arab Republic	5	3	3	24	15	6	3	52	23	+29	36	CAF
7	Sweden	6	4	9	22	15	4	3	58	12	+46	34	EFU
8	Czechoslovakia	8	4	5	23	15	4	4	61	23	+38	34	EFU
9	Romania	8	4	4	26	13	7	6	52	33	+19	33	EFU
10	Bulgaria	7	4	4	26	13	7	6	45	36	+9	33	EFU
11	Uruguay	7	6	8	24	13	6	5	37	19	+18	32	CONMEBOL
12	Italy	6	5	9	21	13	5	3	56	14	+41	30	EFU
13	Brazil	7	6	7	19	13	4	2	52	19	+33	30	CONMEBOL
14	Argentina	6	4	8	21	13	3	5	51	17	+34	29	CONMEBOL
15	Mexico	6	4	5	16	13	1	2	54	10	+44	27	CONCACAF
16	Switzerland	7	2	7	26	11	5	10	45	25	+20	27	EFU
17	Germany West Germany	7	3	5	21	12	3	6	31	25	+6	27	EFU
18	Paraguay	7	3	3	24	11	5	8	37	33	+4	27	CONMEBOL
19	Austria	8	3	6	25	11	4	10	39	24	+15	26	EFU
20	Korea	4	2	2	20	10	5	5	38	20	+18	25	APFC
21	Portugal	8	2	2	29	10	5	14	37	43	−6	25	EFU
22	Hungary	6	3	7	19	11	2	6	32	20	+12	24	EFU
23	Finland	9	2	2	24	9	5	10	29	33	−4	23	EFU
24	Soviet Union Russia	5	3	3	16	8	5	3	38	19	+19	21	EFU
25	Costa Rica	5	1	1	19	9	3	7	30	27	+3	21	CONCACAF
26	Turkey	7	2	2	20	8	5	7	28	28	0	21	EFU
27	Republic of Ireland	7	1	1	26	8	5	13	33	40	−7	21	EFU
28	Peru	6	1	1	24	8	4	12	30	42	−12	20	CONMEBOL
29	Indonesia Dutch East Indies	6	1	1	19	7	6	6	26	34	−8	20	APFC
30	Spain	6	2	4	19	8	3	8	28	24	+4	19	EFU
31	Denmark	8	2	4	26	7	5	14	27	39	−12	19	EFU
32	Belgium	8	3	7	30	7	5	18	28	43	−15	19	EFU
33	Wales	3	2	4	13	7	3	3	23	11	+12	17	EFU
34	Chile	7	3	4	17	7	2	8	17	23	−6	16	CONMEBOL
35	Japan	5	0	0	12	6	2	4	22	19	+3	13	APFC
36	Panama	3	0	0	11	5	3	3	13	15	−2	13	CONCACAF
37	Scotland	4	2	4	10	5	2	3	15	10	+5	12	EFU
38	South Vietnam	2	0	0	12	5	2	5	17	19	−2	12	APFC
39	Canada	4	1	1	13	4	4	5	15	21	−6	12	CONCACAF
40	El Salvador	3	0	0	12	4	4	4	17	25	−8	12	CONCACAF
41	Colombia	3	1	1	13	5	2	6	14	24	−10	12	CONMEBOL
42	Honduras	5	0	0	11	3	4	4	14	14	0	10	CONCACAF
43	Luxembourg	8	0	1	23	3	4	16	13	70	−57	10	EFU
44	Nicaragua	2	0	0	8	4	2	2	11	10	+1	9	CONCACAF
45	Philippines	2	0	0	5	3	1	1	10	5	+5	7	APFC
46	India	3	0	0	7	2	3	2	12	10	+2	7	APFC
47	Cuba	3	0	0	8	3	1	4	10	11	−1	7	CONCACAF
48	Sudan	1	0	0	8	2	2	4	8	14	−6	6	CAF
49	Westrailia	4	0	0	12	2	2	5	11	29	−18	6	APFC
50	Greece	7	0	0	21	2	2	17	10	53	−43	6	EFU
51	Netherlands Antilles Curaçao	2	0	0	6	2	1	3	7	9	−2	5	CONCACAF
52	Latvia	3	1	1	7	2	1	4	5	13	−8	5	EFU
53	Jamaica	4	1	1	10	2	1	7	8	28	−20	5	CONCACAF
54	Bolivia	4	0	0	16	1	3	12	12	44	−32	5	CONMEBOL
55	Poland	7	0	0	21	0	5	16	13	52	−41	5	EFU
56	Tunisia	1	0	0	3	1	2	0	5	3	+2	4	CAF
57	Kenya	1	0	0	4	2	0	2	5	14	−9	4	CAF
58	East Germany	2	0	0	8	1	2	5	6	16	−10	4	APFC
59	Lithuania	3	0	0	7	2	0	5	7	20	−13	4	EFU
60	Trinidad and Tobago	4	0	0	9	1	2	6	8	25	−17	4	CONCACAF
61	Morocco	1	0	0	3	1	1	1	6	4	+2	3	CAF
62	England	2	0	3	6	1	1	4	6	8	−2	3	EFU
63	Haiti	4	0	0	10	0	3	7	5	22	−17	3	CONCACAF
64	Malaya	1	0	0	2	1	0	1	3	3	0	2	APFC
65	China PR China	3	0	0	6	0	2	4	5	15	−10	2	APFC
66	Brittany	2	0	0	5	1	0	4	5	18	−13	2	EFU
67	Estonia	3	0	0	7	1	0	6	7	22	−15	2	APFC
68	Barbados	3	0	0	7	1	0	6	6	21	−15	2	CONCACAF
69	Ethiopia	1	0	0	2	0	1	1	1	2	−1	1	CAF
70	Suriname	1	0	0	3	0	1	2	3	7	−4	1	CONCACAF
71	Saar	1	0	0	4	0	1	3	2	10	−8	1	EFU
72	Hawaii	2	0	0	4	0	1	3	3	14	−11	1	CONCACAF
73	Albania	1	0	0	5	0	1	4	1	17	−16	1	EFU
74	Cyprus	3	0	0	11	0	1	10	6	45	−39	1	CONCACAF
75	Nigeria	1	0	0	2	0	0	2	3	5	−2	0	CAF
76	Israel Palestine, British Mandate	2	0	0	3	0	0	3	2	6	−4	0	APFC
77	South Africa	1	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	5	−5	0	CAF
78	Northern Ireland	1	0	0	4	0	0	4	1	9	−8	0	EFU
79	Algeria	1	0	0	3	0	0	3	0	8	−8	0	CAF
80	Ireland	1	0	3	3	0	0	3	0	8	−8	0	EFU
81	Ecuador	2	0	0	7	0	0	7	3	20	−17	0	CONMEBOL
82	Iceland	3	0	0	11	0	0	11	2	49	−47	0	EFU