1938 FIFA World Cup qualification

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.

1938 FIFA World Cup Qualification
Tournament details
Dates16 June 1937 – 1 May 1938
Teams37 (from 3 confederations)
Tournament statistics
Matches played22
Goals scored96 (4.36 per match)
Top scorer(s)Latvia Fricis Kaņeps
Hungary Gyula Zsengellér
(5 goals each)

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).

Format

The 12 groups had different rules, as follows:

  • Group 1 had 4 teams. The teams played against each other once. The group winner and runner-up would qualify.
  • Groups 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 had 2 teams each. The teams, except in Group 5, played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify. In Group 5, Switzerland and Portugal were to play only one match on a neutral ground with the winner to qualify.
  • Groups 6 and 8 had 3 teams each. The strongest team of each group was seeded. There would be two rounds of play:
    • First Round: The seeded team received a bye and advanced to the Final Round directly. The remaining 2 teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winner would advance to the Final Round.
    • Final Round: The seeded team played against the winner of the First Round at home. The winner would qualify.
  • Group 9 had 3 teams. The teams played against each other once. The group winner and runner-up would qualify.
  • Group 10 had 2 teams. The group winner would qualify.
  • Group 11 had 7 teams. The group winner would qualify.
  • Group 12 had 2 teams. The group winner would qualify.

Key:

  • Teams highlighted in green qualified for the finals.
  • Teams highlighted in Orange qualified for the final phase of their group.

Groups

Group 1
Main article: 1938 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Germany 330011111.06
2  Sweden 32011171.574
3  Estonia 31024110.362
4  Finland 3003070.000
Sweden 4–0 Finland
Bunke 60', 82'
Persson 65'
Svanström 68'		 Report
Attendance: 19,554
Referee: Kolbjørn Daehlen (Norway)
Sweden 7–2 Estonia
Josefsson 7', 41'
Bunke 40'
Jonasson 49' (pen.)
Wetterström 73', 77', 84'		 Report Siimenson 2'
Uukkivi 3'
Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Otto Remke (Denmark)
Finland 0–2 Germany
Report Lehner 26'
Urban 38'
Attendance: 6,519
Referee: Otto Remke (Denmark)
Finland 0–1 Estonia
Report Kuremaa 56'
Urheilupuisto, Turku, Finland
Attendance: 4,797
Referee: Ivan Eklind (Sweden)
Germany 4–1 Estonia
Lehner 50', 65'
Gauchel 53', 86'		 Report Siimenson 34'
Horst-Wessel Stadion, Königsberg, Germany
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Bruno Pfützner (Czechoslovakia)
Germany 5–0 Sweden
Siffling 2', 57'
Szepan 8'
Schön 48', 63'		 Report
Attendance: 55,000
Referee: Bruno Pfützner (Czechoslovakia)

Germany and Sweden qualified.

Group 2
Main article: 1938 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 2
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Norway 2110651.203
2  Irish Free State 2011560.831
Norway 3–2 Irish Free State
Kvammen 30', 64'
Martinsen 78'		 Report Geoghegan 37'
Dunne 49'
Attendance: 20,000
Irish Free State 3–3 Norway
Dunne 10'
O'Flanagan 62'
Duggan 88'		 Report Kvammen 16', 33'
Martinsen 49'
Attendance: 27,000
Referee: Thomas Gibbs (England)

Norway qualified.

Group 3
Main article: 1938 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 3
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Poland 2101414.002
2  Yugoslavia 2101140.252
Poland 4–0 Yugoslavia
Piątek 3', 20'
Wostal 59'
Wilimowski 78'		 Report
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Lucien Leclercq (France)
Yugoslavia 1–0 Poland
Marjanović 61' Report
Stadion BSK, Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Attendance: 25,000

Poland finished above Yugoslavia on goal average, and thus qualified.

Group 4
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
—  Romania qualified
—  Egypt withdrew

Egypt were to play Romania on 17 December 1937. However, Egypt withdrew from the competition after Egyptian officials objected to playing on this date since it was in the holy month of Ramadan. Therefore, Romania qualified after Egypt invited Austrian club side First Vienna to play the friendly match against the national team.[1]

Group 5
Main article: 1938 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 5
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1   Switzerland 1100212.002
2  Portugal 1001120.500
Switzerland 2–1 Portugal
Aeby 24'
Amado 29'		 Report Peyroteo 72' (pen.)
Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Francesco Mattea (Italy)

Switzerland qualified.

Group 6
Main article: 1938 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 6

First round
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Greece 2200414.004
2  Mandatory Palestine 2002140.250
Mandatory Palestine 1–3 Greece
Neufeld 36' Report Vikelidis 15', 30'
Migiakis 73'
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Mohammed Youssef (Egypt)
Greece 1–0 Mandatory Palestine
Vikelidis 88' (pen.) Report
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Mika Popovic (Yugoslavia)

Greece qualified for the final round.

Final round
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Hungary 110011111.02
2  Greece 10011110.090
Hungary 11–1 Greece
Zsengellér 15', 23' (pen.), 25', 65', 81'
Titkos 18', 75'
Vincze 26'
Nemes 34', 40', 52'		 Report Makris 89'
Attendance: 14,000
Referee: Denis Xifando (Romania)

Hungary qualified.

Group 7
Main article: 1938 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 7
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Czechoslovakia 2110717.003
2  Bulgaria 2011170.141
Bulgaria 1–1 Czechoslovakia
Panchediev 89' (pen.) Report Ríha 44'
Attendance: 12,000
Czechoslovakia 6–0 Bulgaria
Šimůnek 21', 79', 89'
Nejedlý 57', 77'
Ludl 73'		 Report
Attendance: 31,458
Referee: Pál von Hertzka (Hungary)

Czechoslovakia qualified.

First round
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Latvia 2200933.004
2  Lithuania 2002390.330
Latvia 4–2 Lithuania
Kaņeps 19', 52', 83'
Vestermans 50'		 Report Gudelis 79'
Paulionis 90'
Attendance: 10,000
Lithuania 1–5 Latvia
Paulionis 72' Report Kaņeps 4', 45' (pen.)
Borduško 11', 30'
Vestermans 67'
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: Hans Frankenstein (Austria)

Latvia qualified for the final round.

Final round
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Austria 1100212.002
2  Latvia 1001120.500
Austria 2–1 Latvia
Jerusalem 15'
Binder 33'		 Report Vestermans 6'
Attendance: 16,000
Referee: Pál von Hercka (Hungary)

Austria qualified, but was later incorporated by Germany during the Anschluss. FIFA offered the place to England (winner of the 1937–38 British Home Championship), who had opted not to enter the competition, but they declined the offer; FIFA decided not to allow anyone else to qualify, leaving the World Cup one team short.

Group 9
Pos. Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Netherlands 2110515.003
2  Belgium 2110431.333
3  Luxembourg 2002270.290
Netherlands 4–0 Luxembourg
Smit 29'
de Boer 68', 78', 82'		 Report
Attendance: 40,000
Referee: Karl Weingarter (Austria)
Luxembourg 2–3 Belgium
Libar 4'
Kemp 33'		 Report Voorhoof 19'
Braine 55'
de Vries 59'
Attendance: 12,500
Belgium 1–1 Netherlands
Isemborghs 53' Report van Spaandonck 37'
Attendance: 47,660
Referee: Arthur Jewell (England)

Netherlands and Belgium qualified.

Group 10
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Brazil Bye
2  Argentina Withdrew

Argentina withdrew, so Brazil qualified automatically.

First round
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Cuba Bye
2  Costa Rica Withdrew
 Dutch Guiana
 El Salvador
 Colombia
 Mexico
 United States

Costa Rica, Dutch Guiana, El Salvador, Mexico, Colombia and the United States all withdrew, so Cuba qualified automatically for the second round.

Second round

All other teams than Cuba had withdrawn from competition, so thus qualified automatically for the finals.

Group 12
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Dutch East Indies Qualified
2  Japan Withdrew

Japan withdrew, so the Dutch East Indies qualified automatically.

Qualified teams
FIFA World Cup qualification 1938
Qualifying countries
Team Finals Appearance Streak Last Appearance
 Austria 2nd21934
 Belgium 3rd31934
 Brazil 3rd31934
 Cuba 1st1–
 Czechoslovakia 2nd21934
 Dutch East Indies 1st1–
 France (h) 3rd31934
 Germany 2nd21934
 Hungary 2nd21934
 Italy (c) 2nd21934
 Netherlands 2nd21934
 Norway 1st1–
 Poland 1st1–
 Romania 3rd31934
 Sweden 2nd21934
  Switzerland 2nd21934
  •  Austria withdrew after qualifying due to the Anschluss.
  • (h) – qualified automatically as hosts
  • (c) – qualified automatically as defending champions

Goalscorers
5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal

Notes
  • It was originally intended that the World Cup would be held alternately between the continents of South America and Europe. However Jules Rimet, the creator of the World Cup, convinced FIFA to hold the competition in France, his home country. Because of this controversial move, many American countries, including Argentina (the most likely hosts if the event was held in South America), Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Dutch Guiana, Uruguay, and the United States, all withdrew or refused to enter.. Brazil and Cuba were the only countries from the Americas to enter qualification and thus qualified for the World Cup by default.

References
  1. Dietschy, Paul (6 June 2013). "Making football global? FIFA, Europe, and the non-European football world, 1912–74". Journal of Global History. 8 (2): 288. doi:10.1017/S1740022813000223. S2CID 162747279.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.