1978 FIFA World Cup qualification

1978 FIFA World Cup Qualification 7 March 1976 – 11 December 1977 107 6 252 721 ITA 1946 Roberto Bettega (9 goals) 1974 1982 A total of 107 teams entered the 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, which began with the preliminary qualification draw on 20 November 1975 at Guatemala City. Argentina, as the hosts, and West Germany, as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition. The 16 places would be distributed among the continental zones as follows: Europe (UEFA): 9 or 10 places. One place went to automatic qualifier West Germany, while nine places were contested by 31 teams. The team coming ninth in qualifying would advance to the intercontinental play-offs against a team from CONMEBOL. South America (CONMEBOL): 3 or 4 places. One place automatically went to host nation Argentina, while the other three places were contested by nine teams. The team coming third in qualifying would advance to the intercontinental play-offs (against a team from UEFA). North, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF): 1 place, contested by 16 teams. Africa (CAF): 1 place, contested by 26 teams. Asia (AFC) and Oceania (OFC): 1 place, contested by 22 teams. A total of 95 teams played at least one qualifying match. A total of 252 qualifying matches were played, and 721 goals were scored (an average of 2.86 per match). Qualified teams thumb|center|700px|#000cff Country qualified for World Cup #ffb400 Country failed to qualify #000000 Country did not enter World Cup #ababab Country not a FIFA member The following 16 teams qualified for the 1978 FIFA World Cup: TeamDate of qualificationFinals appearanceStreakLast appearanceARG alt (hosts)6 July 19667th21974AUT30 October 19774th11958BRA 196814 July 197711th111974FRA16 November 19777th11966HUN30 November 19777th11966IRN 196425 November 19771st1—ITA3 December 19779th51974MEX19 October 19778th11970NED26 October 19774th21974PER17 July 19773rd11970POL29 October 19773rd21974SCO12 October 19774th21974ESP 197730 November 19775th11966SWE30 October 19777th31974TUN 195911 December 19771st1—FRG (defending champions)7 July 19749th71974 Confederation qualification AFC and OFC 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC and OFC) Final round RankTeamPts PointsPld Matches playedQualification1IRN 1964148Final Tournament2KOR1083KWT984AUS785HKG 195908 Iran qualified. CAF 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) Final round RankTeamPts PointsPld Matches playedQualification1TUN 195954Final Tournament2EGY 1972443NGA34 Tunisia qualified. CONCACAF 1977 CONCACAF Championship RankTeamPts PointsPld Matches playedQualification1MEX105Final Tournament2HAI 1964753SLV554CAN555GUA356SUR05 Mexico qualified. CONMEBOL 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL) Final round RankTeamPts PointsPld Matches playedQualification1BRA 196842Final Tournament2PER22Final Tournament3BOL02 Brazil and Peru qualified. Bolivia advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs. UEFA 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Group 1Group 2Group 3y ny ny nGroup 4Group 5Group 6y ny ny nGroup 7Group 8Group 9y ny ny n Hungary advanced to the UEFA–CONMEBOL play-off. Inter-confederation play-offs: UEFA v CONMEBOL 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA–CONMEBOL play-off) The teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winner would qualify. HUN 9–2 BOL 6–0 3–2 Goalscorers 9 goals 18em yes ITA Roberto Bettega 7 goals 20em yes AUT Hans Krankl HAI 1964 Emmanuel Sanon SLV Luis Ramírez Zapata NZL Keith Nelson 6 goals 20em yes AUS John Kosmina AUS Peter Ollerton EGY 1972 Mahmoud El Khatib HAI 1964 Leintz Domingue KUW Faisal Al-Dakhil MEX Víctor Rangel 5 goals 20em yes BRA 1968 Zico GDR Martin Hoffmann GUA Óscar Enrique Sánchez HAI 1964 Pierre Bayonne IRN 1964 Ghafour Jahani KOR 1949 Cha Bum-kun SUR Roy George TUR Cemil Turan 4 goals 20em yes BRA 1968 Roberto Dinamite CAN Buzz Parsons GDR Joachim Streich ENG Kevin Keegan GUA Felix McDonald HKG colonial Chung Chor Wai IRN 1964 Hassan Roshan KUW Abdulaziz Al-Anberi KUW Jasem Yaqoub MAS James Wong MEX Hugo Sánchez NGA Segun Odegbami POL Kazimierz Deyna POL Grzegorz Lato POR Manuel Fernandes SUR Remie Olmberg SWE Thomas Sjöberg TRI Steve David 3 goals 20em yes AUS Attila Abonyi AUS Jimmy Rooney BRB Victor Clarke BOL state Miguel Aguilar BOL state Carlos Aragonés BOL state Porfirio Jiménez CRC state Javier Jiménez CIV Kobenan Kouman CIV Jérôme Lèbre Mamahou EGY 1972 Mostafa Abdou ENG Mick Channon SLV Elmer Rosas FRA 1974 Michel Platini GUA Selvin Pennant GUI Papa Camara HKG colonial Kwok Ka Ming HKG colonial Wun Chee Keung HUN Tibor Nyilasi KUW Fat'hi Kameel Fayaz Matar Marzouq ITA Francesco Graziani NED Ruud Geels NGA Thompson Usiyan NIR Chris McGrath NZL Steve Sumner PER state José Velásquez KOR 1949 Park Sang-in THA Jesdaporn Naphatalung TUN Mohamed Akid YUG Safet Sušić 2 goals 20em yes AUT Josef Stering BHR 1972 Fuad Abou Shaqr BEL Raoul Lambert BRA 1968 Gilberto Alves BRA 1968 Marinho Chagas BUL 1971 Pavel Panov CAN Mike Bakić CAN Bob Bolitho CAN Brian Budd CAN Bob Lenarduzzi CMR Roger Milla CHI Elías Figueroa COG 1970 Jean-Jacques N'Domba CRC state Johnny Alvarado CIV Leon Goua G'Bize CUB Francisco Fariñas DEN Lars Bastrup DEN Henning Munk Jensen DEN Per Røntved DEN Allan Simonsen GDR Hartmut Schade ENG Ray Kennedy EGY 1972 Farouk Gaafar SLV David Cabrera SLV Norberto Huezo SLV Víctor Valencia FIN Aki Heiskanen FIN Esa Heiskanen FIN Olavi Rissanen GRE 1975 Mimis Papaioannou GUA Mario Alfaro GUA José Emilio Mitrovich GUA Peter Sandoval GUA Sergio Rivera HAI 1964 Arsène Auguste HKG colonial Lau Wing Yip HUN Zoltán Kereki HUN András Törőcsik IRN 1964 Hossein Kazerani IRN 1964 Gholam Hossein Mazloumi ISR Oded Machnes ITA Giancarlo Antognoni KUW Hamad Khalid Bo Hamad MAS Isa Bakar MEX Alacrán Jiménez MEX Javier Cárdenas MEX Javier Guzmán MEX Raúl Isiordia NED Johan Cruyff NED Johnny Rep NGA Alloysius Atuegbu NGA Godwin Iwelumo NIR Gerry Armstrong PAR Carlos Jara Saguier PER state Teófilo Cubillas POL Andrzej Szarmach POL Włodzimierz Lubański POL Stanisław Terlecki POR Fernando Chalana POR Nené ROU 1965 Dudu Georgescu ROU 1965 Anghel Iordănescu SCO Kenny Dalglish SLE Kama Dumbuya SLE Wasieu Sounomu SIN Quah Kim Song SUR Edwin Schal URS David Kipiani KOR 1949 Choi Jong-duk KOR 1949 Kim Jae-han KOR 1949 Lee Young-moo ESP 1977 Rubén Cano SWE Bo Börjesson THA Vidthaya Laohakul THA Niwat Srisawat TRI Sammy Llewellyn TUN Abderraouf Ben Aziza TUN Khemais Labidi TUR Sedat Özden URU Dario Pereyra URU Nitder Pizzani Upper Volta Joseph Kaboré WAL Leighton James ZAM 1964 Bernard Chanda ZAM 1964 Godfrey Chitalu ZAM 1964 Willie Phiri 1 goal 20em yes ALG Omar Betrouni ALG Mahmoud Guendouz AUS Murray Barnes AUS Colin Bennett AUT Roland Hattenberger AUT Wilhelm Kreuz AUT Hans Pirkner AUT Herbert Prohaska AUT Walter Schachner BHR 1972 Ibrahim Al Farhan BHR 1972 Ebrahim Zowayed BEL Paul Courant BEL Maurice Martens BEL Gilbert Van Binst BEL François Van der Elst BEL Roger Van Gool BOL state Ovidio Messa BRA 1968 Toninho Cerezo BRA 1968 Marcelo Oliveira BRA 1968 Rivellino BUL 1971 Hristo Bonev BUL 1971 Chavdar Tsvetkov BUL 1971 Andrey Zhelyazkov CMR Jean Manga Onguéné CHI Sergio Ahumada CHI Osvaldo Castro CHI Miguel Ángel Gamboa COL Eduardo Vilarete COG 1970 Jonas Bahamboula COG 1970 Daniel Ebomoa COG 1970 Pierre Lingongo COG 1970 Joseph Mounoudzi COG 1970 Joseph Wamba CRC state Mario Barrantes CRC state Javier Masís CRC state William Fisher Salgado CIV Gaston Bawa CIV Lucien Kouassi Kouame CIV Pascal Miézan CUB Dagoberto Lara CUB Ramón Núñez CUB Agustín Pérez Castillo CUB Miguel Rivero CUB Andrés Roldán CYP Takis Antoniou CYP Stefanis Michael CYP Stavros Stylianou TCH Miroslav Gajdůšek TCH Zdeněk Nehoda TCH Antonín Panenka TCH Ladislav Petráš DEN Allan Hansen DEN Jørgen Kristensen DEN Benny Nielsen DEN Kristen Nygaard DEN Ole Rasmussen DEN Niels Tune-Hansen GDR Peter Kotte GDR Wolfram Löwe GDR Jürgen Sparwasser GDR Gert Weber ECU José Fabián Paz y Miño EGY 1972 Ahmed Abdel Baki EGY 1972 Maher Hammam EGY 1972 Ossama Khalil EGY 1972 Mokhtar Mokhtar SLV Silvio Aquino SLV Mágico González ENG Trevor Brooking ENG Trevor Francis ENG Paul Mariner ENG Stuart Pearson ENG Joe Royle ENG Dennis Tueart ETH 1975 Tekalinge Kassahun FIN Kai Haaskivi FIN Teppo Heikkinen FIN Ari Mäkynen FIN Jyrki Nieminen FIN Matti Paatelainen FRA 1974 Dominique Bathenay FRA 1974 Christian Dalger FRA 1974 Bernard Lacombe FRA 1974 Dominique Rocheteau GHA Opoku Afriyle GHA Ofei Ansah GHA Ibrahim Kassum GUA Julio César Anderson GUA Leonardo McNish GUA Benjamin Monterroso GUI Ousmane Badara Bangoura GUI Youssuf Camara GUI Mamadou Aliou Keita GUI Chérif Souleymane GUI Ali Sylla GUI Ismael Sylla GUI Seydouba Sylla GUI Ousmane Thiam Tollo GUY Vibert Butts GUY Keith Niles HAI 1964 Guy Dorsainville HAI 1964 Ernst Jean-Baptiste HAI 1964 Carlo Brevil HAI 1964 Jean-Claude Désir HAI 1964 Louidor Labissiere HKG colonial Chan Fat Chi HKG colonial Fung Chi Ming HKG colonial Tang Hung Cheong HUN László Fazekas HUN István Halász HUN László Nagy HUN Sándor Pintér HUN László Pusztai HUN Béla Várady HUN Sándor Zombori ISL Ingi Björn Albertsson ISL Ásgeir Sigurvinsson IDN Junaedi Abdillah IDN Anjas Asmara IDN Iswadi Idris IDN Andi Lala IDN Ronny Pattinasarany IDN Risdianto IDN Waskito IRN 1964 Behtash Fariba IRN 1964 Habib Khabiri IRN 1964 Ali Parvin IRN 1964 Habib Shareefi IRN 1964 Mohsin Yousifi IRL Liam Brady IRL Don Givens ISR Haim Bar ISR Uri Malmilian ISR Itzhak Peretz ITA Romeo Benetti ITA Franco Causio ITA Claudio Gentile ITA Renato Zaccarelli JAM Carl Brown KUW Ibrahim Mohammed Al Duraihem KUW Farouk Ibrahim Al Awadi Al Saleh KUW Badr Abdul Hameed Bo Abbas KUW Abdullah Yousuf Ma'yoof LUX Nico Braun LUX Gilbert Zender MAS Bakri Ibni MTN 1959 Gagny Coulibaly MAR Abdelghani Lakhal MAR Mustapha Tahir MEX Pedro Damián Álvarez MEX Arturo Vázquez Ayala MEX Chepe Chávez MEX Hugo Dávila MEX Francisco Solís Cruz NED Ruud Krol NED Willem van Hanegem NED René van de Kerkhof NED Willy van de Kerkhof ANT 1959 Monico Eluterio Ruiz NIG Boukari Adamou NIG Moussa Kanfideni NIG Sanda Seydou NGA Adokie Amiesimaka NGA Kunle Awesu NGA Christian Chukwu NGA Kelechi Emeteole NGA Johnny N'Wadioha NGA Samuel Ojebode NIR Sammy McIlroy NIR Derek Spence NOR Odd Iversen NOR Tom Lund NOR Rune Ottesen NZL Clive Campbell NZL Dave Taylor NZL Kevin Weymouth PAN Hector Nestor Hernández PAN Daniel Montillo Ruíz PAN Federico Ponce PAN Agustín Sánchez PAN Luis Ernesto Tapia PAN Virgílio Vázquez PAR Carlos José Báez PER state Alejandro Luces PER state Juan José Muñante PER state Percy Rojas PER state Hugo Sotil POL Zbigniew Boniek POL Bohdan Masztaler POL Włodzimierz Mazur POR Rui Jordão POR Octávio Machado POR Seninho POR Francisco Vital QAT Anbar Bashir Abubakr QAT Hassan Myuter Saied Al Suwaidi QAT Mansour Muftah Faraj Bekhit ROU 1965 László Bölöni ROU 1965 Iosif Vigu KSA Samir Sultan Al Fahad KSA Saoud Al Gassem Mohammed Bo Saeed KSA Mohammed Abdul Ghani SCO Asa Hartford SCO Joe Jordan SCO Don Masson SIN Mohammed Noh Hussein SIN Dollah Kassim SIN Suriamurthy Rajagopal SEN Abdoulaye Ba SLE Ismail Dyfan SLE Mohammed Sama SLE William Sango SLE Samuel Tray URS Leonid Burjak URS Anatoliy Konkov KOR 1949 Huh Jung-moo KOR 1949 Kim Ho-kon ESP 1977 Eugenio Leal ESP 1977 Pirri SUR Delano Rigters SUR Errol Emanuelson SUR Rinaldo Entingh SUR Henry Playfair SWE Björn Andersson SUI civil Peter Risi SUI civil Claudio Sulser SUI civil Serge Trinchero SYR 1972 Abdul Hamid Al Katbi SYR 1972 Marwan Khalifa Khouri TAI Chang Kuo Chi THA Cherdsak Chaiyabutr TOG Anani Afanou TOG Tabania Ametepé TOG Alirou Rachidou TRI Leon Carpette TRI Anthony Douglas TRI Selris Figaro TUN Tarak Dhiab TUN Amor Jebali TUN Néjib Liman TUN Ali Kaabi TUN Moncef Khouini TUR Mehmet Özgül TUR Volkan Yayim UGA Abdulla Nasur UGA Denis Obua UGA Polly Ouma URU Washington Oliveira Upper Volta Joseph Ouattara Upper Volta Kouligo Zoma USA 1960 Boris Bandov USA 1960 Miro Rys USA 1960 Juli Veee WAL Nick Deacy VEN 1954 Vicente Flores VEN 1954 Rafael Iriarte YUG Zoran Filipović YUG Dražen Mužinić YUG Aleksandar Trifunović ZAM 1964 Alex Chola ZAM 1964 Obby Kapita 1 own goal 20em yes BRB Victor Clarke (against Trinidad and Tobago) BOL state Windsor del Llano (playing against Hungary) GUA Allan Wellmann (against Panama) HUN László Bálint (playing against the Soviet Union) MWI Jack Chamangwana (playing against Zambia) NGA Godwin Odiye (playing against Tunisia) PAR José Domingo Insfrán (playing against Brazil) ESP 1977 Gregorio Benito (playing against Romania) TAI Lo Chih Tsong (playing against New Zealand) WAL Ian Evans (playing against Scotland) Notes For the first time, over 100 teams entered qualification for the World Cup. Statistically, this was the most difficult World Cup to qualify for. Taking the two automatic places into account, and excluding twelve teams who withdrew before playing, 95 teams competed for the remaining 14 places (14.7%). The number of spots was increased to 24 for the next World Cup. Tunisia's victory over Morocco on penalties was the first penalty shoot-out in World Cup qualification matches. External links FIFA World Cup Official Site - 1978 World Cup Qualification RSSSF - 1978 World Cup Qualification Qualification Category:FIFA World Cup qualification