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1982 FIFA World Cup qualification
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| tourney_name | 1982 FIFA World Cup Qualification |
| dates | 26 March 1980 – 10 January 1982 |
| num_teams | 109 |
| confederations | 6 |
| matches | 306 |
| goals | 795 |
| top_scorer | Gary Cole |
| Steve Sumner | |
| Brian Turner | |
| Karl-Heinz Rummenigge | |
| (9 goals each) | |
| prevseason | [1978](1978-fifa-world-cup-qualification) |
| nextseason | [1986](1986-fifa-world-cup-qualification) |
Steve Sumner Brian Turner Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (9 goals each)
A total of 109 teams entered the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, which began with the preliminary qualification draw on 14 October 1979 at Zürich, competing for a total of 24 spots in the final tournament, an increase from 16 in the previous World Cups. Spain, as the hosts, and Argentina, as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 22 spots open for competition.
The 24 spots available in the 1982 World Cup would be distributed among the continental zones as follows:
- Europe (UEFA): 14 places, one to automatic qualifier Spain, while the other 13 places were contested by 33 teams (including Israel).
- South America (CONMEBOL): 4 places, one to automatic qualifier Argentina, while the other 3 places were contested by 9 teams.
- North, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF): 2 places, contested by 15 teams.
- Africa (CAF): 2 places, contested by 29 teams.
- Asia and Oceania (AFC and OFC): 2 places, contested by 21 teams.
A total of 103 teams played at least one qualifying match. A total of 306 qualifying matches were played, and 795 goals were scored (an average of 2.60 per match).
This was the last FIFA World Cup qualification that ended in the same year of the tournament until the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.
Qualified teams
The following 24 teams qualified for the 1982 FIFA World Cup:
| Team | Method of | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| qualification | Date of | |||||
| qualification | Finals | |||||
| appearance | Last | |||||
| appearance | Consecutive | |||||
| finals | ||||||
| appearances | Previous best | |||||
| performance | ||||||
| Host | 6 July 1966 | 6th | [1978](1978-fifa-world-cup) | 2 | Fourth place ([1950](1950-fifa-world-cup)) | |
| [1978 FIFA World Cup](1978-fifa-world-cup) winners | 25 June 1978 | 8th | [1978](1978-fifa-world-cup) | 3 | **Winners** ([1978](1978-fifa-world-cup)) | |
| [CONMEBOL Group 1](1982-fifa-world-cup-qualification-conmebol-conmebol-group-1) winners | 22 March 1981 | 12th | [1978](1978-fifa-world-cup) | 12 | **Winners** ([1958](1958-fifa-world-cup), [1962](1962-fifa-world-cup), [1970](1970-fifa-world-cup)) | |
| [CONMEBOL Group 3](1982-fifa-world-cup-qualification-conmebol-conmebol-group-3) winners | 14 June 1981 | 6th | [1974](1974-fifa-world-cup) | 1 | Third place ([1962](1962-fifa-world-cup)) | |
| [CONMEBOL Group 2](1982-fifa-world-cup-qualification-conmebol-conmebol-group-2) winners | 6 September 1981 | 4th | [1978](1978-fifa-world-cup) | 2 | Quarter-finals ([1970](1970-fifa-world-cup)), Second round ([1978](1978-fifa-world-cup)) | |
| [UEFA Group 2](1982-fifa-world-cup-qualification-uefa-uefa-group-2) winners | 9 September 1981 | 6th | [1970](1970-fifa-world-cup) | 1 | First round ([1930](1930-fifa-world-cup), [1934](1934-fifa-world-cup), [1938](1938-fifa-world-cup), [1954](1954-fifa-world-cup), [1970](1970-fifa-world-cup)) | |
| [UEFA Group 7](1982-fifa-world-cup-qualification-uefa-uefa-group-7) winners | 10 October 1981 | 4th | [1978](1978-fifa-world-cup) | 3 | Third place ([1974](1974-fifa-world-cup)) | |
| [UEFA Group 6](1982-fifa-world-cup-qualification-uefa-uefa-group-6) winners | 14 October 1981 | 5th | [1978](1978-fifa-world-cup) | 3 | First round ([1954](1954-fifa-world-cup), [1958](1958-fifa-world-cup), [1974](1974-fifa-world-cup), [1978](1978-fifa-world-cup)) | |
| [UEFA Group 1](1982-fifa-world-cup-qualification-uefa-uefa-group-1) winners | 14 October 1981 | 10th | [1978](1978-fifa-world-cup) | 8 | **Winners** ([1954](1954-fifa-world-cup), [1974](1974-fifa-world-cup)) | |
| [CAF Final round](1982-fifa-world-cup-qualification-caf-final-round) winners | 30 October 1981 | 1st | — | 1 | — | |
| [UEFA Group 4](1982-fifa-world-cup-qualification-uefa-uefa-group-4) winners | 31 October 1981 | 8th | [1978](1978-fifa-world-cup) | 2 | Runners-up ([1938](1938-fifa-world-cup), [1954](1954-fifa-world-cup)) | |
| [UEFA Group 5](1982-fifa-world-cup-qualification-uefa-uefa-group-5) runners-up | 14 November 1981 | 10th | [1978](1978-fifa-world-cup) | 6 | **Winners** ([1934](1934-fifa-world-cup), [1938](1938-fifa-world-cup)) | |
| [1981 CONCACAF Championship](1981-concacaf-championship) champions | 16 November 1981 | 1st | — | 1 | — | |
| [UEFA Group 4](1982-fifa-world-cup-qualification-uefa-uefa-group-4) runners-up | 18 November 1981 | 7th | [1970](1970-fifa-world-cup) | 1 | **Winners** ([1966](1966-fifa-world-cup)) | |
| [UEFA Group 6](1982-fifa-world-cup-qualification-uefa-uefa-group-6) runners-up | 18 November 1981 | 2nd | [1958](1958-fifa-world-cup) | 1 | Quarter-finals ([1958](1958-fifa-world-cup)) | |
| [UEFA Group 3](1982-fifa-world-cup-qualification-uefa-uefa-group-3) winners | 18 November 1981 | 5th | [1970](1970-fifa-world-cup) | 1 | Fourth place ([1966](1966-fifa-world-cup)) | |
| [UEFA Group 5](1982-fifa-world-cup-qualification-uefa-uefa-group-5) winners | 21 November 1981 | 7th | [1974](1974-fifa-world-cup) | 1 | Fourth place ([1930](1930-fifa-world-cup), [1962](1962-fifa-world-cup)) | |
| [UEFA Group 1](1982-fifa-world-cup-qualification-uefa-uefa-group-1) runners-up | 22 November 1981 | 5th | [1978](1978-fifa-world-cup) | 2 | Third place ([1954](1954-fifa-world-cup)) | |
| [1981 CONCACAF Championship](1981-concacaf-championship) runners-up | 22 November 1981 | 2nd | [1970](1970-fifa-world-cup) | 1 | First round ([1970](1970-fifa-world-cup)) | |
| [CAF Final round](1982-fifa-world-cup-qualification-caf-final-round) winners | 29 November 1981 | 1st | — | 1 | — | |
| [UEFA Group 3](1982-fifa-world-cup-qualification-uefa-uefa-group-3) runners-up | 29 November 1981 | 7th | [1970](1970-fifa-world-cup) | 1 | Runners-up ([1934](1934-fifa-world-cup), [1962](1962-fifa-world-cup)) | |
| [UEFA Group 2](1982-fifa-world-cup-qualification-uefa-uefa-group-2) runners-up | 5 December 1981 | 8th | [1978](1978-fifa-world-cup) | 2 | Third place ([1958](1958-fifa-world-cup)) | |
| [AFC and OFC Final round](1982-fifa-world-cup-qualification-afc-and-ofc-final-round) winners | 14 December 1981 | 1st | — | 1 | — | |
| [AFC and OFC Final round play-off](1982-fifa-world-cup-qualification-afc-and-ofc-final-round-play-off) winners | 10 January 1982 | 1st | — | 1 | — |
Confederation qualification
AFC and OFC
Main article: 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC and OFC)
:Kuwait and New Zealand qualified.
CAF
Main article: 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF)
:Algeria and Cameroon qualified.
CONCACAF
Main article: 1981 CONCACAF Championship qualification, 1981 CONCACAF Championship
:Honduras and El Salvador qualified.
CONMEBOL
Main article: 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)
:Group 1 – Brazil qualified. :Group 2 – Peru qualified. :Group 3 – Chile qualified.
UEFA
Main article: 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
:Group 1 – West Germany and Austria qualified. :Group 2 – Belgium and France qualified. :Group 3 – USSR and Czechoslovakia qualified. :Group 4 – Hungary and England qualified. :Group 5 – Yugoslavia and Italy qualified. :Group 6 – Scotland and Northern Ireland qualified. :Group 7 – Poland qualified.
Top goalscorers
;9 goals
- AUS Gary Cole
- NZL Steve Sumner
- NZL Brian Turner
- West Germany Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
;8 goals
- NZL Grant Turner
- NZL Steve Wooddin
;7 goals
- MEX Hugo Sánchez
- West Germany Klaus Fischer
- YUG Zlatko Vujović
;6 goals
- CMR Roger Milla
- DEN Frank Arnesen
Notes
- The away goals rule was used for the first time as a tie-breaker for two-legged ties. Niger advanced twice due to this rule, eliminating Somalia and Togo.
- With the expansion of the final tournament, this marked the first time two teams from Africa and Asia qualified.
- New Zealand set numerous records on their first successful campaign. They played 15 qualifying matches and travelled 55,000 miles during qualification. Their 13–0 score against Fiji set a World Cup record as did Steve Sumner's six goals in that match. Also during qualifying goalkeeper Richard Wilson went a world cup record 921 minutes without conceding a goal.
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
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