A total of 37 teams (including the late application of Argentina) 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.
Due to the Spanish Civil War, Spain's application was initially suspended and eventually rejected. The remaining teams were divided into groups based on geographical considerations, as follows:
- Europe and the Near East: 11 places, contested by 23 teams (including Egypt and Mandatory Palestine) divided into eight groups.
- The Americas: 2 places, contested by 9 teams.
- 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.
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 groups had different rules, as follows:
Europe and the Near East
- Group 1 had 4 teams. The teams played against each other once. The group winner and runner-up would qualify. Each team had two home games, except for Estonia who had none.
- Group 2 had 4 teams. The teams played two separate play-offs on a home-and-away basis. The winners of each play-off would qualify.
- Groups 3, and qualified directly to the final competition.
Eastern Asia
- Eastern Asia had 2 teams. The winner of the play-off would qualify.
Format update after Argentina's application
Argentina submitted a late request to FIFA to take part to the World Cup in October 1937. In regard of the prestige of the team, the application was accepted.
The qualification format was rearranged taking also in account the withdrawal of Japan. Two intercontinental play-offs were established.
- Play-off 1 to be played between the United States and the Dutch East Indies in Rotterdam, 29 May 1938.
- Play-off 2 to be played between Argentina and the winner of the Central America qualifying round in Bordeaux, 29 May 1938. Germany
|stadium = Horst-Wessel Stadion
|attendance = 15,000
|referee = Bruno Pfützner (Czechoslovakia)
----
Germany and Sweden qualified.
Group 2a
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30|Rank
!width=165 style="text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
|1
|style="text-align:left;"|
|2||1||1||0||6||5||1.20||3
|-
|2
|style="text-align:left;"|
|2||0||1||1||5||6||0.83||1
|-
|}
----
Norway qualified.
Group 2b
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30|Rank
!width=165 style="text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
|1
|style="text-align:left;"|
|2||1||0||1||4||1||4.00||2
|-
|2
|style="text-align:left;"|
|2||1||0||1||1||4||0.25||2
|}
----
Poland finished above Yugoslavia on goal average, and thus qualified.
Group 3
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!width=30|Rank
! style="width:165px; text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
|- style="text-align:center; background:#ccffcc;"
|—
|style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="8"|qualified
|- style="text-align:center; background:#f5f5f5;"
|—
|style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="8"|withdrew
|}
FIFA fixed the dates for the play-off: the first leg to be played in Cairo on 17 December 1937 (about two weeks after the end of Ramadan), the second leg to be played in Bucharest on 17 April 1938. Egypt did not accept the first leg date and this refusal was considered as a withdrawal from the competition.
Group 4
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30|Rank
!width=165 style="text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
|1
|style="text-align:left;"|
|1||1||0||0||2||1||2.00||2
|-
|2
|style="text-align:left;"|
|1||0||0||1||1||2||0.50||0
|}
Switzerland qualified.
Group 5
First round
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30|Rank
!width=165 style="text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
|- style="background:#ffebad;"
|1
|style="text-align:left;"|
|2||2||0||0||4||1||4.00||4
|-
|2
|style="text-align:left;"|
|2||0||0||2||1||4||0.25||0
|}
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Greece qualified for the final round.
Final round
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30|Rank
!width=165 style="text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
|1
|style="text-align:left;"|
|1||1||0||0||11||1||11.0||2
|-
|2
|style="text-align:left;"|
|1||0||0||1||1||11||0.09||0
|}
Hungary qualified.
Group 6
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30|Rank
!width=165 style="text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
|1
|style="text-align:left;"|
|2||1||1||0||7||1||7.00||3
|-
|2
|style="text-align:left;"|
|2||0||1||1||1||7||0.14||1
|}
----
Czechoslovakia qualified.
Group 7
First round
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30|Rank
!width=165 style="text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
|- style="background:#ffebad;"
|1
|style="text-align:left;"|
|2||2||0||0||9||3||3.00||4
|-
|2
|style="text-align:left;"|
|2||0||0||2||3||9||0.33||0
|}
----
Latvia qualified for the final round.
Final round
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30|Rank
!width=165 style="text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
|1
|style="text-align:left;"|
|1||1||0||0||2||1||2.00||2
|-
|2
|style="text-align:left;"|
|1||0||0||1||1||2||0.50||0
|}
Austria qualified, but in March 1938 the country was annexed by Nazi Germany during the Anschluss, and ceased to exist. 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 8
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30|Pos.
!width=165 style="text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
|1
|style="text-align:left;"|
|2||1||1||0||5||1||5.00||3
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
|2
|style="text-align:left;"|
|2||1||1||0||4||3||1.33||3
|-
|3
|style="text-align:left;"|
|2||0||0||2||2||7||0.29||0
|}
----
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Netherlands and Belgium qualified.
North America
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
! width="30" |Rank
! width="165" style="text-align:left;" |Team
! width="20" |
! width="20" |
! width="20" |
! width="20" |
! width="20" |
! width="20" |
! width="20" |
! width="20" |
|- style="background:#ffebad;"
|1
| style="text-align:left;" |
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="8" |To intercontinental play-off
|}
The United States had originally to play against the winner of the Central America zone for one spot in the final competition. the second to be played in San José, Costa Rica, involving Costa Rica, El Salvador and Mexico. The winners would advance to the Final Round.<br/>
In January 1938 México withdrew from the competition protesting against the late inclusion of Argentina in the qualifying process. The Dutch Guiana withdrew too.<br/>
In March 1938 the First Round was still to be played, the fixtures being Colombia-El Salvador and Cuba-Costa Rica.<br/>
Eventually, Colombia, Costa Rica and El Salvador all withdrew so Cuba emerged as the winner of the group. No match was played in the Central America zone.
South America
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30|Rank
!width=165 style="text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
!width=20|
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
|1
|style="text-align:left;"|
|colspan=8 style="text-align:center;"|Bye
|-
|- style="background:#ffebad;"
|2
|style="text-align:left;"|
|colspan=8 style="text-align:center;"|To intercontinental play-off
|}
Brazil was originally the only South American team participating in the World Cup, with Colombia included in the Central America zone. Thus Brasil received a bye to take part to the final competition in France. thus allowing the Dutch East Indies to qualify without playing a single match.
Play-off 2
The play-off had to be played in Bordeaux on 29 May 1938 between Argentina and the winner of the Central America zone. Argentina withdrew from the competition for disagreements between the National Federation and the local clubs. Cuba, who emerged as the winner of Central America zone, qualified to the World Cup without playing a single match.
Qualified teams
thumb|500px|1938 FIFA World Cup qualified teams
thumb|500px|Qualifying countries
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders sticky-header col3right col4center col5center col6center"
|-
!width=200|Team
!width=80|Finals appearance
!width=50|Streak
!width=80|Last appearance
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|
|2nd||2||1934
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|
|3rd||3||1934
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|
|3rd||3||1934
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|
|1st||1||—
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|
|2nd||2||1934
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|
|1st||1||—
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| (H)
|3rd||3||1934
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|
|2nd||2||1934
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|
|2nd||2||1934
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| (C)
|2nd||2||1934
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|
|2nd||2||1934
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|
|1st||1||—
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|
|1st||1||—
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|
|3rd||3||1934
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|
|2nd||2||1934
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|
|2nd||2||1934
|}
- withdrew after qualifying due to the Anschluss.
- (H) – qualified automatically as hosts
- (C) – qualified automatically as defending champions
Goalscorers
;5 goals
- Gyula Zsengellér
- Fricis Kaņeps
;4 goals
- Reidar Kvammen
;3 goals
- Ladislav Šimůnek
- Ernst Lehner
- Kleanthis Vikelidis
- József Nemes
- Iļja Vestermans
- Piet de Boer
- Lennart Bunke
- Gustav Wetterström
;2 goals
- Oldřich Nejedlý
- Georg Siimenson
- Josef Gauchel
- Helmut Schön
- Otto Siffling
- Pál Titkos
- Jimmy Dunne
- Vaclavs Borduško
- Jonas Paulionis
- Alf Martinsen
- Leonard Piontek
- Gustaf Josefsson
;1 goal
- Franz Binder
- Camillo Jerusalem
- Raymond Braine
- Hendrik Isemborghs
- Bernard Voorhoof
- François Devries
- Georgi Pachedzhiev
- Josef Ludl
- Jan Říha
- Richard Kuremaa
- Heinrich Uukkivi
- Fritz Szepan
- Adolf Urban
- Lefteris Makris
- Antonis Migiakis
- Jenő Vincze
- Harry Duggan
- Matty Geoghegan
- Kevin O'Flanagan
- Juozas Gudelis
- Gusty Kemp
- Camille Libar
- Peri Neufeld
- Kick Smit
- Henk van Spaandonck
- Ernst Wilimowski
- Jerzy Wostal
- Fernando Peyroteo
- Sven Jonasson
- Erik Persson
- Kurt Svanström
- Georges Aeby
- Lauro Amadò
- Blagoje Marjanović
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
External links
- FIFA World Cup Official Site - 1938 World Cup Qualification
- RSSSF - 1938 World Cup Qualification