1934 FIFA World Cup qualification

The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the first World Cup for which teams had to qualify, after the finalists in the inaugural 1930 World Cup had participated by invitation from FIFA. With 32 teams having entered the 1934 competition, FIFA organized qualification rounds to select 16 teams for the finals.[1] Even Italy, the host of the World Cup, had to earn its spot, the only time this has been the case.[1][lower-alpha 1] The previous champion Uruguay refused to defend its title because many European nations had declined to take part in the 1930 World Cup, held in Uruguay.[1][2]

1934 FIFA World Cup qualification
Tournament details
Teams27
Tournament statistics
Matches played27
Goals scored141 (5.22 per match)
Top scorer(s) Isidro Lángara
Mario López
Dionisio Mejía
(7 goals each)

A total of 27 teams played at least one qualifying match. The first match, between Sweden and Estonia, took place in Stockholm on 11 June 1933, with Swedish player Knut Kroon scoring the first goal.[lower-alpha 2] The last match was played in Rome only three days before the start of the tournament, as late entrant United States beat Mexico to become the final team to qualify.

Format

Chile, Peru and Turkey all withdrew before qualifying began.[1]

The 32 teams were divided into 12 groups, based on geographical considerations, as follows:

  • Groups 1 to 8 – Europe: 12 places, contested by 21 teams.
  • Groups 9, 10 and 11 – Americas: 3 places, contested by 8 teams.
  • Group 12 – Africa and Asia: 1 place, contested by 3 teams (including Turkey).

The 12 groups had different rules, as follows:

  • Group 1 had 3 teams. The teams played against each other once. The group winner would qualify.
  • Groups 2, 3 and 5 had 2 teams each. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify.
  • Group 4 had 3 teams. The teams played against each other twice. The group winner and runner-up would qualify.
  • Groups 6, 7 and 8 had 3 teams each. The teams played against each other once. The group winners and runners-up would qualify.
  • Groups 9 and 10 had 2 teams each. The group winners would qualify.
  • Group 11 had 4 teams. There would be three rounds of play:
    • First Round: Haiti played against Cuba thrice. The winner would advance to the Second Round.
    • Second Round: Mexico played against the winner of the First Round thrice at home. The winner would advance to the Final Round.
    • Final Round: USA played against the winner of the Second Round in a single match on neutral ground. The winner would qualify.
  • Group 12 had 3 teams. After Turkey withdrew before the matches began, the remaining 2 teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner would qualify.

Key:

  • Teams highlighted in green qualified for the finals.
  • Teams highlighted in orange qualified for the next phase of their group.

Groups

Group 1
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Sweden 2200824.004
2  Estonia 1001260.330
3  Lithuania 1001020.000
Sweden 6–2 Estonia
Kroon  7'
L. Bunke  10'
Ericsson  13', 70'
T. Bunke  43'
Andersson  79' (pen)		 Report Kass  47'
Kuremaa  61'
Attendance: 8,123
Referee: Reidar Randers-Johansen (Norway)
Lithuania 0–2 Sweden
Report Hansson  55', 65'
Kariuomenės Stadionas, Kaunas, Lithuania
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: August Silber (Estonia)

Estonia v Lithuania was not played since neither team could qualify with a win.[3]

Sweden qualified.

Group 2
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Spain 220011111.04
2  Portugal 20021110.090
Spain 9–0 Portugal
González  3'
Lángara  13', 14' (pen.), 46', 71', 85'
Regueiro  65', 70'
Ventolrà  68'		 Report
Attendance: 50,000
Referee: Raphael van Praag (Belgium)
Portugal 1–2 Spain
Silva  10' Report Lángara  12', 25'
Attendance: 35,000
Referee: Raphael van Praag (Belgium)

11-1 on aggregate; Spain qualified.

Group 3
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Italy 1100404.002
2  Greece 1001040.000
Italy 4–0 Greece
Guarisi  40'
Meazza  44', 71'
Ferrari  69'		 Report
Attendance: 20,000

Italy qualified, as Greece declined to play the second match.[1][2]

Group 4
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Hungary 2200824.004
2  Austria 1100616.002
3  Bulgaria 30033140.210
Bulgaria 1–4 Hungary
Baikushev  27' Report Sárosi  29'
Szabó  61' (pen.)
Toldi  88'
Markos  89'
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Denis Xifando (Romania)
Austria 6–1 Bulgaria
Horvath  19', 22', 33'
Zischek  59'
Viertl  62'
Sindelar  67'		 Report Lozanov  66'
Attendance: 25,000
Hungary 4–1 Bulgaria
Szabó  9', 58'
Solti  60', 73'		 Report Todorov  61'
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Hans Frankenstein (Austria)

Bulgaria withdrew, and the remaining matches were not played since Hungary and Austria were already assured of the top two spots.[1]

Hungary and Austria qualified.

Group 5
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Czechoslovakia 2200414.004
2  Poland 2002140.250
Poland 1–2 Czechoslovakia
Martyna  52' (pen) Report Silný  33'
Pelcner  77'
Attendance: 16,000
Referee: Denis Xifando (Romania)
Czechoslovakia 2–0
awarded[lower-alpha 3]		 Poland

Czechoslovakia qualified.[4]

Group 6
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Romania 2110431.333
2   Switzerland 2020441.002
3  Yugoslavia 2011340.751
Yugoslavia 2–2  Switzerland
Kragić  50'
Marjanović  61'		 Report Frigerio  76'
Jäggi  80'
Stadion BSK, Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Attendance: 17,000
Switzerland  2–2[lower-alpha 4] Romania
Hufschmid  75'
Hochstrasser  80' (pen.)		 Report Sepi  18'
Dobay  67'
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Hans Boekmann (Netherlands)
Romania 2–1 Yugoslavia
Schwartz  38'
Dobay  74'		 Report Kragić  71'
Attendance: 20,000

Romania and Switzerland qualified.

Group 7
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Netherlands 2200942.254
2  Belgium 2011680.751
3  Irish Free State 2011690.671
Irish Free State 4–4 Belgium
Moore  27', 48', 56', 75' Report Capelle  15'
S. Vanden Eynde  30'
F. Vanden Eynde  47', 60'
Attendance: 35,000
Referee: Thomas Crewe (England)
Netherlands 5–2 Irish Free State
Smit  41', 85'
Bakhuys  67', 78'
Vente  83'		 Report Squires  44'
Moore  57'
Attendance: 38,000
Referee: Otto Ohlsson (Sweden)
Belgium 2–4 Netherlands
Grimmonprez  51'
Voorhoof  71'		 Report Smit  60'
Bakhuys  62', 84'
Vente  64'
Attendance: 42,000

Netherlands and Belgium qualified (Belgium finished above the Irish Free State on goal average).[1]

Group 8
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Germany 1100919.002
2  France 1100616.002
3  Luxembourg 20022150.130
Luxembourg 1–9 Germany
Mengel  27' Report Rasselnberg  2', 35', 57', 89'
Wigold  12'
Albrecht  24'
Hohmann  30', 52', 53'
Attendance: 14,500
Referee: Jan de Wolf (Netherlands)
Luxembourg 1–6 France
Speicher  47' Report Aston  3'
Nicolas  26', 67', 85', 89' (pen.)
Liberati  80'
Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Marc Turfkruyer (Belgium)

Germany v France was not played since both teams were already assured of the top two spots.[3]

Germany and France qualified.

Group 9
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Brazil
2  Peru Withdrew

Peru withdrew, so Brazil qualified automatically.[1]

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

Chile withdrew, so Argentina qualified automatically.[1]

First round
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Cuba 32101025.005
2  Haiti 30122100.201
Haiti 1–3 Cuba
St. Fort  85' (pen.) Report López  20' (pen.)
H. Socorro  61'
Martínez  64'
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: John Williams (United States)
Haiti 1–1 Cuba
St. Fort  25' (pen.) Report López  85'
Attendance: 6,000
Referee: John Williams (United States)
Haiti 0–6 Cuba
Report H. Socorro  5'
López  18', 86'
F. Socorro  37'
Ferrer  62'
Soto  78'
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: John Williams (United States)

10-2 on aggregate; Cuba advanced to the Second Round.

Second round
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Mexico 33001234.006
2  Cuba 30033120.250
Mexico 3–2 Cuba
Mejía  12', 14', 16' Report López  40', 63'
Attendance: 20,000
Mexico 5–0 Cuba
Sota  24'
Mejía  31', 40', 79'
Rosas  72'		 Report
Attendance: 22,000
Mexico 4–1 Cuba
Alonso  32', 75'
Ruvalcaba  41'
Marcos  55'		 Report López  15'
Attendance: 10,000

12-3 on aggregate; Mexico advanced to the Final Round.

Final round

The match to decide whether USA or Mexico would qualify was played in Italy only three days before the start of the final tournament, as the USA team submitted their entry too late. Thus, the match was played on Italian ground, so that the winner would effectively stay for the tournament.[1]

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  United States 1100422.002
2  Mexico 1001240.500
United States 4–2 Mexico
Donelli  28', 32', 74', 87' Report Alonso  25'
Mejía  75'
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Yossouf Mohammed (Egypt)

United States qualified.

Group 12

The Palestine football team consisted exclusively of Jewish and British players.[8] FIFA states in reference to the 1930s Palestine Mandate team that the 'Palestine team' that had participated in previous competitions in the 1930s was actually the forerunner of today's Israel team and as such bears no relation to the national team of the Palestinian authority.[9] However, the region currently known as Palestine is considered "one of the first Asian teams to compete in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers".[10]

Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1  Egypt 22001125.504
2  Palestine, British Mandate 20022110.180
—  Turkey withdrew
Egypt 7–1 Palestine, British Mandate
El-Tetsh  11', 35', 51'
Taha  21', 79'
Latif  43', 87'		 Report Nudelmann  61'
British Army Ground, Cairo, Egypt
Attendance: 13,000
Referee: Stanley Wells (England)
Palestine, British Mandate 1–4 Egypt
Sukenik  54' Report Latif  2'
El-Tetsh  7', 22'
Fawzi  35'
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: Frederick Goodsby (England)

11-2 on aggregate; Egypt qualified.

Qualified teams

Only six of the teams qualifying for the final competition – Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, France, Romania, and the USA – had already attended the World Cup in 1930.[1] 5 of the 16 teams subsequently failed to qualify for the 1938 finals: Argentina, Austria, Egypt, Spain and United States.

1934 FIFA World Cup qualification participants
Qualifying countries
Team Finals Appearance Streak Last Appearance
 Argentina 2nd21930
 Austria 1st1–
 Belgium 2nd21930
 Brazil 2nd21930
 Czechoslovakia 1st1–
 Egypt 1st1–
 France 2nd21930
 Germany 1st1–
 Hungary 1st1–
 Italy 1st1–
 Netherlands 1st1–
 Romania 2nd21930
 Spain 1st1–
 Sweden 1st1–
  Switzerland 1st1–
 United States 2nd21930

Goalscorers
7 goals
5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal

Footnotes
  1. 2010 host South Africa and 2022 host Qatar also participated in the respective World Cup qualification because those tournaments doubled as continental qualifiers, but those teams were guaranteed spots in the World Cups and were only vying for places in the continental finals.
  2. Some sources report it as an own goal by Estonian goalkeeper Evald Tipner instead.
  3. Poland were unable to travel to Prague for the second match as the Polish government denied the team visas for political reasons (see: Zaolzie and Polish–Czechoslovak border conflicts).[4] The match was awarded as 2–0 to Czechoslovakia.[5]
  4. FIFA reports a 2–2 draw.[5] According to some sources FIFA later awarded the match as 2–0 to Switzerland as a result of Romania having fielded ineligible player Iuliu Baratky.[6][7]

References
  1. "History of the FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition (by year)" (PDF). FIFA.com. FIFA. July 2007. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 June 2010. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  2. Hart, Jim (27 July 2016). "When the World Cup rolled into fascist Italy in 1934". These Football Times. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  3. "FIFA World Cup, 1934 - qualifying". 11v11.com. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  4. "World Cup 1934 - Qualifying". RSSSF.com. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  5. "1934 FIFA World Cup Italy ™ - Qualifiers - Europe". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 8 March 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  6. "World Cup 1934 Qualifying". RSSSF.com. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  7. Seal, Brian (29 May 2015). "29 October 1933 – When Crossing The Border Crosses The Line". This Day In Football History. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  8. Rake, Julian (24 October 2008). "A long wait for a home game". Reuters. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  9. "FIFA Fact Sheet: History of the FIFA World Cup (TM) Preliminary Competition (see page 43)" (PDF). FIFA.com. FIFA. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 June 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  10. "Palestine (PLE)". FIFA.com. FIFA. Archived from the original on 10 November 2007. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
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