1974 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)

Listed below are the dates and results for the 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone (UEFA). For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification.

A total of 32 UEFA teams entered the competition. The European zone was allocated 9.5 places (out of 16) in the final tournament. West Germany, the hosts, qualified automatically, leaving 8.5 spots open for competition between 32 teams.

The 32 teams were divided into 9 groups of 3 or 4 teams each (four groups with 3 teams and five groups with 4 teams). The teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify, except the winner of Group 9, which would advance to the UEFA / CONMEBOL Intercontinental Play-off.

Group 1

Rank	Team	Pts	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
1=	Austria	8	6	3	2	1	14	7	+7
1=	Sweden	8	6	3	2	1	15	8	+7
3	Hungary	8	6	2	4	0	12	7	+5
4	Malta	0	6	0	0	6	1	20	−19

Sweden qualified.

Group 2

Rank	Team	Pts	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
1	Italy	10	6	4	2	0	12	0	+12
2	Turkey	6	6	2	2	2	5	3	+2
3	Switzerland	6	6	2	2	2	2	4	−2
4	Luxembourg	2	6	1	0	5	2	14	−12

Italy qualified.

Group 3

Rank	Team	Pts	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
1	Netherlands	10	6	4	2	0	24	2	+22
2	Belgium	10	6	4	2	0	12	0	+12
3	Norway	4	6	2	0	4	9	16	−7
4	Iceland	0	6	0	0	6	2	29	−27

Netherlands qualified on goal difference. The campaign ended with a controversial decision in the final match when the referee disallowed a legal Belgian goal for offside in the last minute of the game.^[1]

Group 4

Rank	Team	Pts	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
1	East Germany	10	6	5	0	1	18	3	+15
2	Romania	9	6	4	1	1	17	4	+13
3	Finland	3	6	1	1	4	3	21	−18
4	Albania	2	6	1	0	5	3	13	−10

East Germany qualified.

Group 5

Rank	Team	Pts	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
1	Poland	5	4	2	1	1	6	3	+3
2	England	4	4	1	2	1	3	4	−1
3	Wales	3	4	1	1	2	3	5	−2

Poland qualified.

Group 6

Rank	Team	Pts	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
1	Bulgaria	10	6	4	2	0	13	3	+10
2	Portugal	7	6	2	3	1	10	6	+4
3	Northern Ireland	5	6	1	3	2	5	6	−1
4	Cyprus	2	6	1	0	5	1	14	−13

Bulgaria qualified.

Group 7

Rank	Team	Pts	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
1=	Spain	6	4	2	2	0	8	5	+3
1=	Yugoslavia	6	4	2	2	0	7	4	+3
3	Greece	0	4	0	0	4	5	11	−6

Yugoslavia qualified.

Group 8

Rank	Team	Pts	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
1	Scotland	6	4	3	0	1	8	3	+5
2	Czechoslovakia	5	4	2	1	1	9	3	+6
3	Denmark	1	4	0	1	3	2	13	−11

Scotland qualified.

Group 9

Rank	Team	Pts	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
1	Soviet Union	6	4	3	0	1	5	2	+3
2	Republic of Ireland	3	4	1	1	2	4	5	−1
3	France	3	4	1	1	2	3	5	−2

Soviet Union advanced to the UEFA – CONMEBOL Play-off.

See also

• 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification
• 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)
• 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)
• 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF)
• 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC and OFC)

Notes

• To date, this was the last time that Spain failed to qualify for a FIFA World Cup.

References

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cWwulNygvs