1990 FIFA World Cup qualification
Encyclopedia
The qualification
competition for the 1990 FIFA World Cup
was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA
confederations. Each confederation — the AFC
(Asia), CAF
(Africa), CONCACAF
(North America), CONMEBOL
(South America), OFC
(Oceania), and UEFA
(Europe) — was allocated a certain number of the 24 places at the tournament. A total of 116 teams entered the competition, with Italy
, as the host, and Argentina
, as the holders, qualifying for the final tournament automatically.
The first qualification match was played on 17 April 1988 and qualification concluded on 19 November 1989. A total of 735 goals were scored in the 314 qualifying matches (an average of 2.34 per match).
Three entries were rejected by FIFA: Belize
, Mauritius
and Mozambique
due to their outstanding financial debts, taking the number of accepted teams down to 113. With both the hosts and holders qualifying automatically for the finals, 111 nations were therefore scheduled to compete in the qualifying competitions. Gabon
, Oman
and Pakistan
were making their first appearance in the World Cup.
Seven teams withdrew during the qualifying process without playing a match: Bahrain
, India
, Lesotho
, Maldives
, Rwanda
, South Yemen
and Togo
. Mexico
were disqualified from the CONCACAF qualifying tournament before playing a game for fielding overage players in the qualifying stages for the 1988 Olympic Games
. Libya
withdrew during the CAF group stage, but had already (successfully) played in the first round. Therefore the total number of teams playing at least one fixture during the 1990 World Cup competition was 105 (103 during qualifying).
:
, Switzerland
on 12 December 1987.
The distribution by confederation for the 1990 World Cup was:
The CAF qualification process began with a preliminary round between June and November 1988, which eliminated eight nations.
These eight nations were joined in the second round by the eight highest-ranked African nations, which had received a bye in the first round. These sixteen teams were placed in four groups of four teams, with the group winners advancing to the final round. The four group winners of these groups were paired together into two knockout ties played during October and November 1989. The winners of these two-legged ties qualified for the World Cup finals.
Final Round
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The group stage draw divided the teams into six groups, which were played from January to July 1989, from which the six group winners advanced to the final group stage. The final group stage saw the six remaining teams play each other once during a sixteen day tournament based in Singapore in October 1989. The two top teams qualified for the World Cup finals.
Final standings
The European qualification games started in May 1988 and ended in November 1989. Seven groups were drawn in total: Four of five teams and three groups of four contested the European qualifying competition. As a result, the seven group-winners qualified, while the runners-up in the groups containing five teams also qualified directly. The runners-up in the three groups containing only four teams were ranked, with the two teams with the best records also qualifying. The weakest runner-up missed out .
The 1989 CONCACAF Championship also served as the qualifying process for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. The Championship consisted of a two-round qualification process, with the ten lowest-ranked CONCACAF teams beginning in the first round. The five teams successfully winning their two-legged ties were joined by the five highest ranked CONCACAF teams in the second round, which again consisted of teams being drawn into two-legged ties. The five victorious teams contested the final tournament of the 1989 Championship, which took the form of a group with teams playing each other on a home-and-away basis. The eventual CONCACAF champions and runners-up qualified for the World Cup finals.
Final standings
The qualification process began in November 1988 with the strongest two OFC teams facing the two other OFC entrants in two-legged ties. The two winners advanced to a final group where they were joined by non-OFC members who were allocated to this zone for the qualification process. The three teams played each other on a home-and-away basis with the team finishing top of the group advancing to a final play-off against the third best South American team for a World Cup berth.
Final standings
advanced to the CONMEBOL–OFC play-off, against , the 3rd best team of CONMEBOL.
The CONMEBOL qualification process featured three groups of three teams being drawn to play on a home and away basis, with matches played from July to September 1989. The records of the three group winners were ranked, with the two best teams qualifying directly for the World Cup finals; the group winner with the weakest record advanced to a play–off against the winner of the OFC zone.
advanced to the CONMEBOL–OFC play-off, against , the winner of the OFC zone.
CONMEBOL – OFC Intercontinental Play-off
Colombia won 1–0 on aggregate and qualified for the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
FIFA World Cup qualification
The FIFA World Cup qualification is the process that a national association football team goes through to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals. The FIFA World Cup is a global event, so qualification is required to reduce the large field of participants from about 200 to 32.Qualifying tournaments...
competition for the 1990 FIFA World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
confederations. Each confederation — the AFC
Asian Football Confederation
The Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
(Asia), CAF
Confederation of African Football
The Confederation of African Football is the administrative and controlling body for African association football.CAF represents the national football associations of Africa, runs continental, national, and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those...
(Africa), CONCACAF
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
(North America), CONMEBOL
CONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation , commonly known as CONMEBOL , is the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations...
(South America), OFC
Oceania Football Confederation
The Oceania Football Confederation is one of the six continental confederations of international association football, consisting of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and island nations such as Tonga, Fiji and other Pacific Island countries...
(Oceania), and UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
(Europe) — was allocated a certain number of the 24 places at the tournament. A total of 116 teams entered the competition, with Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, as the host, and Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
, as the holders, qualifying for the final tournament automatically.
The first qualification match was played on 17 April 1988 and qualification concluded on 19 November 1989. A total of 735 goals were scored in the 314 qualifying matches (an average of 2.34 per match).
Entrants
At the close of entries on 30 September 1987, a total of 116 football associations had entered the 1990 World Cup. This entry figure was five lower than those who originally entered the previous tournament, a then-World Cup record of 121 entries.Three entries were rejected by FIFA: Belize
Belize national football team
The Belize national football team is the national team of Belize and is controlled by the Football Federation of Belize. It is affiliated to the Central American Football Union of CONCACAF...
, Mauritius
Mauritius national football team
The Mauritius national football team, nicknamed Club M, is the national team of Mauritius and is controlled by the Mauritius Football Association.-Early years:...
and Mozambique
Mozambique national football team
The Mozambique national football team , popularly known as Os Mambas, represents Mozambique in association football and is controlled by the Federação Moçambicana de Futebol, the governing body for football in Mozambique...
due to their outstanding financial debts, taking the number of accepted teams down to 113. With both the hosts and holders qualifying automatically for the finals, 111 nations were therefore scheduled to compete in the qualifying competitions. Gabon
Gabon national football team
The Gabon national football team, nicknamed Azingo Nationale, is the national team of Gabon and is controlled by the Fédération Gabonaise de Football...
, Oman
Oman national football team
The Oman national football team is the national team of Oman. Although the team was officially founded in 1978, the squad was formed long before, and has established a proper football association in only December, 2005...
and Pakistan
Pakistan national football team
The Pakistan national football team is controlled by the Pakistan Football Federation and is a member of the Asian Football Confederation . The team has not yet qualified for either the FIFA World Cup or Asian Cup championships. Twice they have finished third in the South Asian Football Federation...
were making their first appearance in the World Cup.
Seven teams withdrew during the qualifying process without playing a match: Bahrain
Bahrain national football team
The Bahrain national football team is the national team of the Kingdom of Bahrain and is controlled by the Bahrain Football Association; it was founded in 1951 and joined FIFA in 1966. They have never reached the finals of the World Cup, but have twice come within one match of doing so...
, India
India national football team
The Indian national football team is the national football team of India and is governed by the All India Football Federation. It is a member of the Asian Football Confederation. Since 1948, the AIFF has been affiliated with FIFA, the international governing body for football. In 1954, AIFF became...
, Lesotho
Lesotho national football team
The Lesotho national football team, nicknamed the Likuena , is the national team of Lesotho and is controlled by the Lesotho Football Association...
, Maldives
Maldives national football team
The Maldives national football team is the national team of the Maldives and is controlled by the Football Association of Maldives. A member of the AFC, it qualified for the second stage of Asian qualifying for the 2006 World Cup, where it drew with South Korea at home 0–0.Maldives most significant...
, Rwanda
Rwanda national football team
The Rwanda national football team, nicknamed Amavubi , is the national team of Rwanda and is controlled by the Fédération Rwandaise de Football Amateur...
, South Yemen
South Yemen national football team
The South Yemen national football team was the national team of South Yemen between 1965 and 1989. It took part in the Asian Cup finals in 1976, losing 0-8 to Iran and 0-1 to Iraq...
and Togo
Togo national football team
The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers The Togo national football team, nicknamed Les Eperviers (The Sparrow Hawks, is controlled by the Fédération Togolaise de Football.They played at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Their team bus...
. Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
were disqualified from the CONCACAF qualifying tournament before playing a game for fielding overage players in the qualifying stages for the 1988 Olympic Games
Football at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Final results for the football competition at the 1988 Summer Olympics. The tournament was held from September 17, 1988 to October 1, 1988.-Medal summary:...
. Libya
Libya national football team
The Libya national football team is the national association football team of Libya and is controlled by the Libyan Football Federation. The team has never qualified for the senior FIFA World Cup. They have qualified for three Africa Cup of Nations, one in 1982 where they finished runners-up and...
withdrew during the CAF group stage, but had already (successfully) played in the first round. Therefore the total number of teams playing at least one fixture during the 1990 World Cup competition was 105 (103 during qualifying).
Continental zones
To see the dates and results of the qualification rounds for each continental zone, click on the following articles:- Europe (UEFA)1990 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)The European zone of qualification for the 1990 FIFA World Cup saw 32 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. UEFA members Italy qualified automatically as hosts of the finals. The qualification process started on 21 May 1988 and ended on 18 November 1989.-Format:Teams were drawn into seven...
- Group 1 - Romania qualified.
- Group 2 - Sweden and England qualified.
- Group 3 - Soviet Union and Austria qualified.
- Group 4 - Netherlands and West Germany qualified.
- Group 5 - Yugoslavia and Scotland qualified.
- Group 6 - Spain and Republic of Ireland qualified.
- Group 7 - Belgium and Czechoslovakia qualified.
- South America (CONMEBOL)1990 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)The South American zone of qualification for the 1990 FIFA World Cup saw 9 teams competing for 2 direct places at the finals, with one extra place potentially on offer to the winner of a play-off. CONMEBOL member Argentina qualified automatically as reigning World Cup champions.-Format:Teams were...
- South America (CONMEBOL)
- Group 1 - Uruguay qualified.
- Group 2 - Colombia advanced to the Intercontinental Play-off.
- Group 3 - Brazil qualified.
- North, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF)
- Costa Rica and United States qualified.
- Africa (CAF)1990 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF)The Confederation of African Football section of the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification saw teams competing for two berths in the final tournament in Italy....
- Africa (CAF)
- Egypt and Cameroon qualified.
- Asia (AFC)1990 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)The Asian Football Confederation was allocated two assured qualifying berths for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. 26 teams were in the running for these spots; Bahrain, India, Maldives and South Yemen withdrew without playing a qualifying match....
- Asia (AFC)
- Korea Republic and United Arab Emirates qualified.
- Oceania (OFC)1990 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC)The 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification for the Oceania Football Confederation saw five teams competing to be the zone's representative in the CONMEBOL / OFC Intercontinental Play-off.Three OFC teams entered the competition: Australia, Fiji and New Zealand...
- Oceania (OFC)
- Israel advanced to the Intercontinental Play-off.
Qualified teams
The following 24 teams qualified for the 1990 FIFA World Cup1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
:
| Team | Qualified as | Appearance in finals |
Consecutive Streak |
Previous best performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Last: 1982 1982 FIFA World Cup The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:... ) |
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| (Last: 1982 1982 FIFA World Cup The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:... ) |
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| (Last: 1962 1962 FIFA World Cup The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final... ) |
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| – | ||||
| (Last: 1982 1982 FIFA World Cup The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:... ) |
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| (Last: 1934 1934 FIFA World Cup The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934.... ) |
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| (Last: 1978 1978 FIFA World Cup The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth... ) |
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| – | ||||
| (Last: 1970 1970 FIFA World Cup The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by... ) |
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| (Last: 1978 1978 FIFA World Cup The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth... ) |
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| – | ||||
| (Last: 1950 1950 FIFA World Cup The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II... ) |
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| (Last: 1982 1982 FIFA World Cup The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:... ) |
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Qualification process
The qualification process commenced in April 1988 and was completed in November 1989. The draw for all qualifying groups and opening round ties in the six confederations was held in ZürichZürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
on 12 December 1987.
The distribution by confederation for the 1990 World Cup was:
- Europe (UEFAUEFAThe Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
): 13 places (+ Italy qualified automatically as host nation for a total of 14 places) - Africa (CAFConfederation of African FootballThe Confederation of African Football is the administrative and controlling body for African association football.CAF represents the national football associations of Africa, runs continental, national, and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those...
): 2 places - Asia (AFCAsian Football ConfederationThe Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of association football in Asia. It has 46 member countries, mostly located on the Asian continent. However, due to the disputed boundary of Europe and Asia, nations such as Russia and Turkey which are located mostly in geographic Asia are...
): 2 places - South America (CONMEBOLCONMEBOLThe South American Football Confederation , commonly known as CONMEBOL , is the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations...
) 2 or 3 places (+ Argentina qualified automatically as World Cup holders for a total of either 3 or 4 places) - North, Central American and Caribbean (CONCACAFCONCACAFThe Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
): 2 places - Oceania (OFCOceania Football ConfederationThe Oceania Football Confederation is one of the six continental confederations of international association football, consisting of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and island nations such as Tonga, Fiji and other Pacific Island countries...
): 0 or 1 place
| Confederation | Teams started | Teams eliminated | Teams qualified | Qualifying end date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The European zone of qualification for the 1990 FIFA World Cup saw 32 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. UEFA members Italy qualified automatically as hosts of the finals. The qualification process started on 21 May 1988 and ended on 18 November 1989.-Format:Teams were drawn into seven... |
32+1 | 19 | 13+1 | 18 November 1989 |
| CAF 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) The Confederation of African Football section of the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification saw teams competing for two berths in the final tournament in Italy.... |
26 | 24 | 2 | 19 November 1989 |
| CONCACAF 1989 CONCACAF Championship The 1989 CONCACAF Championship was the last edition of the CONCACAF Championship held under the format of serving as qualification to the 1990 FIFA World Cup and having no host nation for the final round.... |
16 | 14 | 2 | 19 November 1989 |
| CONMEBOL 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL) The South American zone of qualification for the 1990 FIFA World Cup saw 9 teams competing for 2 direct places at the finals, with one extra place potentially on offer to the winner of a play-off. CONMEBOL member Argentina qualified automatically as reigning World Cup champions.-Format:Teams were... |
9+1 | 6 | 3+1 | 30 October 1989 |
| AFC 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) The Asian Football Confederation was allocated two assured qualifying berths for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. 26 teams were in the running for these spots; Bahrain, India, Maldives and South Yemen withdrew without playing a qualifying match.... |
26 | 24 | 2 | 28 October 1989 |
| OFC 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) The 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification for the Oceania Football Confederation saw five teams competing to be the zone's representative in the CONMEBOL / OFC Intercontinental Play-off.Three OFC teams entered the competition: Australia, Fiji and New Zealand... |
5 | 5 | 0 | 30 October 1989 |
| Total | 114+2 | 92 | 22+2 | 19 November 1989 |
Africa (CAF)
(26 teams competing for 2 berths)The CAF qualification process began with a preliminary round between June and November 1988, which eliminated eight nations.
These eight nations were joined in the second round by the eight highest-ranked African nations, which had received a bye in the first round. These sixteen teams were placed in four groups of four teams, with the group winners advancing to the final round. The four group winners of these groups were paired together into two knockout ties played during October and November 1989. The winners of these two-legged ties qualified for the World Cup finals.
Final Round
|}
Asia (AFC)
(26 teams competing for 2 berths)The group stage draw divided the teams into six groups, which were played from January to July 1989, from which the six group winners advanced to the final group stage. The final group stage saw the six remaining teams play each other once during a sixteen day tournament based in Singapore in October 1989. The two top teams qualified for the World Cup finals.
Final standings
EWLINE
|
Europe (UEFA)
(32 teams competing for 13 berths, host Italy occupying a 14th berth)The European qualification games started in May 1988 and ended in November 1989. Seven groups were drawn in total: Four of five teams and three groups of four contested the European qualifying competition. As a result, the seven group-winners qualified, while the runners-up in the groups containing five teams also qualified directly. The runners-up in the three groups containing only four teams were ranked, with the two teams with the best records also qualifying. The weakest runner-up missed out .
| Group 1 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 1 The 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group 1 was a UEFA qualifying group for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. The group comprised Bulgaria, Denmark, Greece and Romania.The group was won by Romania, who qualified for the 1990 FIFA World Cup... |
Group 2 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 2 The 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group 2 was a UEFA qualifying group for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. The group comprised Albania, England, Poland and Sweden.The group was won by Sweden, who qualified for the 1990 FIFA World Cup... |
Group 3 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 3 The 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group 3 was a UEFA qualifying group for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. The group comprised Austria, East Germany, Iceland, the Soviet Union and Turkey.... |
| Group 4 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 4 The 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group 4 was a UEFA qualifying group for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. The group comprised Finland, European champions the Netherlands, Wales and West Germany.... |
Group 5 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 5 The 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group 5 was a UEFA qualifying group for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. The group comprised Cyprus, France, Norway, Scotland and Yugoslavia.The group was won by Yugoslavia, who qualified for the 1990 FIFA World Cup... |
Group 6 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 6 The 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group 6 was a UEFA qualifying group for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. The group consisted of Hungary, Malta, Northern Ireland, Spain and the Republic of Ireland.... |
| Group 7 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 7 The 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group 7 was a UEFA qualifying group for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. The group consisted of Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Luxembourg, Portugal and Switzerland.... |
North, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF)
(16 teams competing for 2 berths)The 1989 CONCACAF Championship also served as the qualifying process for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. The Championship consisted of a two-round qualification process, with the ten lowest-ranked CONCACAF teams beginning in the first round. The five teams successfully winning their two-legged ties were joined by the five highest ranked CONCACAF teams in the second round, which again consisted of teams being drawn into two-legged ties. The five victorious teams contested the final tournament of the 1989 Championship, which took the form of a group with teams playing each other on a home-and-away basis. The eventual CONCACAF champions and runners-up qualified for the World Cup finals.
Final standings
| Team | ||
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 11 | |
| 8 | 11 | |
| 8 | 9 | |
| 6 | 3 | |
| 6 | 2 |
Oceania (OFC)
(5 teams competing for 0 or 1 berth; a play-off against CONMEBOL determines which confederation gets the extra berth)The qualification process began in November 1988 with the strongest two OFC teams facing the two other OFC entrants in two-legged ties. The two winners advanced to a final group where they were joined by non-OFC members who were allocated to this zone for the qualification process. The three teams played each other on a home-and-away basis with the team finishing top of the group advancing to a final play-off against the third best South American team for a World Cup berth.
Final standings
| Team | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5 | |
| 4 | 4 | |
| 4 | 3 |
advanced to the CONMEBOL–OFC play-off, against , the 3rd best team of CONMEBOL.
South America (CONMEBOL)
(9 teams competing for 3 or 4 berths; a play-off against OFC determines which confederation gets the extra berth, with Argentina also qualifying automatically as World Cup holders)The CONMEBOL qualification process featured three groups of three teams being drawn to play on a home and away basis, with matches played from July to September 1989. The records of the three group winners were ranked, with the two best teams qualifying directly for the World Cup finals; the group winner with the weakest record advanced to a play–off against the winner of the OFC zone.
| Group 1 |
Group 2 |
Group 3 |
advanced to the CONMEBOL–OFC play-off, against , the winner of the OFC zone.
Intercontinental Play-off
There was one inter-confederation play-off to determine the final qualification spot for the 1990 FIFA World Cup finals. The play-off was contested by the CONMEBOL group winners with the weakest record and the winner of the OFC zone.CONMEBOL – OFC Intercontinental Play-off1990 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL – OFC play-off)The 1990 FIFA World Cup CONMEBOL – OFC qualification play-off was a two-legged home-and-away tie between the winners of the Oceania qualifying tournament, Israel, and the third-best team from the South American qualifying tournament, Colombia. The games were played on October 15 and 29 of 1989 in...
Colombia won 1–0 on aggregate and qualified for the 1990 FIFA World Cup.External links
- 1990 FIFA World Cup Preliminaries at FIFAFIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
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