ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

Qualification for the 1962 FIFA World Cup

The qualification process for the 1962 FIFA World Cup was used to determine which teams would participate in the finals held in Chile. A total of 56 teams from around the world participated, including 29 teams from Europe, where Cyprus was still counted as a team from Asia, and 9 teams from South America.

This marked a new record for the number of participating teams at that time. The qualification process involved several rounds, with some teams being exempt due to their status as defending champions or hosts. Chile and Brazil were automatically qualified, leaving 14 spots open for competition.

The European teams accounted for 29 of the participating teams, with Cyprus among them. These teams were divided into seven groups, each containing three teams, which competed against one another in a round-robin format. The winners of each group then advanced to the next stage, where they played against an Asian or African team from a different confederation.

In Europe, 21 out of 27 participating teams fought for 7 direct spots in the World Championship finals. However, six additional teams competed for three more spots by playing against three African and Asian teams. Ultimately, European teams secured 10 spots at the tournament.

The qualification process was structured to ensure that teams from different confederations faced each other in a fair manner. The rules of qualification varied depending on the confederation, with some teams competing directly against others while others played in intermediate rounds.

In total, 16 teams qualified for the final stage of the World Cup, which were allocated as follows: no team from Asia and Africa made it to the finals.