ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

**1998 UEFA European Under-18 Championship qualifying**
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The qualifying tournament for the 1998 UEFA European Under-18 Championship was held from August 15, 1997 to May 20, 1998. A total of 49 teams participated in the competition, with seven teams qualifying for the final tournament.

**Qualifying format**
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The qualifying tournament consisted of two rounds: a preliminary round and a second round. In the preliminary round, the teams were divided into 14 groups, with the winners of each group advancing to the next round. The participants of the final tournament were determined through two-game confrontations in the second round.

**Preliminary round**
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The preliminary round took place from August 15, 1997 to May 20, 1998. The teams were divided into 14 groups, with each group playing its matches at a designated host country:

* Group 1: Portugal
* Group 2: Czech Republic
* Group 3:
* Group 4: Moldova
* Group 5:
* Group 6: France
* Group 7: Malta
* Group 8: Northern Ireland
* Group 9: Israel
* Group 10:
* Group 11: Finland
* Group 12: Sweden
* Group 13: Norway
* Group 14: Germany

**Second round**
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The winners of each group in the preliminary round advanced to the second round, where they competed in two-game confrontations. The participants of the final tournament were determined through this process.

**Host and qualification for the World Cup**
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Cyprus automatically qualified as the host of the 1998 UEFA European Under-18 Championship. Additionally, seven teams qualified for the main tournament, joining Cyprus. These teams also earned a place in the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship to be held in Nigeria.

**External links**
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* Results on RSSSF

Note: The original sources provided some inconsistencies and missing information, which were resolved based on logical inference and available data.