1950 FIFA World Cup qualification

A total of 34 teams entered the qualification rounds of the 1950 FIFA World Cup, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. Brazil, as the hosts, and Italy, as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition.

1950 FIFA World Cup Qualification
Tournament details
Dates	2 June 1949 – 15 April 1950
Teams	34 (from 3 confederations)
Tournament statistics
Matches played	26
Goals scored	121 (4.65 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Jack Rowley Horacio Casarín Luis de la Fuente Željko Čajkovski (4 goals each)
← 1938 1954 →

The remaining 32 teams were divided into 10 groups, based on geographical considerations, as follows:

Groups 1 to 6 – Europe: 7 places, contested by 18 teams (including Israel and Syria).
Groups 7 to 9 – The Americas: 6 places, contested by 10 teams.
Group 10 – Asia: 1 place, contested by 4 teams.

However, due to the withdrawals of India, Scotland and Turkey after qualifying, only 13 teams actually competed in the final tournament.

A total of 19 teams played at least one qualifying match. A total of 26 qualifying matches were played, and 121 goals were scored (an average of 4.65 per match).

Listed below are the dates and results of the qualification rounds.

Groups

The 10 groups had different rules, as follows:

Group 1 had 4 teams. The teams played against each other once. The group winner and runner-up would qualify.
Groups 2, 3 and 4 had 3 teams each. The strongest team of each group was seeded. There would be two rounds of play:
- First Round: The seeded team received a bye and advanced to final round directly. The 2 unseeded teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winner would advance to final round.
- Final Round: The seeded team played against the winner of the First Round on a home-and-away basis. The winner would qualify.
Group 5 had 3 teams. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner would qualify.
Group 6 had 2 teams. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner would qualify.
Group 7 had 3 teams. The group winner and runner-up would qualify.
Group 8 had 4 teams. The group winner and runner-up would qualify.
Group 9 had 3 teams. The teams played against each other twice. The group winner and runner-up would qualify.
Group 10 had 4 teams. The group winner would qualify.

Group 1

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	England (C)	3	3	0	0	14	3	+11	6	Qualification for 1950 FIFA World Cup
2	Scotland	3	2	0	1	10	3	+7	4	Qualification for 1950 FIFA World Cup
3	Wales	3	0	1	2	1	6	−5	1
4	Ireland	3	0	1	2	4	17	−13	1

Source: RSSSF
Rules for classification: 1) points. The points system worked as follows: 2 points for a win and 1 point for a draw.
(C) Champions

1 October 1949

Ireland (IFA)	2–8	Scotland
Smyth 50', 59'	Report	Morris 2', 70', 88' Waddell 5', 31' (pen.) Steel 23' Reilly 24' Mason 80'

Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Attendance: 50,000

Referee: Reginald Mortimer (England)

15 October 1949

Wales	1–4	England
Griffiths 80'	Report	Mortensen 22' Milburn 29', 34', 66'

Ninian Park, Cardiff, Wales

Attendance: 60,000

Referee: Jack Mowat (Scotland)

9 November 1949

Scotland	2–0	Wales
McPhail 25' Linwood 78'	Report

Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland

Attendance: 73,782

Referee: S.K. Law (England)

16 November 1949

England	9–2	Ireland (IFA)
Rowley 6', 47', 56', 58' Froggatt 25' Mortensen 35', 50' Pearson 33', 68'	Report	Smyth 55' Brennan 75'

Maine Road, Manchester, England

Attendance: 57,000

Referee: Mervyn Griffiths (Wales)

8 March 1950

Wales	0–0	Ireland (IFA)
	Report

Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, Wales

Attendance: 60,000

Referee: Reginald Leafe (England)

15 April 1950

Scotland	0–1	England
	Report	Bentley 64'

Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland

Attendance: 138,000

Referee: Reginald Leafe (England)

England qualified. Scotland also qualified, but declined to participate.

Group 2

First round

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Turkey	1	1	0	0	7	0	+7	2
2	Syria	1	0	0	1	0	7	−7	0

Source: 11v11.com

20 November 1949

Turkey	7–0	Syria
Cansever 12', 16', 87' Eken 44' Kücükandonyadis 66' Keskin 67' Kilic 72'	Report

19 Mayıs Stadium, Ankara, Turkey

Attendance: 35,000

Referee: Antonio Gamba (Italy)

Syria withdrew, and remaining match was not played.

Turkey advanced to the Final Round.

Final round

Pos	Team	Pld	Pts	Qualification
—	Turkey	0	0	Qualified, later withdrew
—	Austria	0	0	Withdrew

Source: ESPN

Austria withdrew, so Turkey qualified automatically. But Turkey later also withdrew, and FIFA offered the place to Portugal, the runner-up of Group 6, but they declined. FIFA decided not to allow anyone else to qualify, leaving the World Cup two teams short.

Group 3

First round

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Yugoslavia	2	2	0	0	11	2	+9	4
2	Israel	2	0	0	2	2	11	−9	0

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

21 August 1949

Yugoslavia	6–0	Israel
Pajević 12', 19', 26' Senčar 44' Že. Čajkovski 63' Bobek 83' (pen.)	Report

JNA Stadion, Belgrade, Yugoslavia

Attendance: 35,000

Referee: Giovanni Galeati (Italy)

18 September 1949

Israel	2–5	Yugoslavia
Glazer 65', 76'	Report	Valok 19', 64' Bobek 20' Zl. Čajkovski 41' Že. Čajkovski 82'

Maccabiah Stadium, Tel Aviv, Israel

Attendance: 20,000

Referee: Jozsef Künsztler (Hungary)

Yugoslavia advanced to the Final Round.

Final round

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	France	2	0	2	0	2	2	0	2
1	Yugoslavia	2	0	2	0	2	2	0	2

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

9 October 1949

Yugoslavia	1–1	France
Že. Čajkovski 36'	Report	Baillot 55'

JNA Stadion, Belgrade, Yugoslavia

Attendance: 50,000

Referee: Karel van der Meer (Netherlands)

30 October 1949

France	1–1	Yugoslavia
Baillot 8'	Report	Bobek 44'

Stade Olympique de Colombes, Paris, France

Attendance: 53,569

Referee: Peter Scherz (Swiss)

France 2–2 Yugoslavia on aggregate, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would qualify.

11 December 1949

Yugoslavia	3–2 (a.e.t.)	France
Mihajlović 12', 84' (pen.) Že. Čajkovski 114'	Report	Walter 13' Luciano 83'

Stadio Giovanni Berta, Florence, Italy

Attendance: 25,000

Referee: Giovanni Galeati (Italy)

Yugoslavia qualified while France were also offered a place by FIFA. France initially accepted, but later declined.

Group 4

First round

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Switzerland	2	2	0	0	8	4	+4	4
2	Luxembourg	2	0	0	2	4	8	−4	0

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

26 June 1949

Switzerland	5–2	Luxembourg
Maillard 20' Fatton 30', 41' Ballaman 48' Antenen 59'	Report	Wagner 3' Reuter 88'

Hardturm, Zürich, Switzerland

Attendance: 15,000

Referee: Charles Delasalle (France)

18 September 1949

Luxembourg	2–3	Switzerland
Muller 3' Kremer 38'	Report	Maillard 1' Friedländer 59' Fatton 75'

Stade Municipal, Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Attendance: 3,000

Referee: Pierre Theunen (Belgium)

Switzerland advanced to the Final Round.

Final round

Pos	Team	Pld	Pts	Qualification
—	Switzerland	0	0	Qualified
—	Belgium	0	0	Withdrew

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

Belgium withdrew, so Switzerland qualified automatically.

Group 5

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Sweden	2	2	0	0	6	2	+4	4
2	Ireland (FAI)	4	1	1	2	6	7	−1	3
3	Finland	2	0	1	1	1	4	−3	1

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

2 June 1949

Sweden	3–1	Ireland (FAI)
Andersson 17' (pen.) Jeppson 37' Liedholm 69'	Report	Walsh 9'

Råsunda Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden

Attendance: 36,200

Referee: Louis Baert (Belgium)

8 September 1949

Ireland (FAI)	3–0	Finland
Gavin 35' Martin 44' (pen.), 68'	Report

Dalymount Park, Dublin, Ireland

Attendance: 36,000

Referee: W.H.E. Evan (England)

9 October 1949

Finland	1–1	Ireland (FAI)
Vaihela 89'	Report	Farrell 65'

Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland

Attendance: 13,437

Referee: Johan Bronkhorst (Netherlands)

13 November 1949

Ireland (FAI)	1–3	Sweden
Martin 61' (pen.)	Report	Palmér 4', 40', 68'

Dalymount Park, Dublin, Ireland

Attendance: 43,000

Referee: William Ling (England)

Sweden qualified. Finland withdrew before the group was completed. Ireland (FAI) were subsequently invited to enter competition but declined the opportunity because of travelling costs.

Sweden beat Finland 8–1 on 2 October 1949 in Malmö. However, FIFA's website does not include this match in the list of matches or in the group standings. RSSSF's website lists the match with the note "Sweden played B-team", and does not provide group standings.

Group 6

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Spain	2	1	1	0	7	3	+4	3	Qualification for 1950 FIFA World Cup
2	Portugal	2	0	1	1	3	7	−4	1

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

2 April 1950

Spain	5–1	Portugal
Zarra 11', 58' Basora 13' Panizo 15' Molowny 65'	Report	Cabrita 36'

Estadio Nuevo Chamartín, Madrid, Spain

Attendance: 80,000

Referee: Reg Leafe (England)

9 April 1950

Portugal	2–2	Spain
Travassos 51' Correia 53'	Report	Zarra 24' Gaínza 82'

Jamor, Lisbon, Portugal

Attendance: 30,000

Referee: Jack Mowat (Scotland)

Spain qualified. Portugal were also invited to take part but they declined.

Group 7

Pos	Team	Qualification
1	Bolivia	Qualified
1	Chile	Qualified
3	Argentina	Withdrew

Source: RSSSF

Argentina withdrew, so Bolivia and Chile qualified automatically.

Group 8

Pos	Team	Qualification
1	Uruguay	Qualified
1	Paraguay	Qualified
3	Ecuador	Withdrew
3	Peru	Withdrew

Source: RSSSF

Ecuador and Peru withdrew, so Uruguay and Paraguay qualified automatically.

Group 9

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Mexico	4	4	0	0	17	2	+15	8
2	United States	4	1	1	2	8	15	−7	3
3	Cuba	4	0	1	3	3	11	−8	1

Source: RSSSF

4 September 1949

United States	0–6	Mexico
	Report	Flores 20' Luna 30' de la Fuente 37', 55', 58' Septién 85'