1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)

Listed below are the dates and results for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone (UEFA).

A total of 50 UEFA teams entered the competition. The European zone was allocated 15 places (out of 32) in the final tournament. fb|FRA, the hosts, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition between 49 teams.

The 49 teams were divided into nine groups, four groups of six teams and five groups of five teams. The teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify. The runners-up would be ranked according to their records against the 1st, 3rd and 4th-placed team in their groups, and the team with the best record would also qualify. The other runners-up would advance to the UEFA Play-offs.

In the Play-offs, the 8 teams were paired up to play knockout matches on a home-and-away basis. The winners would qualify.

Group 1

Key:
*Teams highlighted in green qualified for the finals.
*Teams highlighted in orange qualified for the Play-offs.----

Table

Results

June 2, 1996, Oslo, Norway - fb|NOR 5 - 0 fb-rt|AZE

August 31, 1996, Baku, Azerbaijan - fb|AZE 1 - 0 fb-rt|SUI

September 1, 1996, Budapest, Hungary - fb|HUN 1 - 0 fb-rt|FIN

October 6, 1996, Helsinki, Finland - fb|FIN 2 - 3 fb-rt|SUI

October 9, 1996, Oslo, Norway - fb|NOR 3 - 0 fb-rt|HUN

November 10, 1996, Berne, Switzerland - fb|SUI 0 - 1 fb-rt|NOR

November 10, 1996, Baku, Azerbaijan - fb|AZE 0 - 3 fb-rt|HUN

April 2, 1997, Baku, Azerbaijan - fb|AZE 1 - 2 fb-rt|FIN

April 30, 1997, Oslo, Norway - fb|NOR 1 - 1 fb-rt|FIN

April 30, 1997, Zürich, Switzerland - fb|SUI 1 - 0 fb-rt|HUN

June 8, 1997, Helsinki, Finland - fb|FIN 3 - 0 fb-rt|AZE

June 8, 1997, Budapest, Hungary - fb|HUN 1 - 1 fb-rt|NOR

August 20, 1997, Helsinki, Finland - fb|FIN 0 - 4 fb-rt|NOR

August 20, 1997, Budapest, Hungary - fb|HUN 1 - 1 fb-rt|SUI

September 6, 1997, Baku, Azerbaijan - fb|AZE 0 - 1 fb-rt|NOR

September 6, 1997, Lausanne, Switzerland - fb|SUI 1 - 2 fb-rt|FIN

September 10, 1997, Oslo, Norway - fb|NOR 5 - 0 fb-rt|SUI

September 10, 1997, Budapest, Hungary - fb|HUN 3 - 1 fb-rt|AZE

October 11, 1997, Helsinki, Finland - fb|FIN 1 - 1 fb-rt|HUN

October 11, 1997, Zürich, Switzerland - fb|SUI 5 - 0 fb-rt|AZE

Group 4

Table

Results

April 24, 1996, Belgrade, Yugoslavia - fb|FR Yugoslavia 3 - 1 fb-rt|FRO

June 2, 1996, Belgrade, Yugoslavia - fb|FR Yugoslavia 6 - 0 fb-rt|MLT

August 31, 1996, Toftir, Faroe Islands - fb|FRO 1 - 2 fb-rt|SVK

September 4, 1996, Toftir, Faroe Islands - fb|FRO 2 - 6 fb-rt|ESP

September 18, 1996, Teplice, Czech Republic - fb|CZE 6 - 0 fb-rt|MLT

September 22, 1996, Bratislava, Slovakia - fb|SVK 6 - 0 fb-rt|MLT

October 6, 1996, Toftir, Faroe Islands - fb|FRO 1 - 8 fb-rt|FR Yugoslavia

October 9, 1996, Prague, Czech Republic - fb|CZE 0 - 0 fb-rt|ESP

October 23, 1996, Bratislava, Slovakia - fb|SVK 3 - 0 fb-rt|FRO

November 10, 1996, Belgrade, Yugoslavia - fb|FR Yugoslavia 1 - 0 fb-rt|CZE

November 13, 1996, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain - fb|ESP 4 - 1 fb-rt|SVK

December 14, 1996, Valencia, Spain - fb|ESP 2 - 0 fb-rt|FR Yugoslavia

December 18, 1996, Valletta, Malta - fb|MLT 0 - 3 fb-rt|ESP

February 12, 1997, Alicante, Spain - fb|ESP 4 - 0 fb-rt|MLT

March 31, 1997, Valletta, Malta - fb|MLT 0 - 2 fb-rt|SVK

April 2, 1997, Prague, Czech Republic - fb|CZE 1 - 2 fb-rt|FR Yugoslavia

April 30, 1997, Valletta, Malta - fb|MLT 1 - 2 fb-rt|FRO

April 30, 1997, Belgrade, Yugoslavia - fb|FR Yugoslavia 1 - 1 fb-rt|ESP

June 8, 1997, Toftir, Faroe Islands - fb|FRO 2 - 1 fb-rt|MLT

June 8, 1997, Belgrade, Yugoslavia - fb|FR Yugoslavia 2 - 0 fb-rt|SVK

June 8, 1997, Valladolid, Spain - fb|ESP 1 - 0 fb-rt|CZE

August 20, 1997, Teplice, Czech Republic - fb|CZE 2 - 0 fb-rt|FRO

August 24, 1997, Bratislava, Slovakia - fb|SVK 2 - 1 fb-rt|CZE

September 6, 1997, Toftir, Faroe Islands - fb|FRO 0 - 2 fb-rt|CZE

September 10, 1997, Bratislava, Slovakia - fb|SVK 1 - 1 fb-rt|FR Yugoslavia

September 24, 1997, Valletta, Malta - fb|MLT 0 - 1 fb-rt|CZE

September 24, 1997, Bratislava, Slovakia - fb|SVK 1 - 2 fb-rt|ESP

October 11, 1997, Valletta, Malta - fb|MLT 0 - 5 fb-rt|FR Yugoslavia

October 11, 1997, Prague, Czech Republic - fb|CZE 3 - 0 fb-rt|SVK

October 11, 1997, Gijón, Spain - fb|ESP 3 - 1 fb-rt|FRO

Group 7

Table

Results

August 31, 1996, Belfast, Northern Ireland - fb|NIR 0 - 1 fb-rt|UKR

August 31, 1996, Yerevan, Armenia - fb|ARM 0 - 0 fb-rt|POR

October 5, 1996, Belfast, Northern Ireland - fb|NIR 1 - 1 fb-rt|ARM

October 5, 1996, Kiev, Ukraine - fb|UKR 2 - 1 fb-rt|POR

October 9, 1996, Tirana, Albania - fb|ALB 0 - 3 fb-rt|POR

October 9, 1996, Yerevan, Armenia - fb|ARM 1 - 5 fb-rt|GER

November 9, 1996, Tirana, Albania - fb|ALB 1 - 1 fb-rt|ARM

November 9, 1996, Nuremberg, Germany - fb|GER 1 - 1 fb-rt|NIR

November 9, 1996, Porto, Portugal - fb|POR 1 - 0 fb-rt|UKR

December 14, 1996, Belfast, Northern Ireland - fb|NIR 2 - 0 fb-rt|ALB

December 14, 1996, Lisbon, Portugal - fb|POR 0 - 0 fb-rt|GER

March 29, 1997, Belfast, Northern Ireland - fb|NIR 0 - 0 fb-rt|POR

March 29, 1997, Granada, Spain - fb|ALB 0 - 1 fb-rt|UKR

April 2, 1997, Kiev, Ukraine - fb|UKR 2 - 1 fb-rt|NIR

April 2, 1997, Granada, Spain - fb|ALB 2 - 3 fb-rt|GER

April 30, 1997, Yerevan, Armenia - fb|ARM 0 - 0 fb-rt|NIR

April 30, 1997, Bremen, Germany - fb|GER 2 - 0 fb-rt|UKR

May 7, 1997, Kiev, Ukraine - fb|UKR 1 - 1 fb-rt|ARM

June 7, 1997, Porto, Portugal - fb|POR 2 - 0 fb-rt|ALB

June 7, 1997, Kiev, Ukraine - fb|UKR 0 - 0 fb-rt|GER

August 20, 1997, Belfast, Northern Ireland - fb|NIR 1 - 3 fb-rt|GER

August 20, 1997, Setúbal, Portugal - fb|POR 3 - 1 fb-rt|ARM

August 20, 1997, Kiev, Ukraine - fb|UKR 1 - 0 fb-rt|ALB

September 6, 1997, Yerevan, Armenia - fb|ARM 3 - 0 fb-rt|ALB

September 6, 1997, Berlin, Germany - fb|GER 1 - 1 fb-rt|POR

September 10, 1997, Zürich, Switzerland - fb|ALB 1 - 0 fb-rt|NIR

September 10, 1997, Dortmund, Germany - fb|GER 4 - 0 fb-rt|ARM

October 11, 1997, Hannover, Germany - fb|GER 4 - 3 fb-rt|ALB

October 11, 1997, Yerevan, Armenia - fb|ARM 0 - 2 fb-rt|UKR

October 11, 1997, Lisbon, Portugal - fb|POR 1 - 0 fb-rt|NIR

Ranking of runners-up

Record against the 1st, 3rd and 4th-placed team in their groups.

Play-offs

October 29, 1997, Zagreb, Croatia - fb|CRO 2 - 0 fb-rt|UKR

November 15, 1997, Kyiv, Ukraine - fb|UKR 1 - 1 fb-rt|CRO

Croatia qualified by the aggregate score of 3-1.

October 29, 1997, Moscow, Russia - fb|RUS 1 - 1 fb-rt|ITA

November 15, 1997, Naples, Italy - fb|ITA 1 - 0 fb-rt|RUS

Italy qualified by the aggregate score of 2-1.

October 29, 1997, Dublin, Ireland - fb|IRL 1 - 1 fb-rt|BEL

November 15, 1997, Brussels, Belgium - fb|BEL 2 - 1 fb-rt|IRL

Belgium qualified by the aggregate score of 3-2.

October 29, 1997, Budapest, Hungary - fb|HUN 1 - 7 fb-rt|FR Yugoslavia

November 15, 1997, Belgrade, Yugoslavia - fb|FR Yugoslavia 5 - 0 fb-rt|HUN

Yugoslavia qualified by the aggregate score of 12-1.

ee also

*1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)
*1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)
*1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF)
*1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
*1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC)