2002 FIFA World Cup qualification


The 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification competition was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC, and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament. 199 teams entered the tournament qualification rounds, competing for 32 spots in the final tournament. South Korea and Japan, as the co-hosts, and France, as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 29 spots open for competition.

Qualified teams

TeamMethod of
qualification
Date of
qualification
Finals
appearance
Last
appearance
Consecutive
finals
appearances
Previous best
performance
FIFA ranking
at start of event
Host31 May 19962nd19982Group Stage 32
Host31 May 19966th19985Group Stage 40
Defending Champions12 July 199811th19982Winners 1
CAF Final Round Group A Winners1 July 20015th19984Quarter Finals 17
CAF Final Round Group E Winners1 July 20012nd19982Group Stage 37
CAF Final Round Group D Winners15 July 20013rd19982Group Stage 31
CAF Final Round Group C Winners21 July 20011st142
CAF Final Round Group B Winners29 July 20013rd19983Round of 16 27
CONMEBOL Robin Round Winners15 August 200113th19988Winners 3
UEFA Group 5 Winners1 September 20016th19861Third Place 38
UEFA Group 4 Winners5 September 200110th19941Runners-Up 19
UEFA Group 7 Winners5 September 200111th19987Fourth Place 8
CONCACAF Final Round Winners5 September 20012nd19901Round of 16 29
UEFA Group 1 Winners6 October 20019th 19941Fourth Place 28
UEFA Group 2 Winners6 October 20013rd19861Third Place 5
UEFA Group 3 Winners6 October 20013rd19982Quarter Finals 20
UEFA Group 6 Winners6 October 20012nd19982Third Place 21
UEFA Group 8 Winners6 October 200115th199811Winners 6
UEFA Group 9 Winners6 October 200111th19982Winners 12
AFC Second Round Group B Winners7 October 20011st150
CONCACAF Final Round Runners-Up7 October 20017th19984Third Place 13
AFC Second Round Group A Winners21 October 20013rd19983Round of 16 34
CONMEBOL Robin Round 4th Place8 November 20016th19982Round of 16 18
CONCACAF Final Round 3rd Place11 November 200112th19983Quarter Finals 7
UEFA play-off Winners14 November 200111th19986Fourth Place 23
UEFA play-off Winners14 November 200115th199812Winners 11
UEFA play-off Winners14 November 20011st125
UEFA play-off Winners14 November 20012nd19541Group Stage 22
CONMEBOL Robin Round Runners-Up14 November 20011st136
CONMEBOL Robin Round 3rd Place14 November 200117th199817Winners 2
UEFA-AFC play-off Winners15 November 20013rd19941Quarter Finals 15
CONMEBOL v OFC play-off Winners25 November 200110th19901Winners 24

12 of the 32 teams subsequently failed to qualify for the 2006 finals: Belgium, Cameroon, China, Denmark, Ireland, Nigeria, Russia, Senegal, Slovenia, South Africa, Turkey, Uruguay.
1Includes 10 appearances by DFB representing West Germany between 1954 and 1990. Excludes 1 appearance by DVF representing East Germany between 1954 and 1990.

2Includes appearances by USSR.

Qualification process

The 32 spots available in the 2002 World Cup would be distributed among the continental zones as follows:
A total of 193 teams played at least one qualifying match. A total of 777 qualifying matches were played, and 2452 goals were scored.

Confederation qualification

AFC

The Asian Football Confederation was allocated four and half qualifying berths for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, South Korea and Japan, the co-hosts, qualified automatically, leaving two and half spots open for competition between 40 teams. Myanmar withdrew from the tournament after being placed in Group 2 but before any matches had been played, therefore reducing the group to 3 teams.
Afghanistan, Bhutan and North Korea chose not to participate.
Asia's two remaining automatic qualifying berths were taken by Saudi Arabia and China. Iran that defeating United Arab Emirates to become possible fifth Asian qualifier, fails after losing their AFC/UEFA playoff against Republic of Ireland.
There were three rounds of play:
Legend
Countries that qualified for the 2002 World Cup
Countries that advanced to the [|Play-off for 3rd place]

Final positions (Second Round)

AFC Play-off

CAF

The Confederation of African Football was allocated five qualifying berths for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. 51 teams entered the qualification process.
Burundi withdrew before the draw was made. while Niger and Comoros chose not to participate.
Guinea was excluded from the competition during the Final Round for government interference with its national association, resulting in their results obtained in final round annulled.
Africa's five automatic qualifying berths were taken by Cameroon, Senegal, Tunisia, South Africa, and Nigeria.
There were two rounds of play:

CONCACAF

A total of 35 CONCACAF teams entered the competition. Mexico, USA, Jamaica and Costa Rica, the four highest-ranked teams according to FIFA, received byes and advanced to the semi-finals, while Canada advanced to the play-offs. The remaining teams were divided into zones, based on geographical locations, as follows:
TeamPldPts
1023
1017
1017
1014
108
105

CONMEBOL

A total of 10 CONMEBOL teams entered the competition. competing for four and half places in the final tournament.
The 10 teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The top 4 teams qualified. The 5th-placed team advanced to the CONMEBOL / OFC Intercontinental Play-off.

Final positions

OFC

A total of 10 teams entered the competition. competing for a half places in the final tournament.
There would be two rounds of play:
Australia's 31–0 win over American Samoa established a World Cup record for the highest margin of victory in a qualifying match.

Final positions (Final Round)

UEFA

The European section acted as qualifiers for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, for national teams which are members of the Union of European Football Associations . Apart from France, who qualified automatically as holders, a total of thirteen and half slots in the final tournament were available for UEFA teams.
The 50 teams were divided into nine groups, five groups of six teams and four groups of five teams. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify. Among the runners-up, the runner-up of Group 2 was drawn randomly to advance to the UEFA–AFC Intercontinental play-off. The other runners-up would advance to the UEFA play-offs.
In the play-offs, the eight teams were paired up to play knockout matches on a home-and-away basis. The four aggregate winners qualified. The qualifying process started on 2 September 2000, after UEFA Euro 2000, and ended on 14 November 2001.
The Netherlands and Romania both failed to qualify for the tournament for the first time since 1986, the former finishing third in Group 2 behind Portugal and Republic of Ireland and the latter suffering a shock loss to Slovenia in the play-offs.
Legend
Countries that qualified for the 2002 World Cup
Countries that advanced to the [|Play-offs]

Final positions (First Round)

Play-offs

Inter-confederation play-offs

There were two scheduled inter-confederation playoffs to determine the final two qualification spots to the finals. The first legs were played on 10 and 20 November 2001, and the second legs were played on 15 and 25 November 2001.

UEFA v AFC

OFC v CONMEBOL

Top goalscorers

;16 goals
;15 goals
;14 goals
;11 goals
;10 goals