| Tourney Name: | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| Num Teams: | 197 |
| Confederations: | 6 |
| Top Scorer: | Jared Borgetti (14 goals) |
| Prevseason: | 2002 |
| Nextseason: | 2010 |
The 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification competition was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation – the AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (North, Central America and Caribbean), CONMEBOL (South America), OFC (Oceania), and UEFA (Europe) – was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament. A total of 197 teams entered the qualification process for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In 2001 FIFA ended automatic qualification of the reigning champion,[1] so that 2002 champions Brazil became first to participate in the qualifying tournament. The hosts (Germany) retained their automatic spot.
The original distribution of places between the six confederations called for Oceania to be given one full spot in the final 32; this idea was seen as virtually guaranteeing a place in the finals to Australia, by far the strongest footballing nation in the region. This decision was reconsidered in June 2003 and the previous distribution of places between Oceania and South America was restored.
The draw for five of the six qualification tournaments took place on 5 December 2003 in Frankfurt, whilst all of the members of the South American federation (CONMEBOL) competed in a single group. Qualification itself began in September 2003.
The following 32 teams qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup:
| Team | Method of qualification | Date of qualification | Finals appearance | Consecutive finals appearances | Previous best performance | FIFA Ranking at start of event[2] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host | 6 July 2000 | data-sort-value="16" | 16th (1) | 14 | data-sort-value="7.5" | Winners (1954, 1974, 1990) | 19 | |
| AFC third round Group 2 winners | 8 June 2005 | data-sort-value="3" | 3rd | 3 | data-sort-value="2.2" | Round of 16 (2002) | 18 | |
| AFC third round Group 1 winners | 8 June 2005 | data-sort-value="4" | 4th | 4 | data-sort-value="2.2" | Round of 16 (1994) | 34 | |
| AFC third round Group 1 runners-up | 8 June 2005 | data-sort-value="7" | 7th | 6 | data-sort-value="1.3" | Fourth place (2002) | 29 | |
| AFC third round Group 2 runners-up | 8 June 2005 | data-sort-value="3" | 3rd | 1 (Last: 1998) | data-sort-value="1.3" | Group stage (1978, 1998) | 23 | |
| CONMEBOL runners-up | 8 June 2005 | data-sort-value="14" | 14th | 9 | data-sort-value="6.3" | Winners (1978, 1986) | 9 | |
| UEFA Group 2 winners | 3 September 2005 | data-sort-value="1" | 1st | – | data-sort-value="7.4" | – | 45 | |
| CONCACAF fourth round winners | 3 September 2005 | data-sort-value="8" | 8th | 5 | data-sort-value="7.4" | Third place (1930) | 5 | |
| CONMEBOL winners | 5 September 2005 | data-sort-value="18" | 18th | 18 | data-sort-value="2.1" | Winners (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) | 1 | |
| CONCACAF fourth round runners-up | 7 September 2005 | data-sort-value="14" | 13th | 4 | data-sort-value="5.1" | Quarter-finals (1970, 1986) | 4 | |
| CAF second round Group 2 winners | 8 October 2005 | data-sort-value="1" | 1st | – | data-sort-value="4.1" | – | 48 | |
| CAF second round Group 1 winners | 8 October 2005 | data-sort-value="1" | 1st | – | data-sort-value="4.1" | – | 61 | |
| UEFA Group 6 winners | 8 October 2005 | data-sort-value="12" | 12th | 3 | data-sort-value="4.1" | Winners (1966) | 10 | |
| UEFA Group 6 runners-up | 8 October 2005 | data-sort-value="12" | 7th | 2 | data-sort-value="4.1" | Third place (1974, 1982) | 29 | |
| CAF second round Group 4 winners | 8 October 2005 | data-sort-value="1" | 1st | – | data-sort-value="4.1" | – | 57 | |
| CAF second round Group 3 winners | 8 October 2005 | data-sort-value="1" | 1st | – | data-sort-value="4.1" | – | 32 | |
| CAF second round Group 5 winners | 8 October 2005 | data-sort-value="4" | 4th | 3 | data-sort-value="4.1" | Group stage (1978, 1998, 2002) | 21 | |
| UEFA Group 8 winners | 8 October 2005 | data-sort-value="3" | 3rd | 3 | data-sort-value="3.3" | Third place (1998) | 23 | |
| UEFA Group 1 winners | 8 October 2005 | data-sort-value="8" | 8th | 1 (Last: 1998) | data-sort-value="3.3" | Runners-up (1974, 1978) | 3 | |
| UEFA Group 5 winners | 8 October 2005 | data-sort-value="16" | 16th | 12 | data-sort-value="7.3" | Winners (1934, 1938, 1982) | 13 | |
| UEFA Group 3 winners | 8 October 2005 | data-sort-value="4" | 4th | 2 | data-sort-value="7.3" | Third place (1966) | 7 | |
| CONCACAF fourth round third place | 8 October 2005 | data-sort-value="3" | 3rd | 2 | data-sort-value="5.1" | Round of 16 (1990) | 26 | |
| CONMEBOL third place | 8 October 2005 | data-sort-value="2" | 2nd | 2 | data-sort-value="2.1" | Group stage (2002) | 39 | |
| CONMEBOL fourth place | 8 October 2005 | data-sort-value="7" | 7th | 3 | data-sort-value="2.1" | Round of 16 (1986, 1998, 2002) | 33 | |
| UEFA Group 8 runners-up | 12 October 2005 | data-sort-value="11" | 11th | 2 | data-sort-value="7.3" | Runners-up (1958) | 16 | |
| UEFA Group 7 winners | 12 October 2005 | data-sort-value="2" | 10th (3) | 1 (Last: 1998) | data-sort-value="7.3" | Fourth place (1930, 1962) | 44 | |
| UEFA Group 4 winners | 12 October 2005 | data-sort-value="12" | 12th | 3 | data-sort-value="7.3" | Winners (1998) | 8 | |
| CONMEBOL v OFC Play-off winners | 16 November 2005 | 2nd | 1 (Last: 1974) | data-sort-value="7.2" | Group stage (1974) | 42 | ||
| AFC v CONCACAF Play-off winners | 16 November 2005 | 1st | – | data-sort-value="3.3" | – | 47 | ||
| UEFA Play-off winners | 16 November 2005 | data-sort-value="9" | 9th (4) | 1 (Last: 1990) | data-sort-value="7.3" | Runners-up (1934, 1962) | 2 | |
| UEFA Play-off winners | 16 November 2005 | data-sort-value="12" | 12th | 8 | data-sort-value="7.3" | Fourth place (1950) | 5 | |
| UEFA Play-off winners | 16 November 2005 | data-sort-value="8" | 8th | 1 (Last: 1994) | data-sort-value="7.3" | Quarter-finals (1934, 1938, 1954) | 35 | |
A total of 197 teams entered the qualification process for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, competing for a total of 32 spots in the final tournament. Germany, as the host, qualified automatically, leaving 31 spots open for competition.
Starting with these qualifiers, the defending champion (Brazil) was not granted automatic qualification for the first time. FIFA announced the decision in December 2001 at the draw for the 2002 Finals Tournament. The official reason was that the friendly matches to which previous champions were restricted provided inferior preparation to the competitive qualification matches others would have played. Media also noted that the change released an extra place for the contentious distribution of places by confederation.[3]
The final distribution was as follows:
The distribution by confederation for the 2006 FIFA World Cup was:[4]
UEFA and CAF have a guaranteed number of places, whereas the number of qualifiers from other confederations is dependent on play-offs between AFC's fifth-placed team and CONMEBOL's fifth-placed team, and between CONCACAF's fourth-placed team and OFC's first-placed team. A draw determined the pairings between the four teams involved.
| width=150 | Confederation | width=100 | Available slots in finals | width=100 | Teams started | width=100 | Teams eliminated | width=100 | Teams qualified | Qualifying start date | Qualifying end date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC | 4 or 5 | 38 | 34 | 4 | 19 November 2003 | 16 November 2005 | |||||
| CAF | 5 | 51 | 46 | 5 | 10 October 2003 | 8 October 2005 | |||||
| CONCACAF | 3 or 4 | 34 | 30 | 4 | 18 February 2004 | 16 November 2005 | |||||
| CONMEBOL | 4 or 5 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 6 September 2003 | 20 November 2005 | |||||
| OFC | 0 or 1 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 10 May 2004 | 16 November 2005 | |||||
| UEFA | 13+1 | 51+1 | 38 | 13+1 | 18 August 2004 | 16 November 2005 | |||||
| Total | 31+1 | 196+1 | 165 | 31+1 | 6 September 2003 | 16 November 2005 |
For FIFA World Cup qualifying stages using a league format, the method used for separating teams level on points is the same for all Confederations. The rules for separating teams level on points are decided by FIFA and can be found in article 18 part 6d to 6g of the FIFA Regulations 2006 World Cup Germany
If teams are even on points at the end of group play, the tied teams will be ranked by:[5]
For FIFA World Cup qualifying stages using a home-and-away knockout format, the team that has the higher aggregate score over the two legs progresses to the next round. In the event that aggregate scores finish level, the away goals rule is applied, i.e. the team that scored more goals away from home over the two legs progresses. If away goals are also equal, then thirty minutes of extra time are played, divided into two fifteen-minutes halves. The away goals rule is again applied after extra time, i.e. if there are goals scored during extra time and the aggregate score is still level, the visiting team qualifies by virtue of more away goals scored. If no goals are scored during extra time, the tie is decided by penalty shoot-out.
This is a change from the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where total goal difference was the first tiebreaker.
A total of 194 teams played at least one qualifying match. A total of 847 qualifying matches were played, and 2464 goals were scored (an average of 2.91 per match).
See main article: 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC). 44 Asian teams are affiliated with FIFA, but Cambodia, Philippines, Bhutan and Brunei decided not to take part, and Myanmar was banned from the competition, so a total of 39 teams took part, competing for 4.5 places in the World Cup.
The qualification was composed of three rounds.
See main article: 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC third round.
See main article: 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC fourth round.
Bahrain advanced to the AFC–CONCACAF play-off on the away goals rule.
See main article: 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF).
The qualification was composed of two Rounds. 9 teams entered the competition directly on the second round: the 5 teams that qualified for the 2002 World Cup Finals (Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia) and the 4 highest-ranking teams in the June 25, 2003 FIFA world rankings (Congo DR, Ivory Coast, Egypt, and Morocco). The other 42 teams were paired 2-by-2 and played knock-out matches home-and-away. The 21 winners would advance to the second round.
In the second round, the 30 teams were divided in 5 groups of 6 teams each. Teams in each group would play against each other in a home-and-away basis. The team with most points in each group would qualify to the World Cup.
The competition also constituted the qualification competition for the 2006 African Nations Cup with the top three nations of each group qualifying (except for Egypt, which qualifies as the host nation, the fourth nation in Egypt's group qualifying in Egypt's place).
The African qualifying zone saw 4 out of 5 finals places going to World Cup debutants (Angola, Togo, Ivory Coast and Ghana). Nigeria missed out on a fourth consecutive finals appearance while Cameroon did not reach their fifth consecutive finals.
The African zone also featured a group of death – Group 3 – which brought together Africa's most frequent World Cup qualifier Cameroon with the two eventual finalists of the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations: Egypt and the Ivory Coast.
See main article: 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF second round.
See main article: 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF).
The qualification process was divided in three stages. In the first stage, the 34 teams were divided in 10 groups of three teams each and two groups of two teams each. Groups with three teams had two rounds, with the best ranked team according to FIFA in each group entering the competition in the second round. In each group, teams were paired 2-by-2 and played home-and-away matches.
The 12 winners of the first stage advanced to the second stage, where they were divided into three groups of four teams each. Teams in each group would play against each other home-and-away, and the two teams with most points in each group would advance to the final round.
In the third stage, the six teams were put in a single group, and played against each other home-and-away. The three teams with most points qualified to the World Cup. The fourth placed team advanced to the AFC–CONCACAF play-off against the winner of a play-off between third placed teams in the Third Round of Asia.
See main article: 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF fourth round.
See main article: 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL). 10 teams took part, all in a single group. The rules were very simple: the teams would play against each other in a home-and-away basis, with the four teams with most points qualifying to the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The fifth ranked team would have to play-off against the best team from Oceania, with the winner of this play-off also qualifying. For the first time, Brazil, the defending champion, was required to go through qualification and was not automatically qualified for the tournament.
See main article: 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC). 12 teams took part, competing for a place in the intercontinental play-off against the fifth-placed team from South America. The winner of this play-off qualified for the World Cup.
See main article: 2004 OFC Nations Cup. In the Second round, the six teams were put in a single group, and played against each other once. The two teams with most points advanced to a play-off, and played against each other home and away. The winner of this play-off advanced to the intercontinental play-off.
Australia and the Solomon Islands progressed to the final stage.
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See main article: 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA). A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 groups (five groups of six teams each and three groups of seven teams each) competing for 13 places in the World Cup. Germany, the hosts, were already qualified, for a total of 14 European places in the tournament. The qualifying process started on 18 August 2004, over a month after the end of UEFA Euro 2004, and ended on 16 November 2005.
The teams in each group would play against each other in a home and away basis. The team with most points in each group would qualify to the World Cup. The runners up would be ranked. As some groups had seven teams and others had six, results against the seventh placed team were ignored. The two best ranked runners up would also qualify to the World Cup. The other six runners up were drawn into three home and away knock out matches, winners of those matches also qualifying.
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 |
| Group 4 | Group 5 | Group 6 |
| Group 7 | Group 8 |
See main article: 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA second round.
Poland and Sweden qualified directly to the World Cup. The other teams had to play in the playoffs.
A draw was held on 14 October 2005 at FIFA headquarters in Zürich to pair each team from Pot 1 with a team from Pot 2. A second draw at the same time and location determined the order of the fixtures.
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See main article: article and 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (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 12 November 2005, and the second legs were played on 16 November 2005.
See main article: article and 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF–AFC play-off).
See main article: article and 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL–OFC play-off).
Below are goalscorer lists for all confederations and the inter-confederation play-offs: