1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
Team Method of qualification Date of qualification Finals appearance Last appearance Consecutive finals appearances Previous best performance FIFA ranking at start of event
France Host 2 July 1992 10th 1986 1 Third place ( 1958 , 1986 ) 18
Brazil 1994 FIFA World Cup Winners 17 July 1994 16th 1994 16 Winners ( 1958 , 1962 , 1970 , 1994 ) 1
Nigeria CAF Final Round Group 1 Winners 7 June 1997 2nd 1994 2 Round of 16 ( 1994 ) 74
Tunisia CAF Final Round Group 2 Winners 8 June 1997 1st 1978 1 Group stage ( 1978 ) 21
Morocco CAF Final Round Group 5 Winners 8 June 1997 4th 1994 2 Round of 16 ( 1986 ) 13
South Africa CAF Final Round Group 3 Winners 16 August 1997 1st - 1 - 24
Cameroon CAF Final Round Group 4 Winners 17 August 1997 4th 1994 3 Quarter-finals ( 1990 ) 49
Romania UEFA Group 8 Winners 18 August 1997 7th 1994 3 Quarter-finals ( 1994 ) 22
Norway UEFA Group 3 Winners 6 September 1997 3rd 1994 2 Group stage ( 1938 , 1994 ) 7
Bulgaria UEFA Group 5 Winners 10 September 1997 7th 1994 2 Fourth place ( 1994 ) 35
Argentina CONMEBOL Round Robin Winners 10 September 1997 12th 1994 7 Winners ( 1978 , 1986 ) 6
Colombia CONMEBOL Round Robin 3rd Place 10 September 1997 4th 1994 3 Round of 16 ( 1990 ) 10
Paraguay CONMEBOL Round Robin 2nd Place 10 September 1997 5th 1986 1 Round of 16 ( 1986 ) 29
Denmark UEFA Group 1 Winners 11 October 1997 2nd 1986 1 Round of 16 ( 1986 ) 27
England UEFA Group 2 Winners 11 October 1997 10th 1990 1 Winners ( 1966 ) 5
Austria UEFA Group 4 Winners 11 October 1997 7th 1990 1 Third place ( 1954 ) 31
Spain UEFA Group 6 Winners 11 October 1997 10th 1994 6 Fourth place ( 1950 ) 15
Netherlands UEFA Group 7 Winners 11 October 1997 7th 1994 3 Runners-up ( 1974 , 1978 ) 25
Germany UEFA Group 9 Winners 11 October 1997 14th 1994 12 Winners ( 1954 , 1974 , 1990 ) 2
Scotland UEFA Group 4 Runners-up 11 October 1997 8th 1990 1 Group stage ( 1954 , 1958 , 1974 , 1978 , 1982 , 1986 , 1990 ) 41
Qualified teams
Country qualified for World Cup Country failed to qualify Country did not enter World Cup Country not a FIFA member
The 1998 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 174 teams entered the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 32 spots in the final tournament. The 1998 FIFA World Cup featured 32 teams, with two places reserved for France and Brazil as host nation and defending champions, respectively. The remaining 30 places were determined by a qualification process, in which the other 174 teams, from the six FIFA confederations, competed.