View source for 1938 FIFA World Cup qualification

{{Short description|Qualification rounds for the 1938 FIFA World Cup}}
{{Infobox international football competition
| tourney_name   = 1938 FIFA World Cup Qualification
| year           = 
| alt            =
| caption        =
| dates          = 16 June 1937 – 1 May 1938
| num_teams      = 37
| confederations = 3
| matches        = 22
| goals          = 96
| attendance     = 
| top_scorer     = {{flagicon|LVA}} [[Fricis Kaņeps]]<br />{{flagicon|HUN|1920}} [[Gyula Zsengellér]]<br />(5 goals each)
| prevseason     = [[1934 FIFA World Cup qualification|1934]]
| nextseason     = [[1950 FIFA World Cup qualification|1950]]
}}
A total of 37 teams entered the '''[[1938 FIFA World Cup]] [[FIFA World Cup qualification|qualification]]''' rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. For the first time the title holders and the host country were given automatic qualification. Therefore, [[France national football team|France]], as the hosts, and [[Italy national football team|Italy]], as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition.

Due to the [[Spanish Civil War]], [[Spain national football team|Spain]]  withdrew from the competition. The remaining 34 teams were divided into 12 groups, based on geographical considerations, as follows:

*Groups 1 to 9 – Europe: ''11 places'', contested by 23 teams (including [[Egypt national football team|Egypt]] and [[Mandatory Palestine national football team|Palestine]]).
*Groups 10 and 11 – [[The Americas]]: ''2 places'', contested by 9 teams.
*Group 12 – Asia: ''1 place'', contested by 2 teams.
However, due to the withdrawal of [[Austria national football team|Austria]] after qualifying (they had been annexed by [[Nazi Germany|Germany]]), only 15 teams actually competed in the final tournament. FIFA did not offer participation to the runner-up of the group that Austria had played in, [[Latvia national football team|Latvia]].

A total of 21 teams played at least one qualifying match. A total of 22 qualifying matches were played, and 96 goals were scored (an average of 4.36 per match).

==Format==
The 12 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, 4, 5 and 7''' had 2 teams each. The teams, except in Group 5, played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify. In Group 5, Switzerland and Portugal were to play only one match on a neutral ground with the winner to qualify.
*'''Groups 6 and 8''' 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 the Final Round directly. The remaining 2 teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winner would advance to the Final Round.
** '''Final Round''': The seeded team played against the winner of the First Round at home. The winner would qualify.
*'''Group 9''' had 3 teams. The teams played against each other once. The group winner and runner-up would qualify.
*'''Group 10''' had 2 teams. The group winner would qualify.
*'''Group 11''' had 7 teams. The group winner would qualify.
*'''Group 12''' had 2 teams. The group winner would qualify.

'''Key''':
*Teams highlighted in green qualified for the [[1938 FIFA World Cup|finals]].
*Teams highlighted in Orange qualified for the final phase of their group.

==Groups==

===Group 1===
{{Main|1938 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 1}}

{{#invoke:Sports table|main|style=WDL
|use_goal_ratio=yes

|team1=GER |team2=SWE |team3=EST |team4=FIN

|win_GER=3 |draw_GER=0  |loss_GER=0 |gf_GER=11 |ga_GER=1
|win_SWE=2 |draw_SWE=0 |loss_SWE=1 |gf_SWE=11 |ga_SWE=7
|win_EST=1 |draw_EST=0 |loss_EST=2 |gf_EST= 4 |ga_EST=11
|win_FIN=0|draw_FIN=0 |loss_FIN=3 |gf_FIN=0 |ga_FIN=7

|name_GER={{fb|GER|1935}}
|name_SWE={{fb|SWE}}
|name_EST={{fb|EST}}
|name_FIN={{fb|FIN}}

|winpoints=2
|res_col_header=Q
|result1=KO |result2=KO
|col_KO=green1 |text_KO=[[1938 FIFA World Cup|Final tournament]]
}}

{{football box
|date = 16 June 1937
|team1 = {{fb-rt|SWE}}
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716020141/http://scoreshelf.com/gjdb/en/Sweden/World_Cup/1938fwcSWE_v_FIN Report]
|score = 4&ndash;0
|team2 = {{fb|FIN}}
|goals1 = [[Lennart Bunke|Bunke]] {{goal|60||82}}<br />[[Erik Persson (footballer)|Persson]] {{goal|65}}<br />[[Kurt Svanström|Svanström]] {{goal|68}}
|location = [[Stockholm]], Sweden
|stadium = [[Solna Råsunda Stadion]]
|attendance = 19,554
|referee = [[Kolbjørn Daehlen]] ([[Football Association of Norway|Norway]])
}}
---- 
{{football box
|date = 20 June 1937
|team1 = {{fb-rt|SWE}}
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716020146/http://scoreshelf.com/gjdb/en/Sweden/World_Cup/1938fwcSWE_v_EST Report]
|score = 7&ndash;2
|team2 = {{fb|EST}}
|goals1 = [[Gustav Josefsson|Josefsson]] {{goal|7||41}}<br />[[Lennart Bunke|Bunke]] {{goal|40}}<br />[[Sven Jonasson|Jonasson]] {{goal|49|pen.}}<br />[[Gustav Wetterström|Wetterström]] {{goal|73||77||84}}
|goals2 = [[Georg Siimenson|Siimenson]] {{goal|2}}<br />[[Heinrich Uukkivi|Uukkivi]] {{goal|3}}
|location = [[Stockholm]], Sweden
|stadium = [[Solna Råsunda Stadion]]
|attendance = 20,000
|referee = Otto Remke ([[Danish Football Association|Denmark]])
}}
---- 
{{football box
|date = 29 June 1937
|team1 = {{fb-rt|FIN}}
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716020149/http://scoreshelf.com/gjdb/en/Germany/World_Cup/1938fwcFIN_v_DEU Report]
|score = 0&ndash;2
|team2 = {{fb|GER|1935}}
|goals2 = [[Ernst Lehner|Lehner]] {{goal|26}}<br />[[Adolf Urban|Urban]] {{goal|38}}
|location = [[Helsinki]], Finland
|stadium = [[Pallokenttä]]
|attendance = 6,519
|referee = Otto Remke ([[Danish Football Association|Denmark]])
}}
---- 
{{football box
|date = 19 August 1937
|team1 = {{fb-rt|FIN}}
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716020214/http://scoreshelf.com/gjdb/en/Estonia/World_Cup/1938fwcFIN_v_EST Report]
|score = 0&ndash;1
|team2 = {{fb|EST}}
|goals2 = [[Richard Kuremaa|Kuremaa]] {{goal|56}}
|location = [[Turku]], Finland
|stadium = [[Paavo Nurmi Stadium|Urheilupuisto]]
|attendance = 4,797
|referee = [[Ivan Eklind]] ([[Swedish Football Association|Sweden]])
}}
---- 
{{football box
|date = 29 August 1937
|team1 = {{fb-rt|GER|1935}}
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716020224/http://scoreshelf.com/gjdb/en/Germany/World_Cup/1938fwcDEU_v_EST Report]
|score = 4&ndash;1
|team2 = {{fb|EST}}
|goals1 = [[Ernst Lehner|Lehner]] {{goal|50||65}}<br />[[Josef Gauchel|Gauchel]] {{goal|53||86}}
|goals2 = [[Georg Siimenson|Siimenson]] {{goal|34}}
|location = [[Königsberg]], Germany
|stadium = [[Lokomotiv Stadium (Kaliningrad)|Horst-Wessel Stadion]]
|attendance = 15,000
|referee = Bruno Pfützner ([[Czechoslovak Football Association|Czechoslovakia]])
}}
---- 
{{football box
|date = 21 November 1937
|team1 = {{fb-rt|GER|1935}}
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716020233/http://scoreshelf.com/gjdb/en/Germany/World_Cup/1938fwcDEU_v_SWE Report]
|score = 5&ndash;0
|team2 = {{fb|SWE}}
|goals1 = [[Otto Siffling|Siffling]] {{goal|2||57}}<br />[[Fritz Szepan|Szepan]] {{goal|8}}<br />[[Helmut Schön|Schön]] {{goal|48||63}}
|location = [[Hamburg]], Germany
|stadium = [[Altonaer Stadion]]
|attendance = 55,000
|referee = Bruno Pfützner ([[Czechoslovak Football Association|Czechoslovakia]])
}}

'''Germany''' and '''Sweden''' qualified.

===Group 2===
{{Main|1938 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 2}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30|Rank
!width=165 style="text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pld|Matches played}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|W|Matches won}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|D|Matches drawn}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|L|Matches lost}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GF|Goals for}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GA|Goals against}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GAv|Goal average}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pts|Points}}
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
|'''1'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|NOR}}
|2||1||1||0||6||5||1.20||'''3'''
|-
|'''2'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|IRL|name=Irish Free State}}
|2||0||1||1||5||6||0.83||'''1'''
|-
|}

{{football box
|date = 10 October 1937
|team1 = {{fb-rt|NOR}}
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716020300/http://scoreshelf.com/gjdb/en/Norway/World_Cup/1938fwcNOR_v_IRL Report]
|score = 3&ndash;2
|team2 = {{fb|IRL|name=Irish Free State}}
|goals1 = [[Reidar Kvammen|Kvammen]] {{goal|30||64}}<br />[[Alf Martinsen|Martinsen]] {{goal|78}}
|goals2 = [[Matty Geoghegan|Geoghegan]] {{goal|37}}<br />[[Jimmy Dunne (footballer, born 1905)|Dunne]] {{goal|49}}
|location = [[Oslo]], Norway
|stadium = [[Ullevaal Stadion]]
|attendance = 20,000
|referee = [[Peco Bauwens]] ([[German Football Association|Germany]])
}}
---- 
{{football box
|date = 7 November 1937
|team1 = {{fb-rt|IRL|name=Irish Free State}}
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716020314/http://scoreshelf.com/gjdb/en/Republic_of_Ireland/World_Cup/1938fwcIRL_v_NOR Report]
|score = 3&ndash;3
|team2 = {{fb|NOR}}
|goals1 = [[Jimmy Dunne (footballer, born 1905)|Dunne]] {{goal|10}}<br />[[Kevin O'Flanagan|O'Flanagan]] {{goal|62}}<br />[[Harry Duggan (footballer)|Duggan]] {{goal|88}}
|goals2 = [[Reidar Kvammen|Kvammen]] {{goal|16||33}}<br />[[Alf Martinsen|Martinsen]] {{goal|49}}
|location = [[Dublin]], [[Irish Free State]]
|stadium = [[Dalymount Park]]
|attendance = 27,000
|referee = [[Thomas Gibbs (referee)|Thomas Gibbs]] ([[The Football Association|England]])
}}

'''Norway''' qualified.

===Group 3===
{{Main|1938 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 3}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30|Rank
!width=165 style="text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pld|Matches played}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|W|Matches won}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|D|Matches drawn}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|L|Matches lost}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GF|Goals for}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GA|Goals against}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GAv|Goal average}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pts|Points}}
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
|'''1'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|POL|1928}}
|2||1||0||1||4||1||4.00||'''2'''
|-
|'''2'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|Kingdom of Yugoslavia}}
|2||1||0||1||1||4||0.25||'''2'''
|}

{{football box
|date = 10 October 1937
|team1 = {{fb-rt|POL|1928}}
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716020337/http://scoreshelf.com/gjdb/en/Poland/World_Cup/1938fwcPOL_v_YUG Report]
|score = 4&ndash;0
|team2 = {{fb|Kingdom of Yugoslavia}}
|goals1 = [[Leonard Piątek|Piątek]] {{goal|3||20}}<br />[[Jerzy Wostal|Wostal]] {{goal|59}}<br />[[Ernest Wilimowski|Wilimowski]] {{goal|78}}
|location = [[Warsaw]], Poland
|stadium = [[Stadion Wojska Polskiego]]
|attendance = 30,000
|referee = [[Lucien Leclercq]] ([[French Football Federation|France]])
}}
---- 
{{football box
|date = 3 April 1938
|team1 = {{fb-rt|Kingdom of Yugoslavia}}
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716020354/http://scoreshelf.com/gjdb/en/Yugoslavia/World_Cup/1938fwcYUG_v_POL Report]
|score = 1&ndash;0
|team2 = {{fb|POL|1928}}
|goals1 = [[Blagoje Marjanović|Marjanović]] {{goal|61}}
|location = [[Belgrade]], [[Yugoslavia]]
|stadium = [[Stadion BSK]]
|attendance = 25,000
|referee = [[Rinaldo Barlassina]] ([[Italian Football Federation|Italy]])
}}

'''Poland''' finished above Yugoslavia on [[goal average]], and thus qualified.

===Group 4===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!width=30|Rank
!  style="width:165px; text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pld|Matches played}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|W|Matches won}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|D|Matches drawn}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|L|Matches lost}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GF|Goals for}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GA|Goals against}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GD|Goal difference}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pts|Points}}
|-  style="text-align:center; background:#ccffcc;"
|'''—'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|Romania}}
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="8"|''qualified''
|-  style="text-align:center; background:#f5f5f5;"
|'''—'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|EGY|1922}}
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="8"|''withdrew''
|}

Egypt were to play Romania on 17 December 1937. However, Egypt withdrew from the competition after [[Kingdom of Egypt|Egyptian]] officials objected to playing on this date since it was in the Muslim holy month of [[Ramadan]] (Some sources say that Ramadan in that year ended on 3 December,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hijri.habibur.com/1356/9/|title=Islamic Hijri Calendar For Ramadan - 1356 Hijri|website=hijri.habibur.com}}</ref> but at the time the beginning of Islamic months depended on the [[Moon sighting in Islam|sighting of the new moon]] which could vary depending on the country or region one was in). Therefore, Romania qualified after Egypt invited Austrian club side [[First Vienna FC]] to play a friendly match against the national team.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Dietschy|first=Paul|title=Making football global? FIFA, Europe, and the non-European football world, 1912–74|journal=Journal of Global History|date=6 June 2013|volume=8|issue=2|pages=288|doi=10.1017/S1740022813000223|s2cid=162747279 }}</ref>

===Group 5===
{{Main|1938 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 5}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30|Rank
!width=165 style="text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pld|Matches played}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|W|Matches won}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|D|Matches drawn}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|L|Matches lost}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GF|Goals for}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GA|Goals against}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GAv|Goal average}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pts|Points}}
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
|'''1'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|SUI}}
|1||1||0||0||2||1||2.00||'''2'''
|-
|'''2'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|POR}}
|1||0||0||1||1||2||0.50||'''0'''
|}

{{football box
|date = 1 May 1938
|team1 = {{fb-rt|SUI}}
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716020411/http://scoreshelf.com/gjdb/en/Switzerland/World_Cup/1938fwcSUI_v_POR Report]
|score = 2&ndash;1
|team2 = {{fb|POR}}
|goals1 = [[Georges Aeby|Aeby]] {{goal|24}}<br />[[Lauro Amado|Amado]] {{goal|29}}
|goals2 = [[Fernando Peyroteo|Peyroteo]] {{goal|72|pen.}}
|location = [[Milan]], Italy
|stadium = [[Stadio Civico Arena]]
|attendance = 20,000
|referee = [[Francesco Mattea]] ([[Italian Football Federation|Italy]])
}}

'''Switzerland''' qualified.

===Group 6===
{{Main|1938 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 6}}

====First round====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30|Rank
!width=165 style="text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pld|Matches played}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|W|Matches won}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|D|Matches drawn}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|L|Matches lost}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GF|Goals for}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GA|Goals against}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GAv|Goal average}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pts|Points}}
|- style="background:#ffebad;"
|'''1'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|GRE|old}}
|2||2||0||0||4||1||4.00||'''4'''
|-
|'''2'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|PAL|name=Mandatory Palestine}}
|2||0||0||2||1||4||0.25||'''0'''
|}

{{football box
|date = 22 January 1938
|team1 = {{fb-rt|PAL|name=Mandatory Palestine}}
|report = https://web.archive.org/web/20150927025945/http://www.scoreshelf.com/gjbb/en/Israel/1938fwcISR_v_GRC
|score = 1&ndash;3
|team2 = {{fb|Greece|old}}
|goals1 = [[Peri Neufeld|Neufeld]] {{goal|36}}
|goals2 = [[Kleanthis Vikelidis|Vikelidis]] {{goal|15||30}}<br />[[Antonis Migiakis|Migiakis]] {{goal|73}}
|location = [[Tel Aviv]], [[Mandatory Palestine|Palestine]]
|stadium = [[Maccabiah Stadium]]
|attendance = 5,000
|referee = [[Mohammed Youssef]] ([[Egyptian Football Association|Egypt]])
}}
---- 
{{football box
|date = 20 February 1938
|team1 = {{fb-rt|GRE|old}}
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716021321/http://scoreshelf.com/gjdb/en/Greece/World_Cup/1938fwcGRC_v_PAL Report]
|score = 1&ndash;0
|team2 = {{fb|PAL|name=Mandatory Palestine}}
|goals1 = [[Kleanthis Vikelidis|Vikelidis]] {{goal|88|pen.}}
|location = [[Athens]], Greece
|stadium = [[Stadio Leoforos Alexandras]]
|attendance = 12,000
|referee = [[Mika Popovic]] ([[Football Association of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]])
}}

'''Greece''' qualified for the final round.

====Final round====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30|Rank
!width=165 style="text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pld|Matches played}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|W|Matches won}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|D|Matches drawn}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|L|Matches lost}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GF|Goals for}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GA|Goals against}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GAv|Goal average}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pts|Points}}
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
|'''1'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|HUN|1920}}
|1||1||0||0||11||1||11.0||'''2'''
|-
|'''2'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|GRE|old}}
|1||0||0||1||1||11||0.09||'''0'''
|}

{{football box
|date = 25 March 1938
|team1 = {{fb-rt|HUN|1920}}
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716020553/http://scoreshelf.com/gjdb/en/Hungary/World_Cup/1938fwcHUN_v_GRC Report]
|score = 11&ndash;1
|team2 = {{fb|GRE|old}}
|goals1 = [[Gyula Zsengellér|Zsengellér]] {{goal|15||23|pen.|25||65||81}}<br />[[Pál Titkos|Titkos]] {{goal|18||75}}<br />[[Jeno Vincze|Vincze]] {{goal|26}}<br />[[József Nemes|Nemes]] {{goal|34||40||52}}
|goals2 = [[Lefteris Makris|Makris]] {{goal|89}}
|location = [[Budapest]], Hungary
|stadium = [[Hungária körúti stadion|Hungária]]
|attendance = 14,000
|referee = [[Denis Xifando]] ([[Romanian Football Federation|Romania]])
}}

'''Hungary''' qualified.

===Group 7===
{{Main|1938 FIFA World Cup qualification Group 7}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30|Rank
!width=165 style="text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pld|Matches played}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|W|Matches won}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|D|Matches drawn}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|L|Matches lost}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GF|Goals for}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GA|Goals against}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GAv|Goal average}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pts|Points}}
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
|'''1'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|TCH}}
|2||1||1||0||7||1||7.00||'''3'''
|-
|'''2'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|BUL}}
|2||0||1||1||1||7||0.14||'''1'''
|}

{{football box
|date = 7 November 1937
|team1 = {{fb-rt|BUL}}
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716021252/http://scoreshelf.com/gjdb/en/Bulgaria/World_Cup/1938fwcBGR_v_CZE Report]
|score = 1&ndash;1
|team2 = {{fb|TCH}}
|goals1 = [[Georgi Pachedzhiev|Pachedzhiev]] {{goal|89|pen.}}
|goals2 = [[Jan Ríha|Ríha]] {{goal|44}}
|location = [[Sofia]], [[Bulgaria]]
|stadium = [[Junak Stadion]]
|attendance = 12,000
|referee = [[Rinaldo Barlassina]] ([[Italian Football Federation|Italy]])
}}
---- 
{{football box
|date = 24 April 1938
|team1 = {{fb-rt|TCH}}
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716020559/http://scoreshelf.com/gjdb/en/Czech_Republic/World_Cup/1938fwcCZE_v_BGR Report]
|score = 6&ndash;0
|team2 = {{fb|BUL}}
|goals1 = [[Ladislav Šimůnek|Šimůnek]] {{goal|21||79||89}}<br />[[Oldřich Nejedlý|Nejedlý]] {{goal|57||77}}<br />[[Josef Ludl|Ludl]] {{goal|73}}
|location = [[Prague]], [[Czechoslovakia]]
|stadium = [[AC Sparta Stadion]]
|attendance = 31,458
|referee = [[Pál von Hertzka]] ([[Hungarian Football Federation|Hungary]])
}}

'''Czechoslovakia''' qualified.

===Group 8===

====First round====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30|Rank
!width=165 style="text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pld|Matches played}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|W|Matches won}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|D|Matches drawn}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|L|Matches lost}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GF|Goals for}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GA|Goals against}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GAv|Goal average}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pts|Points}}
|- style="background:#ffebad;"
|'''1'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|LVA}}
|2||2||0||0||9||3||3.00||'''4'''
|-
|'''2'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|LIT|1918}}
|2||0||0||2||3||9||0.33||'''0'''
|}

{{football box
|date = 29 July 1937
|team1 = {{fb-rt|LVA}}
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716020619/http://scoreshelf.com/gjdb/en/Latvia/World_Cup/1938fwcLVA_v_LTU Report]
|score = 4&ndash;2
|team2 = {{fb|LIT|1918}}
|goals1 = [[Fricis Kaņeps|Kaņeps]] {{goal|19||52||83}}<br />[[Iļja Vestermans|Vestermans]] {{goal|50}}
|goals2 = [[Juozas Gudelis|Gudelis]] {{goal|79}}<br />[[Jonas Paulionis|Paulionis]] {{goal|90}}
|location = [[Riga]], [[Latvia]]
|stadium = [[Latvijas Universitates Stadions|ASK stadions]]
|attendance = 10,000
|referee = [[Gustav Krist]] ([[Czechoslovak Football Association|Czechoslovakia]])
}}
---- 
{{football box
|date = 3 September 1937
|team1 = {{fb-rt|LIT|1918}}
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716021132/http://scoreshelf.com/gjdb/en/Lithuania/World_Cup/1938fwcLTU_v_LVA Report]
|score = 1&ndash;5
|team2 = {{fb|LVA}}
|goals1 = [[Jonas Paulionis|Paulionis]] {{goal|72}}
|goals2 = [[Fricis Kaņeps|Kaņeps]] {{goal|4||45|pen.}}<br />[[Vaclavs Borduško|Borduško]] {{goal|11||30}}<br />[[Iļja Vestermans|Vestermans]] {{goal|67}}
|location = [[Kaunas]], [[Lithuania]]
|stadium = [[Darius and Girėnas Stadium|Valstybinis stadionas]]
|attendance = 8,000
|referee = [[Hans Frankenstein]] ([[Austrian Football Association|Austria]])
}}

'''Latvia''' qualified for the final round.

====Final round====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30|Rank
!width=165 style="text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pld|Matches played}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|W|Matches won}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|D|Matches drawn}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|L|Matches lost}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GF|Goals for}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GA|Goals against}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GAv|Goal average}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pts|Points}}
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
|'''1'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|AUT}}
|1||1||0||0||2||1||2.00||'''2'''
|-
|'''2'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|LVA}}
|1||0||0||1||1||2||0.50||'''0'''
|}

{{football box
|date = 5 October 1937
|team1 = {{fb-rt|AUT}}
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716021157/http://scoreshelf.com/gjdb/en/Austria/World_Cup/1938fwcAUT_v_LVA Report]
|score = 2&ndash;1
|team2 = {{fb|LVA}}
|goals1 = [[Camillo Jerusalem|Jerusalem]] {{goal|15}}<br />[[Franz Binder|Binder]] {{goal|33}}
|goals2 = [[Iļja Vestermans|Vestermans]] {{goal|6}}
|location = [[Vienna]], Austria
|stadium = [[Stadion Prater]]
|attendance = 16,000
|referee = [[Pál von Hercka]] ([[Hungarian Football Federation|Hungary]])
}}

'''Austria''' qualified, but was later incorporated by Germany during the [[Anschluss]]. [[FIFA]] offered the place to [[England national football team|England]] (winner of the [[1937–38 British Home Championship]]), who had opted not to enter the competition, but they declined the offer; FIFA decided not to allow anyone else to qualify, leaving the World Cup one team short.

===Group 9===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30|Pos.
!width=165 style="text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pld|Matches played}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|W|Matches won}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|D|Matches drawn}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|L|Matches lost}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GF|Goals for}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GA|Goals against}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GAv|Goal average}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pts|Points}}
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
|'''1'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|NED}}
|2||1||1||0||5||1||5.00||'''3'''
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
|'''2'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|BEL}}
|2||1||1||0||4||3||1.33||'''3'''
|-
|'''3'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|LUX}}
|2||0||0||2||2||7||0.29||'''0'''
|}

{{football box
|date = 28 November 1937
|team1 = {{fb-rt|NED}}
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716021214/http://scoreshelf.com/gjdb/en/The_Netherlands/World_Cup/1938fwcNED_v_LUX Report]
|score = 4&ndash;0
|team2 = {{fb|LUX}} 
|goals1 = [[Kick Smit|Smit]] {{goal|29}}<br />[[Piet de Boer|de Boer]] {{goal|68||78||82}}
|location = [[Rotterdam]], Netherlands
|stadium = [[Stadion Feyenoord]]
|attendance = 40,000
|referee = [[Karl Weingarter]] ([[Austrian Football Association|Austria]])
}}
---- 
{{football box
|date = 13 March 1938
|team1 = {{fb-rt|LUX}}
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716021224/http://scoreshelf.com/gjdb/en/Luxembourg/World_Cup/1938fwcLUX_v_BEL Report]
|score = 2&ndash;3
|team2 = {{fb|BEL}} 
|goals1 = [[Camille Libar|Libar]] {{goal|4}}<br />[[Gustave Kemp|Kemp]] {{goal|33}}
|goals2 = [[Bernard Voorhoof|Voorhoof]] {{goal|19}}<br />[[Raymond Braine|Braine]] {{goal|55}}<br />[[François de Vries|de Vries]] {{goal|59}}
|location = [[Luxembourg (city)|Luxembourg]], [[Luxembourg]]
|stadium = [[Stade Josy-Barthel|Stade Municipal]]
|attendance = 12,500
|referee = [[Georges Capdeville]] ([[French Football Federation|France]])
}}
---- 
{{football box
|date = 3 April 1938
|team1 = {{fb-rt|BEL}}
|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716021229/http://scoreshelf.com/gjdb/en/Belgium/World_Cup/1938fwcBEL_v_NED Report]
|score = 1&ndash;1
|team2 = {{fb|NED}} 
|goals1 = [[Hendrik Isemborghs|Isemborghs]] {{goal|53}}
|goals2 = [[Henk van Spaandonck|van Spaandonck]] {{goal|37}}
|location = [[Antwerp]], Belgium
|stadium = [[Bosuil Stadion]]
|attendance = 47,660
|referee = Arthur Jewell ([[The Football Association|England]])
}}

'''Netherlands''' and '''Belgium''' qualified.

===Group 10===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30|Rank
!width=165 style="text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pld|Matches played}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|W|Matches won}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|D|Matches drawn}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|L|Matches lost}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GF|Goals for}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GA|Goals against}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GAv|Goal average}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pts|Points}}
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
|'''1'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|BRA|1889}}
|colspan=8 style="text-align:center;"|''Bye''
|-
|'''2'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|ARG}}
|colspan=8 style="text-align:center;"|''Withdrew''
|}

Argentina withdrew, so '''Brazil''' qualified automatically.

===Group 11===

====First round====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
! width="30" |Rank
! width="165" style="text-align:left;" |Team
! width="20" |{{tooltip|Pld|Matches played}}
! width="20" |{{tooltip|W|Matches won}}
! width="20" |{{tooltip|D|Matches drawn}}
! width="20" |{{tooltip|L|Matches lost}}
! width="20" |{{tooltip|GF|Goals for}}
! width="20" |{{tooltip|GA|Goals against}}
! width="20" |{{tooltip|GAv|Goal average}}
! width="20" |{{tooltip|Pts|Points}}
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
|'''1'''
| style="text-align:left;" |{{fb|CUB|1902}}
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="8" |''Bye''
|-
| rowspan="6" |'''2'''
| style="text-align:left;" |{{fb|CRC|1906}}
| rowspan="6" colspan="8" |''Withdrew''
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |{{fb|NGY|1954|name=Dutch Guiana}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |{{fb|SLV}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |{{fb|COL}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |{{fb|MEX|1934}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |{{fb|USA|1912}}
|}

Costa Rica, Dutch Guiana, El Salvador, Mexico, Colombia and the United States all withdrew, so '''Cuba''' qualified automatically for the second round.

====Second round====
All teams other than '''Cuba''' had withdrawn from competition, so they qualified automatically for the finals.

===Group 12===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=30|Rank
!width=165 style="text-align:left;"|Team
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pld|Matches played}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|W|Matches won}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|D|Matches drawn}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|L|Matches lost}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GF|Goals for}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GA|Goals against}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|GAv|Goal average}}
!width=20|{{tooltip|Pts|Points}}
|- style="background:#ccffcc;"
|'''1'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|DEI}}
|colspan=8 style="text-align:center;"|''Bye''
|-
|'''2'''
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|JPN|1870}}
|colspan=8 style="text-align:center;"|''Withdrew''
|}

Japan withdrew, so the '''Dutch East Indies''' qualified automatically.

==Qualified teams==
[[File:Qualification for the 1938 FIFA World Cup.png|thumb|500px|FIFA World Cup qualification 1938]]
[[File:1938 world cup.png|thumb|500px|Qualifying countries]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!width=200|Team
!width=80|Finals appearance
!width=50|Streak
!width=80|Last appearance
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|AUT}}
|2nd||2||[[1934 FIFA World Cup|1934]]
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|BEL}}
|3rd||3||[[1934 FIFA World Cup|1934]]
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|BRA|1889}}
|3rd||3||[[1934 FIFA World Cup|1934]]
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|CUB|1902}}
|1st||1||—
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|TCH}}
|2nd||2||[[1934 FIFA World Cup|1934]]
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|DEI}}
|1st||1||—
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|FRA}} (H)
|3rd||3||[[1934 FIFA World Cup|1934]]
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|GER|1935}}
|2nd||2||[[1934 FIFA World Cup|1934]]
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|HUN|1920}}
|2nd||2||[[1934 FIFA World Cup|1934]]
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|ITA|1861}} (C)
|2nd||2||[[1934 FIFA World Cup|1934]]
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|NED}}
|2nd||2||[[1934 FIFA World Cup|1934]]
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|NOR}}
|1st||1||—
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|POL|1928}}
|1st||1||—
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|ROU}}
|3rd||3||[[1934 FIFA World Cup|1934]]
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|SWE}}
|2nd||2||[[1934 FIFA World Cup|1934]]
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|{{fb|SUI}}
|2nd||2||[[1934 FIFA World Cup|1934]]
|}

*{{fb|AUT}} withdrew after qualifying due to the [[Anschluss]].
*(H) – qualified automatically as hosts
*(C) – qualified automatically as defending champions

==Goalscorers==

;5 goals
{{div col|colwidth=20em|small=yes}}
*{{flagicon|HUN|1920}} [[Gyula Zsengellér]]
*{{flagicon|LVA}} [[Fricis Kaņeps]]
{{div col end}}

;4 goals
{{div col|colwidth=20em|small=yes}}
*{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Reidar Kvammen]]
{{div col end}}

;3 goals
{{div col|colwidth=20em|small=yes}}
*{{flagicon|TCH}} [[Ladislav Šimůnek]]
*{{flagicon|GER|1935}} [[Ernst Lehner]]
*{{flagicon|GRE|old}} [[Kleanthis Vikelidis]]
*{{flagicon|HUN|1920}} [[József Nemes]]
*{{flagicon|LVA}} [[Iļja Vestermans]]
*{{flagicon|NED}} [[Piet de Boer]]
*{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Lennart Bunke]]
*{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Gustav Wetterström]]
{{div col end}}

;2 goals
{{div col|colwidth=20em|small=yes}}
*{{flagicon|TCH}} [[Oldřich Nejedlý]]
*{{flagicon|EST}} [[Georg Siimenson]]
*{{flagicon|GER|1935}} [[Josef Gauchel]]
*{{flagicon|GER|1935}} [[Helmut Schön]]
*{{flagicon|GER|1935}} [[Otto Siffling]]
*{{flagicon|HUN|1920}} [[Pál Titkos]]
*{{flagicon|Irish Free State}} [[Jimmy Dunne (footballer, born 1905)|Jimmy Dunne]]
*{{flagicon|LVA}} [[Vaclavs Borduško]]
*{{flagicon|LIT}} [[Jonas Paulionis]]
*{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Alf Martinsen]]
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Leonard Piontek]]
*{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Gustaf Josefsson]]
{{div col end}}

;1 goal
{{div col|colwidth=20em|small=yes}}
*{{flagicon|AUT}} [[Franz Binder]]
*{{flagicon|AUT}} [[Camillo Jerusalem]]
*{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Raymond Braine]]
*{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Hendrik Isemborghs]]
*{{flagicon|BEL}} [[Bernard Voorhoof]]
*{{flagicon|BEL}} [[François Devries]]
*{{flagicon|BUL}} [[Georgi Pachedzhiev]]
*{{flagicon|TCH}} [[Josef Ludl]]
*{{flagicon|TCH}} [[Jan Říha]]
*{{flagicon|EST}} [[Richard Kuremaa]]
*{{flagicon|EST}} [[Heinrich Uukkivi]]
*{{flagicon|GER|1935}} [[Fritz Szepan]]
*{{flagicon|GER|1935}} [[Adolf Urban]]
*{{flagicon|GRE|old}} [[Lefteris Makris]]
*{{flagicon|GRE|old}} [[Antonis Migiakis]]
*{{flagicon|HUN|1920}} [[Jenő Vincze]]
*{{flagicon|Irish Free State}} [[Harry Duggan (footballer)|Harry Duggan]]
*{{flagicon|Irish Free State}} [[Matty Geoghegan]]
*{{flagicon|Irish Free State}} [[Kevin O'Flanagan]]
*{{flagicon|LIT}} [[Juozas Gudelis]]
*{{flagicon|LUX}} [[Gusty Kemp]]
*{{flagicon|LUX}} [[Camille Libar]]
*{{flagicon|PAL|football}} [[Peri Neufeld]]
*{{flagicon|NED}} [[Kick Smit]]
*{{flagicon|NED}} [[Henk van Spaandonck]]
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Ernst Wilimowski]]
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Jerzy Wostal]]
*{{flagicon|POR}} [[Fernando Peyroteo]]
*{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Sven Jonasson]]
*{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Erik Persson (footballer)|Erik Persson]]
*{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Kurt Svanström]]
*{{flagicon|SUI}} [[Georges Aeby]]
*{{flagicon|SUI}} [[Lauro Amadò]]
*{{flagicon|Kingdom of Yugoslavia}} [[Blagoje Marjanović]]
{{div col end}}

==Notes==
* It was originally intended that the World Cup would be held alternately between the continents of South America and Europe. However [[Jules Rimet]], the creator of the World Cup, convinced [[FIFA]] to hold the competition in France,{{citation needed|date=November 2013}} his home country. Because of this controversial move, many American countries, including [[Argentina]] (the most likely hosts if the event was held in South America), [[Chile]], [[Paraguay]], [[Peru]], [[Colombia]], [[Costa Rica]], [[El Salvador]], Mexico, [[Surinam (Dutch colony)|Dutch Guiana]], [[Uruguay]], and the United States, all withdrew or refused to enter.{{citation needed|date=November 2013}}. Brazil and Cuba were the only countries from the Americas to enter qualification and thus qualified for the World Cup by default.

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20131220191851/http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/worldcup/france1938/preliminaries/index.html FIFA World Cup Official Site - 1938 World Cup Qualification]
*[https://www.rsssf.org/tables/38q.html RSSSF - 1938 World Cup Qualification]

{{1938 FIFA World Cup qualification}}
{{FIFA World Cup qualification}}

[[Category:1938 FIFA World Cup qualification| ]]
[[Category:1938 FIFA World Cup|Qualification]]
[[Category:FIFA World Cup qualification]]