A total of 107 teams entered the 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, which began with the preliminary qualification draw on 20 November 1975 at Guatemala City. Argentina, as the hosts, and West Germany, as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition.
The 16 places would be distributed among the continental zones as follows: Europe (UEFA): 9 or 10 places. One place went to automatic qualifier West Germany, while nine places were contested by 31 teams. The team coming ninth in qualifying would advance to the intercontinental play-offs against a team from CONMEBOL. South America (CONMEBOL): 3 or 4 places. One place automatically went to host nation Argentina, while the other three places were contested by nine teams. The team coming third in qualifying would advance to the intercontinental play-offs (against a team from UEFA). North, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF): 1 place, contested by 16 teams. Africa (CAF): 1 place, contested by 26 teams. Asia (AFC) and Oceania (OFC): 1 place, contested by 22 teams.
A total of 95 teams played at least one qualifying match. A total of 252 qualifying matches were played, and 721 goals were scored (an average of 2.86 per match).
Qualified teams
The following 16 teams qualified for the 1978 FIFA World Cup:
TeamDate of qualificationFinals appearanceStreakLast appearance (hosts)6 July 19667th2197430 October 19774th1195814 July 197711th11197416 November 19777th1196630 November 19777th1196625 November 19771st1—3 December 19779th5197419 October 19778th1197026 October 19774th2197417 July 19773rd1197029 October 19773rd2197412 October 19774th2197430 November 19775th1196630 October 19777th3197411 December 19771st1— (defending champions)7 July 19749th71974
Confederation qualification
AFC and OFC
Final round RankTeamQualification1148Final Tournament2108398478508
Iran qualified.
CAF
Final round RankTeamQualification154Final Tournament244334
Tunisia qualified.
CONCACAF
RankTeamQualification1105Final Tournament275355455535605
Mexico qualified.
CONMEBOL
Final round RankTeamQualification142Final Tournament222Final Tournament302
Brazil and Peru qualified. Bolivia advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs.
UEFA
Group 1Group 2Group 3Group 4Group 5Group 6Group 7Group 8Group 9
Hungary advanced to the UEFA–CONMEBOL play-off.
Inter-confederation play-offs: UEFA v CONMEBOL
The teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winner would qualify.
Goalscorers
9 goals
Roberto Bettega
7 goals
Hans Krankl Emmanuel Sanon Luis Ramírez Zapata Keith Nelson
6 goals
John Kosmina Peter Ollerton Mahmoud El Khatib Leintz Domingue Faisal Al-Dakhil Víctor Rangel
5 goals
Zico Martin Hoffmann Óscar Enrique Sánchez Pierre Bayonne Ghafour Jahani Cha Bum-kun Roy George Cemil Turan
4 goals
Roberto Dinamite Buzz Parsons Joachim Streich Kevin Keegan Felix McDonald Chung Chor Wai Hassan Roshan Abdulaziz Al-Anberi Jasem Yaqoub James Wong Hugo Sánchez Segun Odegbami Kazimierz Deyna Grzegorz Lato Manuel Fernandes Remie Olmberg Thomas Sjöberg Steve David
3 goals
Attila Abonyi Jimmy Rooney Victor Clarke Miguel Aguilar Carlos Aragonés Porfirio Jiménez Javier Jiménez Kobenan Kouman Jérôme Lèbre Mamahou Mostafa Abdou Mick Channon Elmer Rosas Michel Platini Selvin Pennant Papa Camara Kwok Ka Ming Wun Chee Keung Tibor Nyilasi Fat'hi Kameel Fayaz Matar Marzouq Francesco Graziani Ruud Geels Thompson Usiyan Chris McGrath Steve Sumner José Velásquez Park Sang-in Jesdaporn Naphatalung Mohamed Akid Safet Sušić
2 goals
Josef Stering Fuad Abou Shaqr Raoul Lambert Gilberto Alves Marinho Chagas Pavel Panov Mike Bakić Bob Bolitho Brian Budd Bob Lenarduzzi Roger Milla Elías Figueroa Jean-Jacques N'Domba Johnny Alvarado Leon Goua G'Bize Francisco Fariñas Lars Bastrup Henning Munk Jensen Per Røntved Allan Simonsen Hartmut Schade Ray Kennedy Farouk Gaafar David Cabrera Norberto Huezo Víctor Valencia Aki Heiskanen Esa Heiskanen Olavi Rissanen Mimis Papaioannou Mario Alfaro José Emilio Mitrovich Peter Sandoval Sergio Rivera Arsène Auguste Lau Wing Yip Zoltán Kereki András Törőcsik Hossein Kazerani Gholam Hossein Mazloumi Oded Machnes Giancarlo Antognoni Hamad Khalid Bo Hamad Isa Bakar Alacrán Jiménez Javier Cárdenas Javier Guzmán Raúl Isiordia Johan Cruyff Johnny Rep Alloysius Atuegbu Godwin Iwelumo Gerry Armstrong Carlos Jara Saguier Teófilo Cubillas Andrzej Szarmach Włodzimierz Lubański Stanisław Terlecki Fernando Chalana Nené Dudu Georgescu Anghel Iordănescu Kenny Dalglish Kama Dumbuya Wasieu Sounomu Quah Kim Song Edwin Schal David Kipiani Choi Jong-duk Kim Jae-han Lee Young-moo Rubén Cano Bo Börjesson Vidthaya Laohakul Niwat Srisawat Sammy Llewellyn Abderraouf Ben Aziza Khemais Labidi Sedat Özden Dario Pereyra Nitder Pizzani Joseph Kaboré Leighton James Bernard Chanda Godfrey Chitalu Willie Phiri
1 goal
Omar Betrouni Mahmoud Guendouz Murray Barnes Colin Bennett Roland Hattenberger Wilhelm Kreuz Hans Pirkner Herbert Prohaska Walter Schachner Ibrahim Al Farhan Ebrahim Zowayed Paul Courant Maurice Martens Gilbert Van Binst François Van der Elst Roger Van Gool Ovidio Messa Toninho Cerezo Marcelo Oliveira Rivellino Hristo Bonev Chavdar Tsvetkov Andrey Zhelyazkov Jean Manga Onguéné Sergio Ahumada Osvaldo Castro Miguel Ángel Gamboa Eduardo Vilarete Jonas Bahamboula Daniel Ebomoa Pierre Lingongo Joseph Mounoudzi Joseph Wamba Mario Barrantes Javier Masís William Fisher Salgado Gaston Bawa Lucien Kouassi Kouame Pascal Miézan Dagoberto Lara Ramón Núñez Agustín Pérez Castillo Miguel Rivero Andrés Roldán Takis Antoniou Stefanis Michael Stavros Stylianou Miroslav Gajdůšek Zdeněk Nehoda Antonín Panenka Ladislav Petráš Allan Hansen Jørgen Kristensen Benny Nielsen Kristen Nygaard Ole Rasmussen Niels Tune-Hansen Peter Kotte Wolfram Löwe Jürgen Sparwasser Gert Weber José Fabián Paz y Miño Ahmed Abdel Baki Maher Hammam Ossama Khalil Mokhtar Mokhtar Silvio Aquino Mágico González Trevor Brooking Trevor Francis Paul Mariner Stuart Pearson Joe Royle Dennis Tueart Tekalinge Kassahun Kai Haaskivi Teppo Heikkinen Ari Mäkynen Jyrki Nieminen Matti Paatelainen Dominique Bathenay Christian Dalger Bernard Lacombe Dominique Rocheteau Opoku Afriyle Ofei Ansah Ibrahim Kassum Julio César Anderson Leonardo McNish Benjamin Monterroso Ousmane Badara Bangoura Youssuf Camara Mamadou Aliou Keita Chérif Souleymane Ali Sylla Ismael Sylla Seydouba Sylla Ousmane Thiam Tollo Vibert Butts Keith Niles Guy Dorsainville Ernst Jean-Baptiste Carlo Brevil Jean-Claude Désir Louidor Labissiere Chan Fat Chi Fung Chi Ming Tang Hung Cheong László Fazekas István Halász László Nagy Sándor Pintér László Pusztai Béla Várady Sándor Zombori Ingi Björn Albertsson Ásgeir Sigurvinsson Junaedi Abdillah Anjas Asmara Iswadi Idris Andi Lala Ronny Pattinasarany Risdianto Waskito Behtash Fariba Habib Khabiri Ali Parvin Habib Shareefi Mohsin Yousifi Liam Brady Don Givens Haim Bar Uri Malmilian Itzhak Peretz Romeo Benetti Franco Causio Claudio Gentile Renato Zaccarelli Carl Brown Ibrahim Mohammed Al Duraihem Farouk Ibrahim Al Awadi Al Saleh Badr Abdul Hameed Bo Abbas Abdullah Yousuf Ma'yoof Nico Braun Gilbert Zender Bakri Ibni Gagny Coulibaly Abdelghani Lakhal Mustapha Tahir Pedro Damián Álvarez Arturo Vázquez Ayala Chepe Chávez Hugo Dávila Francisco Solís Cruz Ruud Krol Willem van Hanegem René van de Kerkhof Willy van de Kerkhof Monico Eluterio Ruiz Boukari Adamou Moussa Kanfideni Sanda Seydou Adokie Amiesimaka Kunle Awesu Christian Chukwu Kelechi Emeteole Johnny N'Wadioha Samuel Ojebode Sammy McIlroy Derek Spence Odd Iversen Tom Lund Rune Ottesen Clive Campbell Dave Taylor Kevin Weymouth Hector Nestor Hernández Daniel Montillo Ruíz Federico Ponce Agustín Sánchez Luis Ernesto Tapia Virgílio Vázquez Carlos José Báez Alejandro Luces Juan José Muñante Percy Rojas Hugo Sotil Zbigniew Boniek Bohdan Masztaler Włodzimierz Mazur Rui Jordão Octávio Machado Seninho Francisco Vital Anbar Bashir Abubakr Hassan Myuter Saied Al Suwaidi Mansour Muftah Faraj Bekhit László Bölöni Iosif Vigu Samir Sultan Al Fahad Saoud Al Gassem Mohammed Bo Saeed Mohammed Abdul Ghani Asa Hartford Joe Jordan Don Masson Mohammed Noh Hussein Dollah Kassim Suriamurthy Rajagopal Abdoulaye Ba Ismail Dyfan Mohammed Sama William Sango Samuel Tray Leonid Burjak Anatoliy Konkov Huh Jung-moo Kim Ho-kon Eugenio Leal Pirri Delano Rigters Errol Emanuelson Rinaldo Entingh Henry Playfair Björn Andersson Peter Risi Claudio Sulser Serge Trinchero Abdul Hamid Al Katbi Marwan Khalifa Khouri Chang Kuo Chi Cherdsak Chaiyabutr Anani Afanou Tabania Ametepé Alirou Rachidou Leon Carpette Anthony Douglas Selris Figaro Tarak Dhiab Amor Jebali Néjib Liman Ali Kaabi Moncef Khouini Mehmet Özgül Volkan Yayim Abdulla Nasur Denis Obua Polly Ouma Washington Oliveira Joseph Ouattara Kouligo Zoma Boris Bandov Miro Rys Juli Veee Nick Deacy Vicente Flores Rafael Iriarte Zoran Filipović Dražen Mužinić Aleksandar Trifunović Alex Chola Obby Kapita
1 own goal
Victor Clarke (against Trinidad and Tobago) Windsor del Llano (playing against Hungary) Allan Wellmann (against Panama) László Bálint (playing against the Soviet Union) Jack Chamangwana (playing against Zambia) Godwin Odiye (playing against Tunisia) José Domingo Insfrán (playing against Brazil) Gregorio Benito (playing against Romania) Lo Chih Tsong (playing against New Zealand) Ian Evans (playing against Scotland)
Notes For the first time, over 100 teams entered qualification for the World Cup. Statistically, this was the most difficult World Cup to qualify for. Taking the two automatic places into account, and excluding twelve teams who withdrew before playing, 95 teams competed for the remaining 14 places (14.7%). The number of spots was increased to 24 for the next World Cup. Tunisia's victory over Morocco on penalties was the first penalty shoot-out in World Cup qualification matches.
External links FIFA World Cup Official Site - 1978 World Cup Qualification RSSSF - 1978 World Cup Qualification