1966 FIFA World Cup qualification
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A total of 74 teams entered the 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. 
England, as the hosts, and 
Brazil, as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition.
The 16 spots available in the 1966 World Cup would be distributed among the continental zones as follows:
- Europe (UEFA): 10 places, 1 of them went to automatic qualifier England, while the other 9 places were contested by 32 teams (including Israel and Syria).
- South America (CONMEBOL): 4 places, 1 of them went to automatic qualifier Brazil, while the other 3 places were contested by 9 teams.
- North, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF): 1 place, contested by 10 teams.
- Africa and Asia (CAF/AFC): 1 place, contested by 18 teams (including Australia from Oceania).
A total of 51 teams played at least one qualifying match. A total of 127 qualifying matches were played, and 393 goals were scored (an average of 3.09 per match).
Listed below are the dates and results of the qualification rounds.
Contents |
[edit] Europe
The 32 teams were divided into 9 groups of 3 or 4 teams each (four groups with 3 teams and five groups with 4 teams). The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify.
[edit] UEFA Group 1
May 9, 1965, Brussels, Belgium - 
Belgium 1 - 0 
Israel
June 13, 1965, Sofia, Bulgaria - 
Bulgaria 4 - 0 Israel
September 26, 1965, Sofia, Bulgaria - Bulgaria 3 - 0 Belgium
October 27, 1965, Brussels, Belgium - Belgium 5 - 0 Bulgaria
November 10, 1965, Ramat Gan, Israel - Israel 0 - 5 Belgium
November 21, 1965, Ramat Gan, Israel - Israel 1 - 2 Bulgaria
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1= | Belgium |
6 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 3 |
| 1= | Bulgaria |
6 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 6 |
| 3 | Israel |
0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 12 |
Belgium and Bulgaria finished level on points, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would qualify.
December 29, 1965, Florence, Italy - Bulgaria 2 - 1 Belgium
Bulgaria qualified.
[edit] UEFA Group 2
November 4, 1964, West Berlin, Germany - 
West Germany 1 - 1 
Sweden
April 24, 1965, Karlsruhe, Germany - West Germany 5 - 0 
Cyprus
May 5, 1965, Norrköping, Sweden - Sweden 3 - 0 Cyprus
September 26, 1965, Stockholm, Sweden - Sweden 1 - 2 West Germany
November 7, 1965, Famagusta, Cyprus - Cyprus 0 - 5 Sweden
November 14, 1965, Nicosia, Cyprus - Cyprus 0 - 6 West Germany
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Germany |
7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 2 |
| 2 | Sweden |
5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 3 |
| 3 | Cyprus |
0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 19 |
West Germany qualified.
[edit] UEFA Group 3
September 20, 1964, Belgrade, Yugoslavia - 
Yugoslavia 3 - 1 
Luxembourg
October 4, 1964, Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Luxembourg 0 - 2 
France
November 8, 1964, Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Luxembourg 0 - 2 
Norway
November 11, 1964, Paris, France - France 1 - 0 Norway
April 18, 1965, Belgrade, Yugoslavia - Yugoslavia 1 - 0 France
May 27, 1965, Trondheim, Norway - Norway 4 - 2 Luxembourg
June 16, 1965, Oslo, Norway - Norway 3 - 0 Yugoslavia
September 15, 1965, Oslo, Norway - Norway 0 - 1 France
September 19, 1965, Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Luxembourg 2 - 5 Yugoslavia
October 9, 1965, Paris, France - France 1 - 0 Yugoslavia
November 6, 1965, Marseille, France - France 4 - 1 Luxembourg
November 7, 1965, Belgrade, Yugoslavia - Yugoslavia 1 - 1 Norway
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France |
10 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 2 |
| 2 | Norway |
7 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 5 |
| 3 | Yugoslavia |
7 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 8 |
| 4 | Luxembourg |
0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 20 |
France qualified.
[edit] UEFA Group 4
January 24, 1965, Lisbon, Portugal - 
Portugal 5 - 1 
Turkey
April 19, 1965, Ankara, Turkey - Turkey 0 - 1 Portugal
April 25, 1965, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia - 
Czechoslovakia 0 - 1 Portugal
May 2, 1965, Bucharest, Romania - 
Romania 3 - 0 Turkey
May 30, 1965, Bucharest, Romania - Romania 1 - 0 Czechoslovakia
June 13, 1965, Lisbon, Portugal - Portugal 2 - 1 Romania
September 19, 1965, Prague, Czechoslovakia - Czechoslovakia 3 - 1 Romania
October 9, 1965, Istanbul, Turkey - Turkey 0 - 6 Czechoslovakia
October 23, 1965, Ankara, Turkey - Turkey 2 - 1 Romania
October 31, 1965, Porto, Portugal - Portugal 0 - 0 Czechoslovakia
November 21, 1965, Brno, Czechoslovakia - Czechoslovakia 3 - 1 Turkey
November 21, 1965, Bucharest, Romania - Romania 2 - 0 Portugal
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portugal |
9 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 4 |
| 2 | Czechoslovakia |
7 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 4 |
| 3 | Romania |
6 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 7 |
| 4 | Turkey |
2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 19 |
Portugal qualified.
[edit] UEFA Group 5
May 24, 1964, Rotterdam, Netherlands - 
Netherlands 2 - 0 
Albania
October 14, 1964, Belfast, Northern Ireland - 
Northern Ireland 1 - 0 
Switzerland
October 25, 1964, Tirana, Albania - Albania 0 - 2 Netherlands
November 14, 1964, Lausanne, Switzerland - Switzerland 2 - 1 Northern Ireland
March 17, 1965, Belfast, Northern Ireland - Northern Ireland 2 - 1 Netherlands
April 7, 1965, Rotterdam, Netherlands - Netherlands 0 - 0 Northern Ireland
April 11, 1965, Tirana, Albania - Albania 0 - 2 Switzerland
May 2, 1965, Geneva, Switzerland - Switzerland 1 - 0 Albania
May 7, 1965, Belfast, Northern Ireland - Northern Ireland 4 - 1 Albania
October 17, 1965, Amsterdam, Netherlands - Netherlands 0 - 0 Switzerland
November 14, 1965, Bern, Switzerland - Switzerland 2 - 1 Netherlands
November 24, 1965, Tirana, Albania - Albania 1 - 1 Northern Ireland
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Switzerland |
9 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 |
| 2 | Northern Ireland |
8 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 |
| 3 | Netherlands |
6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
| 4 | Albania |
1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 12 |
Switzerland qualified.
[edit] UEFA Group 6
April 25, 1965, Vienna, Austria - 
Austria 1 - 1 
East Germany
May 23, 1965, Leipzig, Germany - East Germany 1 - 1 
Hungary
June 13, 1965, Vienna, Austria - Austria 0 - 1 Hungary
September 5, 1965, Budapest, Hungary - Hungary 3 - 0 Austria
October 9, 1965, Budapest, Hungary - Hungary 3 - 2 East Germany
October 31, 1965, Leipzig, Germany - East Germany 1 - 0 Austria
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hungary |
7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 3 |
| 2 | East Germany |
4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| 3 | Austria |
1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
Hungary qualified.
[edit] UEFA Group 7
October 21, 1964, Copenhagen, Denmark - 
Denmark 1 - 0 
Wales
November 29, 1964, Athens, Greece - 
Greece 4 - 2 Denmark
December 9, 1964, Athens, Greece - Greece 2 - 0 Wales
March 17, 1965, Cardiff, Wales - Wales 4 - 1 Greece
May 23, 1965, Moscow, USSR - 
USSR 3 - 1 Greece
May 30, 1965, Moscow, USSR - USSR 2 - 1 Wales
June 27, 1965, Moscow, USSR - USSR 6 - 0 Denmark
October 3, 1965, Athens, Greece - Greece 1 - 4 USSR
October 17, 1965, Copenhagen, Denmark - Denmark 1 - 3 USSR
October 27, 1965, Cardiff, Wales - Wales 2 - 1 USSR
October 27, 1965, Copenhagen, Denmark - Denmark 1 - 1 Greece
December 1, 1965, Wrexham, Wales - Wales 4 - 2 Denmark
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USSR |
10 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 6 |
| 2 | Wales |
6 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 9 |
| 3 | Greece |
5 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 14 |
| 4 | Denmark |
3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 18 |
USSR qualified.
[edit] UEFA Group 8
October 21, 1964, Glasgow, Scotland - 
Scotland 3 - 1 
Finland
November 4, 1964, Genova, Italy - 
Italy 6 - 1 Finland
April 18, 1965, Warsaw, Poland - 
Poland 0 - 0 Italy
May 23, 1965, Chorzow, Poland - Poland 1 - 1 Scotland
May 27, 1965, Helsinki, Finland - Finland 1 - 2 Scotland
June 23, 1965, Helsinki, Finland - Finland 0 - 2 Italy
September 26, 1965, Helsinki, Finland - Finland 2 - 0 Poland
October 13, 1965, Glasgow, Scotland - Scotland 1 - 2 Poland
October 24, 1965, Szczecin, Poland - Poland 7 - 0 Finland
November 1, 1965, Rome, Italy - Italy 6 - 1 Poland
November 9, 1965, Glasgow, Scotland - Scotland 1 - 0 Italy
December 7, 1965, Naples, Italy - Italy 3 - 0 Scotland
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italy |
9 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 3 |
| 2 | Scotland |
7 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 8 |
| 3 | Poland |
6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 10 |
| 4 | Finland |
2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 20 |
Italy qualified.
[edit] UEFA Group 9
Syria withdrew to support the African teams who withdrew in protest of allocation of spots.
May 5, 1965, Dublin, Ireland - 
Republic of Ireland 1 - 0 
Spain
October 27, 1965, Seville, Spain - Spain 4 - 1 Republic of Ireland
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Ave |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1= | Republic of Ireland |
2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0.5 |
| 1= | Spain |
2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
Republic of Ireland and Spain finished level on points, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would qualify. This match was initially to be played in London, which would have been ideal for the Irish given the large Irish immigrant population there, but the Spanish and Irish football associations later came to an agreement and moved the match to Paris.[citation needed] The agreement was seen[who?] as a buyout as it turned a possible Irish victory into a much more unlikely proposition as the Stade Colombes was instead mainly made up of Spanish supporters.[citation needed]
November 10, 1965, Paris, France - Spain 1 - 0 Republic of Ireland
Spain qualified.
[edit] South America
The 9 teams were divided into 3 groups of 3 teams each. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify.
[edit] CONMEBOL Group 1
May 16, 1965, Lima, Peru - 
Peru 1 - 0 
Venezuela
May 23, 1965, Montevideo, Uruguay - 
Uruguay 5 - 0 Venezuela
May 30, 1965, Caracas, Venezuela - Venezuela 1 - 3 Uruguay
June 2, 1965, Caracas, Venezuela - Venezuela 3 - 6 Peru
June 6, 1965, Lima, Peru - Peru 0 - 1 Uruguay
June 13, 1965, Montevideo, Uruguay - Uruguay 2 - 1 Peru
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uruguay |
8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 |
| 2 | Peru |
4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 6 |
| 3 | Venezuela |
0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 15 |
Uruguay qualified.
[edit] CONMEBOL Group 2
July 20, 1965, Barranquilla, Colombia - 
Colombia 0 - 1 
Ecuador
July 25, 1965, Guayaquil, Ecuador - Ecuador 2 - 0 Colombia
August 1, 1965, Santiago, Chile - 
Chile 7 - 2 Colombia
August 7, 1965, Barranquilla, Colombia - Colombia 2 - 0 Chile
August 15, 1965, Guayaquil, Ecuador - Ecuador 2 - 2 Chile
August 22, 1965, Santiago, Chile - Chile 3 - 1 Ecuador
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1= | Chile |
5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 7 |
| 2 | Ecuador |
5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 |
| 3 | Colombia |
2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 10 |
Chile and Ecuador finished level on points, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would qualify.
October 12, 1965, Lima, Peru - Chile 2 - 1 Ecuador
Chile qualified.
[edit] CONMEBOL Group 3
July 25, 1965, Asunción, Paraguay - 
Paraguay 2 - 0 
Bolivia
August 1, 1965, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 
Argentina 3 - 0 Paraguay
August 8, 1965, Asunción, Paraguay - Paraguay 0 - 0 Argentina
August 17, 1965, Buenos Aires, Argentina - Argentina 4 - 1 Bolivia
August 22, 1965, La Paz, Bolivia - Bolivia 2 - 1 Paraguay
August 29, 1965, La Paz, Bolivia - Bolivia 1 - 2 Argentina
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentina |
7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| 2 | Paraguay |
3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 3 | Bolivia |
2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 9 |
Argentina qualified.
[edit] North, Central America and Caribbean
FIFA rejected the entry of 
Guatemala. There would be two rounds of play:
- First Round: The remaining 9 teams were divided into 3 groups of 3 teams each. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would advance to the Final Round.
- Final Round: The 3 teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner would qualify.
[edit] CONCACAF First Round
[edit] Group 1
February 28, 1965, San Pedro Sula, Honduras - 
Honduras 0 - 1 
Mexico
March 4, 1965, Mexico City, Mexico - Mexico 3 - 0 Honduras
March 7, 1965, Los Angeles, USA - 
United States 2 - 2 Mexico
March 12, 1965, Mexico City, Mexico - Mexico 2 - 0 United States
March 17, 1965, San Pedro Sula, Honduras - Honduras 0 - 1 United States
March 21, 1965, Tegucigalpa, Honduras - United States 1 - 1 Honduras
- This match was played in Honduras instead of in USA.
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico |
7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 |
| 2 | United States |
4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 3 | Honduras |
1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
Mexico advanced to the Final Round.
[edit] Group 2
All home matches of Netherlands Antilles were played on neutral ground instead.
January 16, 1965, Kingston, Jamaica - 
Jamaica 2 - 0 
Cuba
January 20, 1965, Kingston, Jamaica - 
Netherlands Antilles 1 - 1 Cuba
January 23, 1965, Kingston, Jamaica - Jamaica 2 - 0 Netherlands Antilles
January 30, 1965, Havana, Cuba - Cuba 0 - 1 Netherlands Antilles
February 3, 1965, Havana, Cuba - Netherlands Antilles 0 - 0 Jamaica
February 7, 1965, Havana, Cuba - Cuba 2 - 1 Jamaica
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jamaica |
5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| 2 | Netherlands Antilles |
4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | Cuba |
3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
Jamaica advanced to the Final Round.
[edit] Group 3
February 7, 1965, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago - 
Trinidad and Tobago 4 - 1 
Dutch Guiana
February 12, 1965, San José, Costa Rica - 
Costa Rica 1 - 0 Dutch Guiana
February 21, 1965, San José, Costa Rica - Costa Rica 4 - 0 Trinidad and Tobago
February 28, 1965, Paramaribo, Dutch Guyana - Dutch Guiana 1 - 3 Costa Rica
March 7, 1965, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago - Trinidad and Tobago 0 - 1 Costa Rica
March 14, 1965, Paramaribo, Dutch Guyana - Dutch Guiana 6 - 1 Trinidad and Tobago
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Costa Rica |
8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| 2 | Dutch Guiana |
2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 9 |
| 3 | Trinidad and Tobago |
2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 12 |
Costa Rica advanced to the Final Round.
[edit] CONCACAF Final Round
April 24, 1965, San José, Costa Rica - Costa Rica 0 - 0 Mexico
May 3, 1965, Kingston, Jamaica - Jamaica 2 - 3 Mexico
May 7, 1965, Mexico City, Mexico - Mexico 8 - 0 Jamaica
May 12, 1965, San José, Costa Rica - Costa Rica 7 - 0 Jamaica
May 16, 1965, Mexico City, Mexico - Mexico 1 - 0 Costa Rica
May 22, 1965, Kingston, Jamaica - Jamaica 1 - 1 Costa Rica
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico |
7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 2 |
| 2 | Costa Rica |
4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 2 |
| 3 | Jamaica |
1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 19 |
Mexico qualified.
[edit] Africa and Asia
FIFA rejected the entries of 
Congo and 
Philippines. The African teams would compete for three spots in the Final Round through two rounds of play, while the Asian teams would compete for one spot in the Final Round by playing in a tournament in neutral ground. The winner of the Final Round would qualify.
[edit] CAF First Round
[edit] Group 1
Ghana and 
Guinea both withdrew to protest the allocation of spots.
[edit] Group 2
Sudan and 
Cameroon both withdrew to protest the allocation of spots.
[edit] Group 3
Tunisia, 
Algeria and 
Liberia all withdrew to protest the allocation of spots.
[edit] Group 4
Morocco, 
Senegal and 
Mali all withdrew to protest the allocation of spots.
[edit] Group 5
Ethiopia and 
Gabon both withdrew to protest the allocation of spots.
[edit] Group 6
Egypt, 
Libya and 
Nigeria all withdrew to protest the allocation of spots.
[edit] CAF Second Round
The matchups would have been winners of Group 1 vs winners of Group 5, winners of Group 2 vs winners of Group 4, and winners of Group 3 vs winners of Group 6. However, no matches were played due to the withdrawals of all African teams.
[edit] AFC First Round
South Africa were suspended by FIFA due to apartheid. 
Korea Republic withdrew to protest the tournament being moved from Japan to Cambodia.
November 21, 1965, Phnom Penh, Cambodia - 
Korea DPR 6 - 1 
Australia
November 24, 1965, Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Australia 1 - 3 Korea DPR
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Korea DPR |
4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| 2 | Australia |
0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
Korea DPR advanced to the Final Round.
[edit] CAF / AFC Final Round
Because of the withdrawal of the African teams, Korea DPR qualified automatically.
[edit] Qualified teams
| Team | Finals Appearance | Streak | Last Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina |
5th | 3 | 1962 |
| Brazil (c) |
8th | 8 | 1962 |
| Bulgaria |
2nd | 2 | 1962 |
| Chile |
4th | 2 | 1962 |
| England (h) |
5th | 5 | 1962 |
| France |
6th | 1 | 1958 |
| Hungary |
6th | 4 | 1962 |
| Italy |
6th | 2 | 1962 |
| Korea DPR |
1st | 1 | - |
| Mexico |
6th | 5 | 1962 |
| Portugal |
1st | 1 | - |
| Spain |
4th | 2 | 1962 |
| Switzerland |
6th | 2 | 1962 |
| Uruguay |
5th | 2 | 1962 |
| USSR |
3rd | 3 | 1962 |
| West Germany |
6th | 4 | 1962 |
(h) - qualified automatically as hosts
(c) - qualified automatically as defending champions
[edit] Notes
- After having no teams from Africa or Asia qualifying for the previous two World Cups, FIFA decided to allocate a single spot to the winner of a play-off between the winners of the African and Asian zones. However, the African teams believed that winning their zone should have been enough to go straight through to the final tournament, and all of them withdrew as a protest.
- Innovations in the run-up to the 1966 World Cup included the introduction of doping controls, and a prohibition on the naturalisation of footballers, two issues that had had negative repercussions during the last tournament of 1962.[citation needed]
- Several weak nations withdrew from the competition, but the stronger nations were still very much in the game. The squad of the Spanish national team was given a boost by a rejuvenated Real Madrid, and the Germans reaped the rewards of the Bundesliga national league, as well as the introduction of full-time professional football.[citation needed]
[edit] External links
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