# 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
The UEFA section of 2014 [FIFA World Cup qualification](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-world-cup-qualification) was the European qualifying competition for the 2014 [FIFA World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-world-cup) in Brazil, in which 53 UEFA member associations contested 13 places at the final tournament through a group stage and a play-off round.[1](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/competitions/Draws/01/65/04/26/1650426_DOWNLOAD.pdf) Nine group winners and four play-off winners qualified, joining hosts Brazil in the 32-team finals.[2](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0253-0d7eefbb0903-a624d2137075-1000--play-offs-complete-2014-world-cup-lineup/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Teams and slots | 53 participating member associations competing for 13 qualification slots[1](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/competitions/Draws/01/65/04/26/1650426_DOWNLOAD.pdf) |
| Format | 8 groups of 6 teams and 1 group of 5; the 9 group winners qualified and the 8 best runners-up went to home-and-away play-offs for 4 further places[3](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0254-0d7d02b7797f-01a110918e1f-1000--executive-committee-decisions-announced/) |
| Schedule | Group matches from 7 September 2012 to 15 October 2013; play-offs from 15 to 19 November 2013[1](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/competitions/Draws/01/65/04/26/1650426_DOWNLOAD.pdf) |
| Seeding | Teams allocated to six pots by the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking of July 2011; Armenia and Azerbaijan, and Russia and Georgia, were kept in separate groups[1](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/competitions/Draws/01/65/04/26/1650426_DOWNLOAD.pdf) |
| Direct qualifiers | Belgium, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, England, Russia, Switzerland, and Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group G winners)[4](https://www.rsssf.org/tables/2014q.html) |
| Play-off winners | Croatia, France, Greece, and Portugal[2](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0253-0d7eefbb0903-a624d2137075-1000--play-offs-complete-2014-world-cup-lineup/) |
| Debutants | Bosnia and Herzegovina, the only team at the finals qualifying for a first World Cup[2](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0253-0d7eefbb0903-a624d2137075-1000--play-offs-complete-2014-world-cup-lineup/) |
## Format and draw
The UEFA Executive Committee, meeting in Paris on 20 and 21 March 2011, approved a format in which the 53 participating teams were split into 8 groups of 6 teams and 1 group of 5. The 9 group winners would qualify directly, and the 8 best runners-up would contest home-and-away play-offs for the remaining 4 of the 13 European slots; the proposal was sent to FIFA for ratification.[3](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0254-0d7d02b7797f-01a110918e1f-1000--executive-committee-decisions-announced/) The system matched the one used for 2010 World Cup qualifying, which FIFA had invited the confederations to shape after allocating 13 places to Europe.[5](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/EuroExperience/uefaorg/Publications/01/62/43/44/1624344_DOWNLOAD.pdf)
The draw took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and paired holders Spain with France in the same qualifying group.[6](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0254-0d7d22528762-9d60a16aac82-1000--spain-face-france-in-2014-world-cup-qualifying/) Teams were allocated to six pots (five pots of 9 teams and one of 8) based on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking of July 2011, with the draw starting from the lowest pot. UEFA asked FIFA to maintain its policy of not drawing [Armenia](https://www.edgepedia.org/armenia) with [Azerbaijan](https://www.edgepedia.org/azerbaijan), or Russia with Georgia, into the same group because of the political relationships between those pairs.[1](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/competitions/Draws/01/65/04/26/1650426_DOWNLOAD.pdf)
## Group stage
Group play ran from 7 September 2012 to 15 October 2013, with each team playing every other team in its group home and away under the standard three-points-for-a-win league format.[1](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/competitions/Draws/01/65/04/26/1650426_DOWNLOAD.pdf) The nine group winners were Belgium ([Group A](https://www.edgepedia.org/group-a)), Italy (B), Germany (C), Netherlands (D), Spain, England, Russia, Switzerland, and [Bosnia and Herzegovina](https://www.edgepedia.org/bosnia-and-herzegovina) (Group G).[4](https://www.rsssf.org/tables/2014q.html)
**Belgium and Germany set the pace.** Belgium won Group A with 8 wins, 2 draws, and no defeat, scoring 18 goals and conceding 4 for 26 points, ahead of Croatia on 17; Germany topped Group C with 9 wins and 1 draw, 36 goals scored and 10 conceded, ahead of Sweden on 20 points.[4](https://www.rsssf.org/tables/2014q.html) The Netherlands matched Germany's unbeaten record in Group D with 9 wins and 1 draw, 34 goals for and 5 against, ahead of Romania on 19 points.[4](https://www.rsssf.org/tables/2014q.html) Italy won [Group B](https://www.edgepedia.org/group-b) with 6 wins and 4 draws, ahead of Denmark on 16 points.[4](https://www.rsssf.org/tables/2014q.html)
**The final matchday decided several groups.** On 15 October 2013, holders Spain, England, first-time qualifiers Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Russia won their groups to book their places in Brazil. Bosnia's place was secured in [Lithuania](https://www.edgepedia.org/lithuania), where Vedad Ibišević scored with 22 minutes left; the result gave Bosnia a first final tournament debut and left Greece second in Group G on goal difference.[7](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0253-0d7eeb059f18-3177eb9079c1-1000--spain-england-russia-and-bosnians-through/)
## Play-offs
The eight best runners-up were paired into four home-and-away ties, played between 15 and 19 November 2013, with the four winners qualifying.[1](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/competitions/Draws/01/65/04/26/1650426_DOWNLOAD.pdf) The draw produced Portugal against Sweden, Ukraine against France, Greece against Romania, and Iceland against Croatia.[8](https://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/news/european-giants-portugal-sweden-to-clash-in-2014-world-cup-playoffs) Sweden manager Erik Hamren described the Ronaldo-Ibrahimovic matchup as "a match in a match".[9](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1819451-uefa-world-cup-qualifying-2014-playoffs-full-draw-and-analysis-of-crucial-ties)
**First legs, 15 November 2013.** Ukraine beat [France 2](https://www.edgepedia.org/france-2)-0 in Kiev, with Roman Zozulya opening in the 60th minute and [Andriy Yarmolenko](https://www.edgepedia.org/andriy-yarmolenko) converting a penalty set up by a [Laurent Koscielny](https://www.edgepedia.org/laurent-koscielny) foul; Koscielny was sent off and missed the second leg.[10](https://www.si.com/soccer/2013/11/15/france-has-the-bleus-cristiano-steps-up-more-uefa-playoff-thoughts) Portugal beat Sweden 1-0 in Lisbon through Cristiano Ronaldo's 82nd-minute header from a Miguel Veloso cross.[10](https://www.si.com/soccer/2013/11/15/france-has-the-bleus-cristiano-steps-up-more-uefa-playoff-thoughts) Greece beat Romania 3-1, with Kostas Mitroglou scoring twice in a man-of-the-match performance.[10](https://www.si.com/soccer/2013/11/15/france-has-the-bleus-cristiano-steps-up-more-uefa-playoff-thoughts) Iceland and Croatia drew 0-0 in Reykjavík, leaving Iceland's bid for a first World Cup alive.[10](https://www.si.com/soccer/2013/11/15/france-has-the-bleus-cristiano-steps-up-more-uefa-playoff-thoughts)
**Second legs.** France overturned the two-goal deficit in Paris, and Portugal won in Stockholm; the Portugal-Sweden tie finished with Ronaldo scoring four goals across the legs to Ibrahimovic's two, and Ronaldo's second-leg hat-trick sent Portugal through.[11](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/world-cup-2014-playoffs-france-light-up-paris-with-comeback-against-ukraine-while-cristiano-ronaldo-fires-sublime-hattrick-against-sweden-8950450.html) Croatia, France, Greece, and Portugal prevailed to complete the European lineup alongside the nine group winners.[2](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0253-0d7eefbb0903-a624d2137075-1000--play-offs-complete-2014-world-cup-lineup/)
## Outcomes
The 13 qualified teams were Belgium, Bosnia and [Herzegovina](https://www.edgepedia.org/herzegovina), Croatia, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, and Switzerland.[11](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/world-cup-2014-playoffs-france-light-up-paris-with-comeback-against-ukraine-while-cristiano-ronaldo-fires-sublime-hattrick-against-sweden-8950450.html) Bosnia and Herzegovina was the only debutant at the finals, having secured its first major tournament as an independent nation by winning Group G.[2](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0253-0d7eefbb0903-a624d2137075-1000--play-offs-complete-2014-world-cup-lineup/)
**A design flaw was identified.** The qualification was later cited as an example of a ranking rule that is not strategy-proof (rule that no team can gain by deliberately losing): because group sizes differed, matches against sixth-placed teams were discarded when ranking the runners-up, and two months before the end of the tournament a scenario existed in which a team might need to draw rather than win its final group match to reach the play-offs. The problem was first revealed by a column on the European qualification for the 2014 World Cup and described by Dagaev and Sonin.[12](https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/83437/1/MPRA_paper_83437.pdf)
## References
1. [2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw procedure, UEFA](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/competitions/Draws/01/65/04/26/1650426_DOWNLOAD.pdf)
2. [Play-offs complete 2014 World Cup lineup, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0253-0d7eefbb0903-a624d2137075-1000--play-offs-complete-2014-world-cup-lineup/)
3. [Executive Committee decisions announced, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0254-0d7d02b7797f-01a110918e1f-1000--executive-committee-decisions-announced/)
4. [World Cup 2014 Qualifying, RSSSF](https://www.rsssf.org/tables/2014q.html)
5. [UEFA direct No. 107, April 2011](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/EuroExperience/uefaorg/Publications/01/62/43/44/1624344_DOWNLOAD.pdf)
6. [Spain face France in 2014 World Cup qualifying, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0254-0d7d22528762-9d60a16aac82-1000--spain-face-france-in-2014-world-cup-qualifying/)
7. [Spain, England, Russia and Bosnians through, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/european-qualifiers/news/0253-0d7eeb059f18-3177eb9079c1-1000--spain-england-russia-and-bosnians-through/)
8. [European giants Portugal, Sweden to clash in 2014 World Cup playoffs, NBC Sports](https://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/news/european-giants-portugal-sweden-to-clash-in-2014-world-cup-playoffs)
9. [UEFA World Cup Qualifying 2014 Playoffs: Full Draw and Analysis of Crucial Ties, Bleacher Report](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1819451-uefa-world-cup-qualifying-2014-playoffs-full-draw-and-analysis-of-crucial-ties)
10. [France has the bleus, Cristiano steps up, more UEFA playoff thoughts, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/soccer/2013/11/15/france-has-the-bleus-cristiano-steps-up-more-uefa-playoff-thoughts)
11. [World Cup 2014 play-offs: France light up Paris with comeback against Ukraine while Cristiano Ronaldo fires sublime hat-trick against Sweden, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/world-cup-2014-playoffs-france-light-up-paris-with-comeback-against-ukraine-while-cristiano-ronaldo-fires-sublime-hattrick-against-sweden-8950450.html)
12. [Csató, László (2017). European qualifiers to the 2018 FIFA World Cup can be manipulated, MPRA Paper No. 83437](https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/83437/1/MPRA_paper_83437.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Competitions and recurring events › FIFA World Cup › FIFA World Cup (men) › World Cup qualification › UEFA qualification (Europe)*
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