121 teams entered the 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for 24 places in the final tournament. Mexico, as the hosts, and Italy, as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 22 spots open for competition. The draw took place on 7 December 1983 in Zürich, Switzerland.

The 24 spots available in the 1986 World Cup would be distributed among the continental zones as follows: Europe (UEFA): 13.5 places, 1 of them went to automatic qualifier Italy, while the other 12.5 places were contested by 32 teams. The winner of the 0.5 place would advance to the intercontinental play-offs (against a team from OFC). South America (CONMEBOL): 4 places, contested by 10 teams. North, Central America, and Caribbean (CONCACAF): 2 places, 1 of them went to automatic qualifier Mexico, while the other place was contested by 17 teams. Africa (CAF): 2 places, contested by 29 teams. Asia (AFC): 2 places, contested by 27 teams. Oceania (OFC): 0.5 place, contested by 4 teams (including Israel and Chinese Taipei). The winner of the 0.5 place would advance to the intercontinental play-offs (against a team from UEFA).

A total of 110 teams played at least one qualifying match. A total of 308 qualifying matches were played, and 801 goals were scored (an average of 2.60 per match).

Confederation qualification

AFC

Zone A +PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification1.21103123Final Tournament2.201113 -21

Zone B PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification1.22003124Final Tournament2.200213 -20 Iraq and Korea Republic qualified.

CAF

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification1.22007164Final Tournament2.200217 -60 PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification1.22003124Final Tournament2.200213 -20 Algeria and Morocco qualified.

CONCACAF

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification1.422042 +26Final Tournament2.411266033.403146−23 Canada qualified.

CONMEBOL

Group 1 PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification1.6411126 +69Final Tournament2.632184 +48Advance to CONMEBOL playoffs3.62226606Advance to CONMEBOL playoffs4.6015515−101

Group 2 PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification1.430164 +26Final Tournament2.4211105 +55Advance to CONMEBOL playoffs3.4013411−71

Group 3 PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification1.422062 +46Final Tournament2.412154 +14Advance to CONMEBOL playoffs3.402227−52

CONMEBOL Playoffs

First Round PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification1.21014222Final Round2.210124 -22 PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification1.22005234Final Round2.200225 -30

Final Round PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification1.21105233Final Tournament2.201125 -31 Group 1 – Argentina qualified. Peru and Colombia advanced to the CONMEBOL play-offs. Group 2 – Uruguay qualified. Chile advanced to the CONMEBOL play-offs. Group 3 – Brazil qualified. Paraguay advanced to the CONMEBOL play-offs. Play-offs – Paraguay qualified over Chile, Colombia and Peru.

OFC

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification16420202 +1810Advance to Inter-confederation playoffs26312176 +11736312137 +6746006136−350 Australia advanced to the UEFA–OFC intercontinental play-off

UEFA

Group 1 PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification1.6321106 +48Final Tournament2.632173 +48Advance to UEFA Playoffs3.612369−344.6123510−54

Group 2 PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification1.8521229 +1312Final Tournament2.85031210 +210Final Tournament3.8413149 +594.83231112−185.8017625−191

Group 3 PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification1.8440212 +1912Final Tournament2.842285 +310Final Tournament3.8332127 +594.8323712−585.8017224−221

Group 4 PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification1.8512154 +1111Final Tournament2.8512135 +811Final Tournament3.8503169 +7104.832378−185.8008227−250

Group 5 PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification1.6501124 +810Final Tournament2.6312115 +67Advance to UEFA Playoffs3.631298 +174.6006318−150

Group 6 PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification1.8512176 +1111Final Tournament2.8422138 +510Final Tournament3.8242510−584.8224510−565.8134410−65

Group 7 PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification1.640298 +18Final Tournament2.631284 +47Advance to Inter-confederation playoffs3.631276 +174.6105410−62

UEFA Playoffs +PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification1.21012202*Final Tournament2.21012202* *As Belgium and the Netherlands finished with the same record, Belgium advanced on away goals. Group 1 – Poland qualified. Belgium advanced to the UEFA play-offs. Group 2 – West Germany and Portugal qualified. Group 3 – England and Northern Ireland qualified. Group 4 – France and Bulgaria qualified. Group 5 – Hungary qualified. Netherlands advanced to the UEFA play-offs. Group 6 – Denmark and USSR qualified. Group 7 – Spain qualified. Scotland advanced to the UEFA–OFC intercontinental play-off. Play-offs – Belgium qualified over Netherlands.

Inter-confederation play-offs: UEFA v OFC

The two teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winner qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup.

Qualified teams

The following 24 teams qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup:

TeamDate of qualificationFinals appearanceStreakLast appearance18 October 19852nd2198230 June 19859th4198220 November 19857th2198223 June 198513th13198228 September 19855th1197414 September 19851st1—13 November 19851st1—16 October 19858th2198216 November 19859th3198217 April 19859th3198229 November 19851st1— (defending champions)11 July 198211th719823 November 19852nd11954 (hosts)20 May 19839th1197818 October 19852nd1197013 November 19853rd2198217 November 19854th1195811 September 19855th4198216 October 19852nd119664 December 19856th4198225 September 19857th319827 April 19858th1197430 October 19856th2198225 September 198511th91982

(h) – qualified automatically as hosts

(c) – qualified automatically as defending champions

Top goalscorers 8 goals Preben Elkjær José Figueroa

7 goals Jorge Aravena Lau Wing Yip

6 goals Zhao Dayu Rainer Ernst

5 goals John Kosmina Dave Mitchell Bryan Robson Zahi Armeli Kazushi Kimura Fernando Gomes Oleh Protasov Bassam Jeridi

Notes

West Germany lost a World Cup qualifying match for the first time on 16 October 1985, when they were defeated 0–1 by Portugal in Stuttgart, in what was their 37th World Cup qualifier (including games played by Germany before World War II). Of the other three losses that the (now-reunified) German team suffered in the competition, two also took place on home soil: 1–5 to England in Munich in 2001, and 1–2 to North Macedonia in Duisburg in 2021, and one away: 0–2 to Slovakia in Bratislava in 2025. With only four losses in over 100 games, Germany remains the team with by far the lowest loss ratio in the FIFA World Cup qualification. Scotland manager Jock Stein died during their qualifier at Wales, suffering a heart attack immediately after the Scots scored a late equaliser. Iraq qualified for their only World Cup up until 2026.

External links

FIFA World Cup Official Site - 1986 World Cup Qualification RSSSF - 1986 World Cup Qualification