FIFA awarded the World Cup
1990 final tournament to Italy at a meeting of its Executive Committee in
Zurich, Switzerland on May 19, 1984. There were 12 withdrawals from the 116 teams
entering. The most notable absentee was Mexico, handed a two-year ban in
1988 for using overage players in an under-21 tournament.
The teams were divided into
preliminary competition qualifying groups at a draw in Zurich on December 12,
1987. Italy, as host nation, and Argentina, as World Cup holders,
qualified automatically for the final tournament.
In addition to host Italy's
automatic spot, FIFA gave 13 places in the final tournament to Europe.
The 32 other European entries were divided into four groups of five teams and three
groups of four teams for the preliminary competition.
Qualifying for the final tournament from the larger groups were the winners
and runners-up and from the three smaller groups the winners and the two best
second-place teams, determined on the basis of, in order, points, goal
difference, number of goals scored and, if still necessary, a playoff match at
a neutral venue.
England were drawn with
Sweden, Poland and Albania in Group 2, one of the three smaller groups.
Although they were unbeaten and did not give up a single goal, England
finished second to Sweden by a single point. Sweden beat Poland twice
while England, in their last qualifying match, could only muster a goalless
draw in Poland, surviving a Polish onslaught only through Peter Shilton's
magnificence in goal and the crossbar's deflection of a last-minute 30-yard
shot, a fortuity that furnished the razor-thin margin by which England gained
their place in Italy.
England qualified as one of
the two best second-place finishers in the three smaller groups. They
were, in fact, the second-best second-place finisher. Germany, second in
Group 4, had the same number of points and an identical goal difference, but
had scored three more goals than England. Denmark, second in Group 1, failed
to qualify because they earned a point less than England and Germany.
Had England lost that last match in Poland--had Poland's last-minute shot been
a few inches lower--they would have failed to qualify because, while they
would still have had the same number of points and the same goal difference as
Denmark, they scored five fewer goals.
Following the preliminary
competition, Italy and Argentina were joined in the finals by Romania, Sweden,
England, the U.S.S.R., Austria, Holland, West Germany, Yugoslavia, Scotland,
Spain, the Republic of Ireland, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Uruguay, Colombia,
Brazil, Costa Rica, the U.S.A., Egypt, Cameroon, South Korea and the United
Arab Emirates.
Further Information
The results and tables for the entire
World Cup 1990 preliminary competition are available both on the FIFA
website and in the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistical
Foundation Archive.
England
Football Online