107 national teams competed across six continental zones to fill 14 available spots at the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina.
Key Facts
- Teams entered
- 107
- Teams played qualifying matches
- 95
- Qualifying matches played
- 252
- Goals scored
- 723
- Average goals per match
- 2.87
- Spots contested
- 14 (excluding 2 automatic qualifiers)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
With Argentina named as host nation and West Germany holding the title of defending champion, both teams received automatic berths in the 1978 FIFA World Cup, leaving 14 places to be distributed among the continental confederations and decided through competitive qualification.
Beginning with a preliminary draw on 20 November 1975 in Guatemala City, 107 teams entered qualification rounds divided across six confederations — UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, CAF, AFC, and OFC — each allocated a set number of berths. A total of 252 matches were played and 723 goals scored across the various zones.
Fourteen nations earned places at the 1978 World Cup through the qualification process, joining hosts Argentina and defending champions West Germany to complete the 16-team tournament field. An intercontinental play-off mechanism linked the ninth-place UEFA team against the third-place CONMEBOL team for one additional spot.