4 countries to qualify QUALIFYING ROUND Iceland bye Austria bye Turkey bye France bye 8 groups of 2 teams each. Winners proceed to the Qualifying Tournament. Ireland 1-2 Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia 1-0 Ireland (Czechoslovakia win 3-1 on aggregate) West Germany 0-0 Spain Spain 3-2 West Germany (Spain win 3-2 on aggregate) Finland 3-5 Norway Norway 1-1 Finland (Norway win 6-4 on aggregate) Greece 0-1 East Germany East Germany 4-0 Greece (East Germany win 5-0 on aggregate) Hungary 2-0 Bulgaria Bulgaria 4-0 Hungary (Bulgaria win 4-2 on aggregate) Luxembourg 0-1 Netherlands Netherlands 2-1 Luxembourg (Netherlands win 3-1 on aggregate) Romania 4-0 Denmark Denmark 1-2 Romania (Romania win 6-1 on aggregate) Yugoslavia 1-1 Soviet Union Soviet Union 3-0 Yugoslavia (Soviet Union win 4-1 on aggregate) QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT 4 groups with 3 teams each. Winner of each group to qualify for the Final Tournament. Group 1 [Soviet Union qualify] Soviet Union 4-0 Norway 1. Soviet Union 4 4 0 0 10- 1 8 Norway 1-3 Soviet Union 2. Norway 4 1 1 2 5-10 3 Soviet Union 1-0 Iceland 3. Iceland 4 0 1 3 3- 7 1 Iceland 0-2 Soviet Union Norway 3-2 Iceland Iceland 1-1 Norway Group 2 [East Germany qualify] East Germany 0-0 Czechoslovakia 1. East Germany 4 2 2 0 4- 1 6 Czechoslovakia 1-1 East Germany 2. Czechoslovakia 4 1 3 0 6- 1 5 East Germany 1-0 Austria 3. Austria 4 0 1 3 0- 8 1 Austria 0-2 East Germany Czechoslovakia 5-0 Austria Austria 0-0 Czechoslovakia Group 3 [Spain qualify] Spain 2-1 Bulgaria 1. Spain 4 2 2 0 5- 2 6 Bulgaria 1-1 Spain 2. Bulgaria 4 2 1 1 7- 3 5 Spain 2-0 Turkey 3. Turkey 4 0 1 3 0- 7 1 Turkey 0-0 Spain Bulgaria 3-0 Turkey Turkey 0-2 Bulgaria Group 4 [France qualify] France 4-0 Romania 1. France 4 3 0 1 11- 5 6 Romania 1-0 France 2. Romania 4 3 0 1 9- 5 6 France 4-2 Netherlands 3. Netherlands 4 0 0 4 5-15 0 Netherlands 2-3 France Romania 5-1 Netherlands Netherlands 0-3 Romania
2 countries to qualify
6-team tournament played in Recife, Brazil. Winner and runner-up to qualify
for the Final Tournament. [Brazil and Uruguay qualify]
Brazil 1-1 Uruguay 1. Brazil 5 4 1 0 12- 2 9
Colombia 0-1 Peru 2. Uruguay 5 2 3 0 9- 4 7
Argentina 2-1 Chile 3. Argentina 5 2 1 2 7- 8 5
Argentina 3-1 Peru 4. Colombia 5 1 2 2 5- 9 4
Brazil 4-0 Colombia 5. Chile 5 1 1 3 5- 7 3
Uruguay 1-1 Chile 6. Peru 5 1 0 4 3-11 2
Uruguay 3-0 Peru
Brazil 2-1 Chile
Argentina 2-2 Colombia
Uruguay 2-0 Argentina
Brazil 3-0 Peru
Colombia 1-0 Chile
Chile 2-1 Peru
Uruguay 2-2 Colombia
Brazil 2-0 Argentina
NB: Newell's Old Boys of Rosario represented Argentina.
Uruguay withdrew from the final tournament on June 8, 1976;
Argentina were invited to replace them but declined and the place
eventually went to Cuba (best CONCACAF non-qualifiers).
Match Details
2 countries to qualify
PRELIMINARY ROUND
3 groups of 2 teams each. Winners proceed to First Round.
Barbados 1-1 Trinidad
Trinidad 0-0 Barbados
Playoff:
Barbados 1-3 Trinidad (Trinidad win 4-2 on aggregate)
El Salvador 4-0 Nicaragua
Nicaragua 2-1 El Salvador (El Salvador win 5-2 on aggregate)
Jamaica 1-0 Dominican Rep.
Dominican Rep. 1-2 Jamaica (Jamaica win 3-1 on aggregate)
FIRST ROUND
Mexico bye
5 groups of 2 teams eachs. Winners proceed to Second Round.
Bermuda 3-2 USA
USA 2-0 Bermuda (USA win 4-3 on aggregate)
Costa Rica 1-0 El Salvador
El Salvador 1-2 Costa Rica (Costa Rica win 3-1 on aggregate)
Cuba 1-0 Jamaica
Jamaica 1-0 Cuba
Playoff:
Cuba 4-1 Jamaica (Cuba win 5-2 on aggregate)
Honduras 0-0 Guatemala
Guatemala 2-0 Honduras (Guatemala win 2-0 on aggregate)
Surinam 2-0 Trinidad
Trinidad 1-1 Surinam (Surinam win 3-1 on aggregate)
SECOND ROUND
3 groups of 2 teams each. Winners proceed to Third Round.
Costa Rica 1-1 Guatemala
Guatemala 2-1 Costa Rica (Guatemala win 3-2 on aggregate)
Mexico 8-0 USA
USA 2-4 Mexico (Mexico win 12-2 on aggregate)
Surinam 0-1 Cuba
Cuba 6-1 Surinam (Cuba win 7-1 on aggregate)
THIRD ROUND
Winner and runner-up to qualify for the Final Tournament. [Mexico and
Guatemala qualify]
Mexico 4-1 Guatemala 1. Mexico 4 2 1 1 11- 7 5
Guatemala 3-2 Mexico 2. Guatemala 4 1 2 1 6- 8 4
Mexico 4-2 Cuba 3. Cuba 4 0 3 1 5- 7 3
Cuba 1-1 Mexico
Guatemala 1-1 Cuba
Cuba 1-1 Guatemala
NB: after the withdrawal in June of Uruguay and Argentina's refusal to
replace them, Cuba were invited to enter the Final Tournament as
well and did so.
3 countries to qualify
FIRST ROUND
12 groups of 2 teams each. Winners proceed to Second Round.
Algeria 1-1 Tunesia
Tunesia 2-1 Algeria (Tunesia win 3-2 on aggregate)
Egypt 1-1 Sudan
Sudan 1-0 Egypt (Sudan win 2-1 on aggregate)
Ethiopia 0-0 Tanzania
Tanzania 3-0 Ethiopia (Tanzania win 3-0 on aggregate)
Gambia 0-1 Guinea
Guinea 6-0 Gambia (Guinea win 7-0 on aggregate)
Ghana 6-0 Liberia
Liberia 1-4 Ghana (Ghana win 10-1 on aggregate)
Malawi vs. Madagascar (Malawi walk-over; Madagascar withdrew)
Mali 6-0 Mauritania
Mauritania 0-1 Mali (Mali win 7-0 on aggregate)
Morocco 2-1 Libya
Libya 0-1 Morocco (Morocco win 3-1 on aggregate)
Nigeria vs. Cameroon (Nigeria walk-over; Cameroon withdrew)
Senegal 1-0 Togo
Togo 1-1 Senegal (Senegal win 2-1 on aggregate)
Zaire 4-1 Upper Volta
Upper Volta 1-2 Zaire (Zaire win 6-2 on aggregate)
Zambia 5-0 Mauritius
Mauritius 0-4 Zambia (Zambia win 9-0 on aggregate)
SECOND ROUND
6 groups of 2 teams each. Winners proceed to Third Round.
Guinea 1-0 Ghana
Ghana 6-2 Guinea (Ghana win 6-3 on aggregate)
Malawi 1-1 Zambia
Zambia 4-1 Malawi (Zambia win 5-2 on aggregate)
Nigeria vs. Mali (Nigeria walk-over; Mali withdrew)
Senegal 3-1 Zaire
Zaire 2-0 Senegal (Senegal win 5-4 pen.; 3-3 on aggregate)
Tanzania 1-0 Sudan
Sudan 2-0 Tanzania (Sudan win 2-1 on aggregate)
Tunesia 0-1 Morocco
Morocco 1-0 Tunesia (Morocco win 2-0 on aggregate)
THIRD ROUND [Nigeria, Ghana and Zambia qualify]
3 groups of 2 teams each. Winners qualify for the Final Tournament.
Nigeria 3-1 Morocco
Morocco 1-0 Nigeria (Nigeria qualify 3-2 on aggregate)
Senegal 0-0 Ghana
Ghana 2-1 Senegal (Ghana qualify 2-1 on aggregate)
Zambia 2-2 Sudan
Sudan 0-0 Zambia (Zambia qualify 5-4 on pen.; 2-2 on
aggregate)
NB: as part of a general African boycott of the Olympics protesting
the participation of New Zealand (whose rugby team planned a summer
tour of South Africa in spite of the Soweto massacre), the three
African participants withdrew a day before the start of the Games
and were not replaced.
3 countries to qualify QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT 3 groups of which 2 have 5 teams each and 1 has 6 teams. Winner of each group to qualify for the Final Tournament. Group 1, played in Teheran, Iran [Iran qualify] Lebanon withdrew (one week before the group matches began); Kuwait was a late entry after the initial draw; the late entry of Sri Lanka was rejected. Iran 1-1 Kuwait 1. Iran 4 3 1 0 8- 1 7 Iran 1-0 Iraq 2. Kuwait 4 2 1 1 8- 6 5 Iran 3-0 Saudi Arabia 3. Iraq 4 2 0 2 6- 4 4 Iran 3-0 Bahrain 4. Saudi Arabia 4 2 0 2 5- 7 4 Kuwait 1-2 Iraq 5. Bahrain 4 0 0 4 1-10 0 Kuwait 4-2 Saudi Arabia Kuwait 2-1 Bahrain Iraq 0-2 Saudi Arabia Iraq 4-0 Bahrain Saudi Arabia 1-0 Bahrain Group 2, played in Djakarta, Indonesia [North Korea qualify] Bangladesh, India and Thailand all withdrew Australia was to play vs Papua New Guinea in a preliminary round, the winner to advance to Group 2, but Australia withdrew. North Korea 2-1 Indonesia 1. North Korea 4 4 0 0 10- 1 8 North Korea 2-0 Malaysia 2. Indonesia 4 2 1 1 11- 5 5 North Korea 2-0 Singapore 3. Malaysia 4 2 0 2 17- 5 4 North Korea 4-0 Papua N. Guinea 4. Singapore 4 1 1 2 7-12 3 Indonesia 2-1 Malaysia 5. Papua N. Guinea 4 0 0 4 7-29 0 Indonesia 0-0 Singapore Indonesia 8-2 Papua N. Guinea Malaysia 6-0 Singapore Malaysia 10-1 Papua N. Guinea Singapore 7-4 Papua N. Guinea Group 2 Final North Korea 0-0 Indonesia (North Korea win 5-4 on pen) Group 3 [Israel qualify] FIRST ROUND 3 groups of 2 teams each. Winners proceed to Second Round. Japan 3-0 Philippines Philippines 0-3 Japan (Japan win 6-0 on aggregate) Taiwan 0-2 South Korea South Korea 3-0 Taiwan (South Korea win 5-0 on aggregate) Israel vs. South Vietnam (Israel walk-over; South Vietnam withdrew) SECOND ROUND Israel 0-0 South Korea 1. Israel 4 3 1 0 10- 2 7 South Korea 1-3 Israel 2. South Korea 4 1 2 1 5- 5 4 Israel 4-1 Japan 3. Japan 4 0 1 3 3-11 1 Japan 0-3 Israel South Korea 2-2 Japan Japan 0-2 South Korea
Automatically Canada (hosts), Poland (holders) Europe Soviet Union, East Germany, Spain, France South America Brazil, Uruguay North and Central America Mexico, Guatemala Africa Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia Asia Iran, North Korea, Israel Uruguay withdrew in June 1976 and were eventually replaced by Cuba (after Argentina declined the invitation to replace them). The African representatives, Nigeria, Ghana and Zambia all withdrew a day before the start of the Games and were not replaced; thus, the competition was reduced to 13 teams.
With thanks to José Batalha and Neil Morrison
Prepared and maintained by Søren Elbech for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
Author: Søren Elbech
Last updated: 1 Aug 2022
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