Association Football Trivia Thread
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- wrexham
- jameskent86451
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Right so I was watching the coverage of yesterdays Trophy final and its had a history of the tournament VT which said that Wigan were the only team to have won it and later be in the Premier League but I went and checked it and it turns out they haven't won it but like Famine said they were runner up in 1972-73...
So it appears that the question is out the window...I could ask another....it'll be a proper one this time!
So it appears that the question is out the window...I could ask another....it'll be a proper one this time!
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I spent ages working out this question, only to find out it wasn't interesting because of the answer. So I'm going to change it
Aside from automatically qualifying nations (host and, for much of its history, champions), which twelve nations have been the first to qualify for all twenty World Cup Finals?
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- Bratvegas
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I thought traditionally South American teams were some of the latest to qualify. The question is which teams have been the first to qualify for the world cup excluding the reigning champions or hosts of a particular year and given that we know there are twelve teams from twenty WCs to qualify first, there must be teams who have done it more than once. Makes you think more about which qualifications are over first.
Still can't get Europe out of my mind and I'll say France, Germany and Italy must have done it at some point.
Still can't get Europe out of my mind and I'll say France, Germany and Italy must have done it at some point.
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Yes to all of this.
That said,
1, 4 and (Edit: 1), respectively.
Brazil in fact hold the record by being the first team to qualify four times (1958, 1978, 1982 and 1990), while Uruguay did it once (1950).
Europe is traditionally the first place to get the final qualification groups underway but the last to complete them - but this wasn't always the case. France and Italy didn't do it, but Germany did - and only once, in 1938. It was never repeated, as either West or East Germany or the reunified nation.
So we have:
Brazil (4) - @Ross
Uruguay (1) - @Ross
Argentina (1) - @Ross
Germany (1) - @Liquid
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The same tournament where East Germany beat West Germany at their own tournament in West Germany. Even though West Germany went on to win the cup, the propaganda off the back of that one result must have been incredible.
Uh.. three more European teams to qualify first for the World Cup. France, Spain and England?
Uh.. three more European teams to qualify first for the World Cup. France, Spain and England?
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BULGARIA?
You get a point for Hungary though - 1954 in Switzerland and then 1986 in Mexico. Yes, they're also the joint-third quickest qualifiers...
Brazil (4) - @Ross
Mexico (2) - @Liquid
Hungary (2) - @Liquid
Uruguay (1) - @Ross
Argentina (1) - @Ross
Germany (1) - @Liquid
Soviet Union (1) - @Liquid
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They won their qualifying group in 1974. It could have been the quickest!
So of the European teams there are still two left. Not Yugoslavia, not Czechoslovakia, not England, not Netherland, not France, not Italy, not Spain. What other European teams could have qualified first and therefore so quickly? I'm discounting Portugal because they were nowhere for such a long time and it has been said that these days the Euro qualifiers are the longest.
Sweden.
Going back to the left field answers from the 1970s; Scotland, perhaps?
Poland.
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Portugal did compete in 1966 though. But aren't right. Poland are also unright and Scotland very nearly were right but aren't.
Sweden did manage to qualify first on two occasions though - the first two. 1934 & 1938. They tie with Germany in 1938 as both teams qualified as a result of Germany beating Estonia - leaving the final Germany-Sweden game as a dead rubber.
Brazil (4) - @Ross
Mexico (2) - @Liquid
Hungary (2) - @Liquid
Sweden (2) - @Liquid
Uruguay (1) - @Ross
Argentina (1) - @Ross
Germany (1) - @Liquid
Soviet Union (1) - @Liquid
Still missing one European team, a team who qualified first thrice on the bounce and three others
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Okay before we move on to the other three there is one European team left which did it three times in a row. Let's find the gap.
1930 - No-one
1934 - Sweden
1938 - Sweden & Germany
1950 - Uruguay
1954 - Hungary
1958 - Brazil
1962 -
1966 - Mexico
1970 -
1974 - Soviet Union
1978 - Brazil
1982 - Brazil
1986 - Hungary
1990 - Brazil
1994 - Mexico
1998 -
2002 -
2006 -
2010 -
2014 -
Bulgaria, Poland, Portugal, France, England, Scotland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Italy, Spain, Netherland
For this to be the three times in a row, it must be a recent team. And all of the big guns are pretty much discarded. Denmark haven't been to the WC lately. Neither have Finland. Romania haven't done anything since 1994.
It's hard to find any more European teams who have qualified for the World Cup let alone doing so first. Maybe Czech Republic? Slovakia certainly have never done anything until these current EC qualifiers.
1930 - No-one
1934 - Sweden
1938 - Sweden & Germany
1950 - Uruguay
1954 - Hungary
1958 - Brazil
1962 -
1966 - Mexico
1970 -
1974 - Soviet Union
1978 - Brazil
1982 - Brazil
1986 - Hungary
1990 - Brazil
1994 - Mexico
1998 -
2002 -
2006 -
2010 -
2014 -
For this to be the three times in a row, it must be a recent team. And all of the big guns are pretty much discarded. Denmark haven't been to the WC lately. Neither have Finland. Romania haven't done anything since 1994.
It's hard to find any more European teams who have qualified for the World Cup let alone doing so first. Maybe Czech Republic? Slovakia certainly have never done anything until these current EC qualifiers.
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Ah, I see. Well then, the 1980s are covered, which precludes Belgium rising to prominence. Turkey are AFC, I think. It's not Wales. Not Ireland; Republic or Northern.
In years gone by Switzerland were a handy team at the World Cup and might have been the first to qualify in 1962. Otherwise I can only think of Norway, Greece and Croatia (1998?) being anywhere near likely to being the first European team to qualify.
In years gone by Switzerland were a handy team at the World Cup and might have been the first to qualify in 1962. Otherwise I can only think of Norway, Greece and Croatia (1998?) being anywhere near likely to being the first European team to qualify.
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I hope that means you've been keeping up with my World Cup qualification threads
Yep, Japan qualified first three times in a row from 2006 through to 2014. Not sure what 2018's schedules are, but they could conceivably do it a fourth time soon...
Brazil (4) - @Ross
Japan (3) - @MUSC4EVER
Mexico (2) - @Liquid
Hungary (2) - @Liquid
Sweden (2) - @Liquid
Uruguay (1) - @Ross
Argentina (1) - @Ross
Germany (1) - @Liquid
Soviet Union (1) - @Liquid
Belgium (1) - @Liquid
