1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)

Listed below are the dates and results for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the South American zone (CONMEBOL). For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification.

1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)
Tournament details
Dates24 April 1996 – 16 November 1997
Teams9 (from 1 confederation)
Tournament statistics
Matches played72
Goals scored186 (2.58 per match)
Top scorer(s)Chile Iván Zamorano
(12 goals)
1994
2002

A total of 10 CONMEBOL teams entered the competition. The South American zone was allocated 5 places (out of 32) in the final tournament. Brazil, the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 4 spots open for competition between 9 teams.

This was the first World Cup qualifying competition to involve all of the yet-unqualified teams in the confederation playing against each other home and away to decide places in the tournament, a format that was replicated for subsequent World Cup qualifying competitions between CONMEBOL members.

Final standings edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1   Argentina 16 8 6 2 23 13 +10 30
2   Paraguay 16 9 2 5 21 14 +7 29
3   Colombia 16 8 4 4 23 15 +8 28
4   Chile 16 7 4 5 32 18 +14 25
5   Peru 16 7 4 5 19 20 −1 25
6   Ecuador 16 6 3 7 22 21 +1 21
7   Uruguay 16 6 3 7 18 21 −3 21
8   Bolivia 16 4 5 7 18 21 −3 17
9   Venezuela 16 0 3 13 8 41 −33 3
Source: [citation needed]

Argentina, Paraguay, Colombia and Chile qualified.

Matches edit

Round 1 edit

Venezuela  0–2  Uruguay
(Report)[permanent dead link] Otero   54'
Poyet   77'

Ecuador  4–1  Peru
Hurtado   54', 88'
Tenorio   65'
Gavica   78'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Palacios   62'
Attendance: 60,000
Referee: Julio Matto Estoceres (Uruguay)

Colombia  1–0  Paraguay
Asprilla   53' (Report)[permanent dead link]

Argentina  3–1  Bolivia
Ortega   8', 18'
Batistuta   49'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Baldivieso   42'

Round 2 edit

Ecuador  2–0  Argentina
Montaño   51'
Hurtado   89'
(Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 41,500
Referee: Armando Perez Hoyos (Colombia)

Uruguay  0–2  Paraguay
(Report)[permanent dead link] Arce   10'
Rojas   88'
Attendance: 44,127
Referee: Marcio Rezende de Freitas (Brazil)

Venezuela  1–1  Chile
Guerra   8' (Report)[permanent dead link] Margas   90+5'
Attendance: 8,074
Referee: Epifanio Gonzalez (Paraguay)

Peru  1–1  Colombia
Reynoso   47' (Report)[permanent dead link] Aristizábal   60'
Attendance: 43,345
Referee: Alfredo Rodas (Ecuador)

Round 3 edit

Chile  4–1  Ecuador
Zamorano   25', 86'
Salas   75'
Estay   83'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Aguinaga   73'
Attendance: 74,905[1]
Referee: Pablo Peña (Bolivia)

Colombia  3–1  Uruguay
Asprilla   7'
Valderrama   20'
De Ávila   78'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Cedrés   57'
Attendance: 36,169
Referee: Ruben Ruscio (Argentina)

Peru  0–0  Argentina
(Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 43,675
Referee: Wilson de Souza Mendonça (Brazil)

Bolivia  6–1  Venezuela
Sandy   4'
Etcheverry   41' (pen.)
Baldivieso   61'
Coimbra   67'
Suarez   78'
Paniagua   85'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Tortolero   65' (pen.)
Attendance: 43,822
Referee: Jose Luis da Rosa (Uruguay)

Round 4 edit

Ecuador  1–0  Venezuela
Aguinaga   4' (Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 36,889
Referee: Carlos Robles (Chile)

Bolivia  0–0  Peru
(Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 48,304
Referee: Oscar Alvarenga (Paraguay)

Colombia  4–1  Chile
Asprilla   3', 31', 47'
Bermúdez   43'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Zamorano   56' (pen.)
Attendance: 34,000
Referee: Sidrack Marinho dos Santos (Brazil)

Round 5 edit

Uruguay  1–0  Bolivia
Moas   72' (Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 60,000
Referee: Paolo Borgosano (Venezuela)

Ecuador  0–1  Colombia
(Report)[permanent dead link] Asprilla   72'
Attendance: 45,000
Referee: Horacio Elizondo (Argentina)

Venezuela  2–5  Argentina
Savarese   7'
Dudamel   87'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Ortega   35'
Sorín   65'
Simeone   77'
Morales   86'
Albornoz   90+1'

Paraguay  2–1  Chile
Gamarra   24'
Rivarola   63'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Margas   22'
Attendance: 45,000
Referee: Oscar Ruiz (Colombia)

Round 6 edit

Bolivia  2–2  Colombia
Sandy   15'
Moreno   44'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Serna   40' (pen.)
Rincón   54'
Attendance: 43,173
Referee: Jose Villamonte (Peru)

Peru  4–1  Venezuela
Reynoso   4'
Julinho   21'
Palacios   49', 83'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Díaz   78'
Attendance: 31,036
Referee: René Ortubé (Bolivia)

Paraguay  1–0  Ecuador
Benítez   24' (Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 31,002
Referee: Daniel Giménez (Argentina)

Chile  1–0  Uruguay
Salas   60' (Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 73,547[1]
Referee: Angel Guevara (Ecuador)

Round 7 edit

Bolivia  0–0  Paraguay
(Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 41,076
Referee: Jose Luis Parra (Uruguay)

Venezuela  0–2  Colombia
(Report)[permanent dead link] Bermúdez   7'
Valenciano   50'
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Eduardo Gamboa (Chile)

Argentina  1–1  Chile
Batistuta   76' (pen.) (Report)[permanent dead link] Cornejo   52'

Uruguay  2–0  Peru
Montero   2'
Bengoechea   38'
(Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 42,630
Referee: Felipe Paez (Colombia)

Round 8 edit

Venezuela  0–2  Paraguay
(Report)[permanent dead link] Benítez   6'
Enciso   62'
Attendance: 7,981
Referee: Ángel Sánchez (Argentina)

Bolivia  2–0  Ecuador
Moreno   7'
Etcheverry   12'
(Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 39,968
Referee: Oscar Ruiz (Colombia)

Uruguay  0–0  Argentina
(Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 62,000
Referee: Márcio Rezende de Freitas (Brazil)

Peru  2–1  Chile
Maestri   15'
Palacios   34'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Zamorano   88'
Attendance: 35,373
Referee: José Varela (Uruguay)

Round 9 edit

Ecuador  4–0  Uruguay
Aguinaga   6'
Delgado   68', 76'
Chalá   87'
(Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Javier Castrilli (Argentina)

Bolivia  1–1  Chile
Soria   28' (Report)[permanent dead link] González   44'
Attendance: 41,908
Referee: Alberto Tejada Noriega (Peru)


Paraguay  2–1  Peru
Rivarola   12'
Rojas   40'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Pereda   33'

Round 10 edit

Bolivia  2–1  Argentina
Sandy   8'
Ochoaizpur   48'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Gorosito   41' (pen.)
Attendance: 44,372
Referee: Sidrack Marinho dos Santos (Brazil)

Peru  1–1  Ecuador
Palacios   58' (Report)[permanent dead link] Aguinaga   78' (pen.)
Attendance: 42,299
Referee: John Toro Rendón (Colombia)

Uruguay  3–1  Venezuela
De Los Santos   29'
Montero   46'
Otero   59'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Castellín   55'
Attendance: 37,000
Referee: René Ortubé (Bolivia)

Paraguay  2–1  Colombia
Galeano   30' (o.g.)
Soto   82'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Serna   80' (pen.)
Attendance: 37,297
Referee: Wilson de Souza Mendonça (Brazil)

Round 11 edit

Chile  6–0  Venezuela
Zamorano   19', 27', 32', 47', 85'
Reyes   66'
(Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 42,034
Referee: Gilberto Alcalá (Mexico)

Argentina  2–1  Ecuador
Ortega   18'
Crespo   30'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Aguinaga   73'
Attendance: 62,300
Referee: Félix Ramón Benegas Caballero (Paraguay)

Paraguay  3–1  Uruguay
Rojas   37'
Cardozo   73' (pen.)[2]
Soto   83'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Silva   87'

Round 12 edit

Ecuador  1–1  Chile
Graziani   43' (Report)[permanent dead link] Salas   53'
Attendance: 42,225
Referee: Benito Archundia (Mexico)

Argentina  2–0  Peru
Crespo   44'
Simeone   46'
(Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 56,069
Referee: Claudio Vinicius Cerdeira (Brazil)

Uruguay  1–1  Colombia
Silva   6' (Report)[permanent dead link] Ricard   47'
Attendance: 37,200
Referee: Francisco Mourao Dacildo (Brazil)

Venezuela  1–1  Bolivia
Savarese   70' (Report)[permanent dead link] Castillo   80'

Round 13 edit

Chile  4–1  Colombia
Salas   16', 26', 41'
Zamorano   90' (pen.)
(Report)[permanent dead link] Ricard   52'
Attendance: 75,617[3]
Referee: Paolo Borgozano (Venezuela)

Paraguay  1–2  Argentina
Acuña   59' (pen.) (Report)[permanent dead link] Gallardo   30'
Verón   41'

Peru  2–1  Bolivia
Carty   9'
Soto   53'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Cristaldo   56'
Attendance: 31,489
Referee: Wilson de Souza Mendonça (Brazil)

Venezuela  1–1  Ecuador
Miranda   75' (Report)[permanent dead link] Hurtado   55'

Round 14 edit

Argentina  2–0  Venezuela
Crespo   31'
Paz   58'
(Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 48,000
Referee: Wilson de Souza Mendonça (Brazil)

Bolivia  1–0  Uruguay
Etcheverry   75' (Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 27,874
Referee: Arturo Brizio Carter (Mexico)


Chile  2–1  Paraguay
Zamorano   9' (pen.), 51' (Report)[permanent dead link] Brizuela   61'
Attendance: 75,143
Referee: Rafael Torrealba (Venezuela)

Round 15 edit

Uruguay  1–0  Chile
Otero   20' (Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 45,000
Referee: Antônio Pereira da Silva (Brazil)

Colombia  3–0  Bolivia
De Ávila   1'
Valderrama   30' (pen.)
Asprilla   76'
(Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 25,912
Referee: Claudio Vinicius Cerdeira (Brazil)

Ecuador  2–1  Paraguay
Aguinaga   53'
Graziani   72'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Báez   5'

Venezuela  0–3  Peru
(Report)[permanent dead link] Marengo   14'
Julinho   54'
Maestri   81'
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Peter Prendergast (Jamaica)

Round 16 edit

Chile  1–2  Argentina
Salas   34' (Report)[permanent dead link] Gallardo   25'
López   86'
Attendance: 73,644
Referee: Francisco Mourão Dacildo (Brazil)

Peru  2–1  Uruguay
Palacios   57'
Carty   60'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Recoba   43'
Attendance: 34,721
Referee: Esfandiar Baharmast (USA)

Colombia  1–0  Venezuela
Cabrera   68' (Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 35,000
Referee: Carlos Pimentel (Brazil)

Paraguay  2–1  Bolivia
Benítez   26'
Gamarra   37'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Suárez   58'
Attendance: 40,341
Referee: Benito Archundia (Mexico)

Round 17 edit

Argentina  0–0  Uruguay
(Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 52,000
Referee: Claudio Vinicius Cerdeira (Brazil)

Chile  4–0  Peru
Salas   13', 82', 88'
Reyes   58'
(Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 74,219
Referee: Márcio Rezende de Freitas (Brazil)

Paraguay  1–0  Venezuela
Torres   68' (Report)[permanent dead link]

Ecuador  1–0  Bolivia
Graziani   27' (Report)[permanent dead link]

Round 18 edit

Argentina  1–1  Colombia
Cáceres   69' (Report)[permanent dead link] Valderrama   10'

Uruguay  5–3  Ecuador
Saralegui   3', 12'
Abreu   48', 52'
Aguilera   63'
(Report)[permanent dead link] Graziani   2', 59', 68'
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Antonio Marrufo Mendoza (Mexico)

Peru  1–0  Paraguay
Soto   37' (Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Francisco Mourao Dacildo (Brazil)

Chile  3–0  Bolivia
Barrera   23'
Salas   40'
Carreño   84'
(Report)[permanent dead link]
Attendance: 74,777
Referee: Wilson de Souza Mendonça (Brazil)

Qualified teams edit

The following five teams from CONMEBOL qualified for the final tournament.

Team Qualified as Qualified on Previous appearances in FIFA World Cup1
  Brazil Defending champions 17 July 1994 15 (all) (1930, 1934, 1938, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994)
  Argentina Winners 10 September 1997 11 (1930, 1934, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994)
  Paraguay Runners-up 10 September 1997 4 (1930, 1950, 1958, 1986)
  Colombia Third place 10 September 1997 3 (1962, 1990, 1994)
  Chile Fourth place 16 November 1997 6 (1930, 1950, 1962, 1966, 1974, 1982)
1 Bold indicates champions for that year. Italic indicates hosts for that year.

Goalscorers edit

There were 184 goals scored in 72 matches, for an average of 2.56 goals per match.

12 goals
11 goals
7 goals
6 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
1 own goal

References edit

  1. ^ a b International Matches 1996 South America
  2. ^ "1997 (April 30) Paraguay 3-Uruguay 1 (World Cup Qualifier).avi". YouTube.
  3. ^ International Matches 1997 South America

External links edit