The teams in each group would play against each other in a home-and-away basis. The team with most points in each group would qualify to the World Cup. The runners-up would be ranked. For the sake of fairness, in groups with 7 teams, results against the 7th placed team were ignored. The two best ranked runners-up would also qualify to the World Cup. The other six runners-up were drawn into three home-and-away knock-out matches, winners of those matches also qualifying.
The race to join hosts Germany at the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ featured an unlikely winner in Europe where Ukraine became the first team to qualify, having finished above Turkey, Denmark and Greece in arguably the continent’s toughest qualifying group.
If first-time finalists Ukraine caused a surprise, elsewhere many of the usual suspects were prominent. The Netherlands, Portugal, France, Italy and England all won their groups, although in the case of the French and English only after a stumble or two along the way.
One of the big shocks also included riegning European Champions Greece failing to qualify for the tournament finishing fourth in group 2 featuring Turkey, Denmark, and Ukraine.
Serbia and Montenegro and Croatia also advanced to Germany at the head of their sections, the former forcing Spain into the play-offs in the process. Besides the eight group winners, two teams progressed automatically as best runners-up, namely Poland and Sweden while the play-offs offered a second chance to six others.
August 18 , 2004 , Skopje , Republic Of Macedonia -
August 18 , 2004 , Bucharest , Romania -
September 4 , 2004 , Craiova , Romania -
September 4 , 2004 , Tampere , Finland -
September 8 , 2004 , Amsterdam , Netherlands -
September 8 , 2004 , Yerevan , Armenia -
September 8 , 2004 , Andorra La Vella , Andorra -
October 9 , 2004 , Prague , Czech Republic -
October 9 , 2004 , Tampere , Finland -
October 9 , 2004 , Skopje , Republic Of Macedonia -
October 13 , 2004 , Andorra La Vella , Andorra -
October 13 , 2004 , Amsterdam , Netherlands -
October 13 , 2004 , Yerevan , Armenia -
November 17 , 2004 , Skopje , Republic Of Macedonia -
November 17 , 2004 , Yerevan , Armenia -
November 17 , 2004 , Barcelona , Spain -
February 9 , 2005 , Skopje , Republic Of Macedonia -
March 26 , 2005 , Bucharest , Romania -
March 26 , 2005 , Teplice , Czech Republic -
March 26 , 2005 , Yerevan , Armenia -
March 30 , 2005 , Eindhoven , Netherlands -
March 30 , 2005 , Andorra La Vella , Andorra -
March 30 , 2005 , Skopje , Republic Of Macedonia -
June 4 , 2005 , Rotterdam , Netherlands -
June 4 , 2005 , Liberec , Czech Republic -
June 4 , 2005 , Yerevan , Armenia -
June 8 , 2005 , Helsinki , Finland -
June 8 , 2005 , Teplice , Czech Republic -
June 8 , 2005 , Constanta , Romania -
August 17 , 2005 , Constanta , Romania -
August 17 , 2005 , Skopje , Republic Of Macedonia -
September 3 , 2005 , Yerevan , Armenia -
September 3 , 2005 , Constanta , Romania -
September 3 , 2005 , Andorra La Vella , Andorra -
September 7 , 2005 , Eindhoven , Netherlands -
September 7 , 2005 , Olomouc , Czech Republic -
September 7 , 2005 , Tampere , Finland -
October 8 , 2005 , Prague , Czech Republic -
October 8 , 2005 , Helsinki , Finland -
October 12 , 2005 , Helsinki , Finland -
October 12 , 2005 , Amsterdam , Netherlands -
October 12 , 2005 , Andorra La Vella , Andorra -
September 4 , 2004 , Copenhagen , Denmark -
September 4 , 2004 , Trabzon , Turkey -
September 4 , 2004 , Tirana , Albania -
September 8 , 2004 , Piraeus , Greece -
September 8 , 2004 , Almaty , Kazakhstan -
September 8 , 2004 , Tbilisi , Georgia -
October 9 , 2004 , Istanbul , Turkey -
October 9 , 2004 , Tirana , Albania -
October 9 , 2004 , Kiev , Ukraine -
October 13 , 2004 , Lviv , Ukraine -
October 13 , 2004 , Almaty , Kazakhstan -
October 13 , 2004 , Copenhagen , Denmark -
November 17 , 2004 , Piraeus , Greece -
November 17 , 2004 , Tbilisi , Georgia -
November 17 , 2004 , Istanbul , Turkey -
February 9 , 2005 , Tirana , Albania -
February 9 , 2005 , Piraeus , Greece -
March 26 , 2005 , Istanbul , Turkey -
March 26 , 2005 , Copenhagen , Denmark -
March 26 , 2005 , Tbilisi , Georgia -
March 30 , 2005 , Piraeus , Greece -
March 30 , 2005 , Kiev , Ukraine -
March 30 , 2005 , Tbilisi , Georgia -
June 4 , 2005 , Kiev , Ukraine -
June 4 , 2005 , Tirana , Albania -
June 4 , 2005 , Istanbul , Turkey -
June 8 , 2005 , Almaty , Kazakhstan -
June 8 , 2005 , Copenhagen , Denmark -
June 8 , 2005 , Piraeus , Greece -
August 17 , 2005 , Almaty , Kazakhstan -
September 3 , 2005 , Tbilisi , Georgia -
September 3 , 2005 , Istanbul , Turkey -
September 3 , 2005 , Tirana , Albania -
September 7 , 2005 , Copenhagen , Denmark -
September 7 , 2005 , Almaty , Kazakhstan -
September 7 , 2005 , Kiev , Ukraine -
October 8 , 2005 , Copenhagen , Denmark -
October 8 , 2005 , Tbilisi , Georgia -
October 8 , 2005 , Dnipropetrovsk , Ukraine -
October 12 , 2005 , Athens , Greece -
October 12 , 2005 , Almaty , Kazakhstan -
October 12 , 2005 , Tirana , Albania -
August 18 , 2004 , Vaduz , Liechtenstein -
August 18 , 2004 , Bratislava , Slovakia -
September 4 , 2004 , Riga , Latvia -
September 4 , 2004 , Moscow , Russia -
September 4 , 2004 , Tallinn , Estonia -
September 8 , 2004 , Bratislava , Slovakia -
September 8 , 2004 , Luxembourg , Luxembourg -
September 8 , 2004 , Leiria , Portugal -
October 9 , 2004 , Luxembourg , Luxembourg -
October 9 , 2004 , Bratislava , Slovakia -
October 9 , 2004 , Vaduz , Liechtenstein -
October 13 , 2004 , Riga , Latvia -
October 13 , 2004 , Luxembourg , Luxembourg -
October 13 , 2004 , Lisbon , Portugal -
November 17 , 2004 , Luxembourg , Luxembourg -
November 17 , 2004 , Krasnodar , Russia -
November 17 , 2004 , Vaduz , Liechtenstein -
March 26 , 2005 , Vaduz , Liechtenstein -
March 26 , 2005 , Tallinn , Estonia -
March 30 , 2005 , Bratislava , Slovakia -
March 30 , 2005 , Tallinn , Estonia -
March 30 , 2005 , Riga , Latvia -
June 4 , 2005 , Lisbon , Portugal -
June 4 , 2005 , Saint Petersburg , Russia -
June 4 , 2005 , Tallinn , Estonia -
June 8 , 2005 , Tallinn , Estonia -
June 8 , 2005 , Riga , Latvia -
June 8 , 2005 , Luxembourg , Luxembourg -
August 17 , 2005 , Riga , Latvia -
August 17 , 2005 , Vaduz , Liechtenstein -
September 3 , 2005 , Tallinn , Estonia -
September 3 , 2005 , Moscow , Russia -
September 3 , 2005 , Faro , Portugal -
September 7 , 2005 , Vaduz , Liechtenstein -
September 7 , 2005 , Riga , Latvia -
September 7 , 2005 , Moscow , Russia -
October 8 , 2005 , Bratislava , Slovakia -
October 8 , 2005 , Moscow , Russia -
October 8 , 2005 , Aveiro , Portugal -
October 12 , 2005 , Porto , Portugal -
October 12 , 2005 , Bratislava , Slovakia -
October 12 , 2005 , Luxembourg , Luxembourg -
September 4 , 2004 , Saint-Denis , France -
September 4 , 2004 , Basel , Switzerland -
September 4 , 2004 , Dublin , Ireland -
September 8 , 2004 , Torshavn , Faroe Islands -
September 8 , 2004 , Basel , Switzerland -
September 8 , 2004 , Tel Aviv , Israel -
October 9 , 2004 , Nicosia , Cyprus -
October 9 , 2004 , Tel Aviv , Israel -
October 9 , 2004 , Saint-Denis , France -
October 13 , 2004 , Dublin , Ireland -
October 13 , 2004 , Nicosia , Cyprus -
November 17 , 2004 , Nicosia , Cyprus -
March 26 , 2005 , Tel Aviv , Israel -
March 26 , 2005 , Saint-Denis , France -
March 30 , 2005 , Tel Aviv , Israel -
March 30 , 2005 , Zürich , Switzerland -
June 4 , 2005 , Dublin , Ireland -
June 4 , 2005 , Toftir , Faroe Islands -
June 8 , 2005 , Torshavn , Faroe Islands -
August 17 , 2005 , Toftir , Faroe Islands -
September 3 , 2005 , Lens , France -
September 3 , 2005 , Basel , Switzerland -
September 7 , 2005 , Nicosia , Cyprus -
September 7 , 2005 , Dublin , Ireland -
September 7 , 2005 , Torshavn , Faroe Islands -
October 8 , 2005 , Berne , Switzerland -
October 8 , 2005 , Tel Aviv , Israel -
October 8 , 2005 , Nicosia , Cyprus -
October 12 , 2005 , Dublin , Ireland -
October 12 , 2005 , Saint-Denis , France -
September 4 , 2004 , Celje , Slovenia -
September 4 , 2004 , Palermo , Italy -
September 8 , 2004 , Chişinău , Moldova -
September 8 , 2004 , Oslo , Norway -
September 8 , 2004 , Glasgow , Scotland -
October 9 , 2004 , Glasgow , Scotland -
October 9 , 2004 , Minsk , Belarus -
October 9 , 2004 , Celje , Slovenia -
October 13 , 2004 , Parma , Italy -
October 13 , 2004 , Oslo , Norway -
October 13 , 2004 , Chişinău , Moldova -
March 26 , 2005 , Milan , Italy -
March 30 , 2005 , Chişinău , Moldova -
March 30 , 2005 , Celje , Slovenia -
June 4 , 2005 , Oslo , Norway -
June 4 , 2005 , Minsk , Belarus -
June 4 , 2005 , Glasgow , Scotland -
June 8 , 2005 , Minsk , Belarus -
September 3 , 2005 , Glasgow , Scotland -
September 3 , 2005 , Celje , Slovenia -
September 3 , 2005 , Chişinău , Moldova -
September 7 , 2005 , Chişinău , Moldova -
September 7 , 2005 , Minsk , Belarus -
September 7 , 2005 , Oslo , Norway -
October 8 , 2005 , Oslo , Norway -
October 8 , 2005 , Glasgow , Scotland -
October 8 , 2005 , Palermo , Italy -
October 12 , 2005 , Minsk , Belarus -
October 12 , 2005 , Lecce , Italy -
October 12 , 2005 , Celje , Slovenia -
September 4 , 2004 , Vienna , Austria -
September 4 , 2004 , Belfast , Northern Ireland -
September 4 , 2004 , Baku , Azerbaijan -
September 8 , 2004 , Chorzow , Poland -
September 8 , 2004 , Cardiff , Wales -
September 8 , 2004 , Vienna , Austria -
October 9 , 2004 , Manchester , England -
October 9 , 2004 , Vienna , Austria -
October 9 , 2004 , Baku , Azerbaijan -
October 13 , 2004 , Cardiff , Wales -
October 13 , 2004 , Belfast , Northern Ireland -
October 13 , 2004 , Baku , Azerbaijan -
March 26 , 2005 , Cardiff , Wales -
March 26 , 2005 , Manchester , England -
March 26 , 2005 , Warsaw , Poland -
March 30 , 2005 , Warsaw , Poland -
March 30 , 2005 , Newcastle , England -
March 30 , 2005 , Vienna , Austria -
June 4 , 2005 , Baku , Azerbaijan -
September 3 , 2005 , Cardiff , Wales -
September 3 , 2005 , Chorzow , Poland -
September 3 , 2005 , Belfast , Northern Ireland -
September 7 , 2005 , Belfast , Northern Ireland -
September 7 , 2005 , Baku , Azerbaijan -
September 7 , 2005 , Warsaw , Poland -
October 8 , 2005 , Manchester , England -
October 8 , 2005 , Belfast , Northern Ireland -
October 12 , 2005 , Manchester , England -
October 12 , 2005 , Vienna , Austria -
October 12 , 2005 , Cardiff , Wales -
September 4 , 2004 , Serravalle , San Marino -
September 4 , 2004 , Charleroi , Belgium -
September 8 , 2004 , Zenica , Bosnia And Herzegovina -
September 8 , 2004 , Kaunas , Lithuania -
October 9 , 2004 , Santander , Spain -
October 9 , 2004 , Sarajevo , Bosnia And Herzegovina -
October 13 , 2004 , Vilnius , Lithuania -
October 13 , 2004 , Belgrade , Serbia And Montenegro -
November 17 , 2004 , Serravalle , San Marino -
November 17 , 2004 , Brussels , Belgium -
February 9 , 2005 , Almería , Spain -
March 26 , 2005 , Brussels , Belgium -
March 30 , 2005 , Belgrade , Serbia And Montenegro -
March 30 , 2005 , Serravalle , San Marino -
March 30 , 2005 , Sarajevo , Bosnia And Herzegovina -
June 4 , 2005 , Valencia , Spain -
June 4 , 2005 , Serravalle , San Marino -
June 4 , 2005 , Belgrade , Serbia And Montenegro -
June 8 , 2005 , Valencia , Spain -
September 3 , 2005 , Belgrade , Serbia And Montenegro -
September 3 , 2005 , Zenica , Bosnia And Herzegovina -
September 7 , 2005 , Vilnius , Lithuania -
September 7 , 2005 , Madrid , Spain -
September 7 , 2005 , Antwerp , Belgium -
October 8 , 2005 , Vilnius , Lithuania -
October 8 , 2005 , Zenica , Bosnia And Herzegovina -
October 8 , 2005 , Brussels , Belgium -
October 12 , 2005 , Serravalle , San Marino -
October 12 , 2005 , Belgrade , Serbia And Montenegro -
October 12 , 2005 , Vilnius , Lithuania -
September 4 , 2004 , Ta' Qali , Malta -
September 4 , 2004 , Zagreb , Croatia -
September 4 , 2004 , Reykjavík , Iceland -
September 8 , 2004 , Gothenburg , Sweden -
September 8 , 2004 , Budapest , Hungary -
October 9 , 2004 , Zagreb , Croatia -
October 9 , 2004 , Ta' Qali , Malta -
October 9 , 2004 , Stockholm , Sweden -
October 13 , 2004 , Reykjavík , Iceland -
October 13 , 2004 , Sofia , Bulgaria -
November 17 , 2004 , Ta' Qali , Malta -
March 26 , 2005 , Sofia , Bulgaria -
March 26 , 2005 , Zagreb , Croatia -
March 30 , 2005 , Zagreb , Croatia -
March 30 , 2005 , Budapest , Hungary -
June 4 , 2005 , Gothenburg , Sweden -
June 4 , 2005 , Sofia , Bulgaria -
June 4 , 2005 , Reykjavík , Iceland -
June 8 , 2005 , Reykjavík , Iceland -
September 3 , 2005 , Stockholm , Sweden -
September 3 , 2005 , Reykjavík , Iceland -
September 3 , 2005 , Budapest , Hungary -
September 7 , 2005 , Budapest , Hungary -
September 7 , 2005 , Ta' Qali , Malta -
September 7 , 2005 , Sofia , Bulgaria -
October 8 , 2005 , Sofia , Bulgaria -
October 8 , 2005 , Zagreb , Croatia -
October 12 , 2005 , Stockholm , Sweden -
October 12 , 2005 , Budapest , Hungary -
October 12 , 2005 , Ta' Qali , Malta -
See Also: Football World Cup 2006 - European Qualification Playoffs
and '''Poland''' qualified directly to the World Cup. The other teams had to play-off.
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