1986 FIFA World Cup qualification 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification A total of 121 teams entered the 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 24 spots in the final tournament. Mexico, as the hosts, and Italy, as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 22 spots open for competition. The draw took place on 7 December 1983 at Zürich, Switzerland. The 24 spots available in the 1986 World Cup would be distributed among the continental zones as follows: A total of 110 teams played at least one qualifying match. A total of 308 qualifying matches were played, and 801 goals were scored
1930 FIFA World Cup while Argentina hosted Yugoslavia on 3 August. Uruguay's aggregate goal difference of +12 over four games, at an average of +3 per match, remains the highest average goal difference per match of any World Cup champion, and the second highest of any World Cup Finals participant, after Hungary in 1954. With eight goals, Guillermo Stábile was the top scorer in the tournament. In total, 70 goals were scored by 36 players, with only one of them credited as an own goal. In 1986, FIFA published a report that ranked all teams in each World Cup up to and including 1986,