2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (inter-confederation play-offs) played a two-legged home-and-away series. The two winners, decided on aggregate score, qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan. The first legs were played on 10 and 20 November 2001, and the second legs were played on 15 and 25 November 2001. <section begin=playoff1 /> <section end=playoff1 /> Republic of Ireland won 2–1 on aggregate and qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. <section begin=playoff2 /> <section end=playoff2 /> Uruguay won 3–1 on aggregate and qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. There were 7 goals scored in 4 matches, for an average of 1.75
National team appearances in the FIFA World Cup World Cup. After the first twenty-one World Cups, all top 2 finishes, and all but two top 4 finishes, have been achieved by European (UEFA) and South American (CONMEBOL) countries. The other four football regions together have got just one third place, won by the United States in the inaugural 1930 tournament, and one fourth place, won by South Korea on home soil in 2002. National team appearances in the FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the International Federation of Association Football