How Many Teams Have Qualified For A World Cup With A Perfect Record? | The Knowledge

“England qualified for nan World Cup successful cleanable style, winning each 8 games without conceding a goal,” writes Charlie Wilson. “How galore teams person done this?”

This isn’t nan first clip England person qualified for a World Cup without conceding a goal. They did nan aforesaid up of Italia 90 – but 3 of their six group games were 0-0 draws and they mightiness not person qualified had Poland’s Rysard Tarasiewicz scored successful nan past infinitesimal of their last crippled successful Chorzow. Instead his heatseeker deed nan crossbar and England were through.

There are dozens of examples of cleanable campaigns crossed nan men’s and women’s games, particularly successful nan early days erstwhile qualification groups were smaller. In 1934, for example, Italy qualified aft beating Greece 4-0 successful their only game. Greece chose not to play nan return lucifer and Italy went connected to triumph nan full tournament. With that – and investigation clip – successful mind, we’ve restricted nan reply to a) European qualification only and b) teams who played astatine slightest 5 games.

We think England are nan first men’s squad from Europe to execute this peculiar meaning of World Cup perfection. Four women’s teams person done it, including nan Lionesses during qualification for nan 2023 tournament. In 10 games they scored 80 (e-i-g-h-t-y) goals and conceded none.

Plenty of different sides person won each their games while conceding nan overseas goal, including Erling Haaland’s Norway en way to nan men’s finals tourney adjacent year.

Possibly nan astir spectacular capacity came from Germany Women earlier nan 1995 World Cup, a run that doubled up arsenic qualification for Euro 95. These were their results:

• Switzerland (A) 5-0

• Wales (H) 12-0

• Wales (A) 12-0

• Croatia (A) 7-0

• Croatia (H) 8-0

• Switzerland (H) 11-0

Germany yet mislaid nan 1995 World Cup last against Norway, but they went each nan measurement successful 2003 and 2007 aft qualification pinch a 100% grounds and nan cleanest of sheets. The different teams to execute that feat are Spain’s men (2010) and Spain’s women (2023).

Here’s a (hopefully) broad database of European teams who qualified pinch a 100% grounds (minimum 5 games). Oddly, 3 of nan 4 men’s teams went connected to suffer their first crippled astatine nan World Cup proper. Then again, West Germany (1982), nan Netherlands and Spain (both 2010) each went connected to scope nan final.

Men’s World Cup

1982 West Germany Played 8, Goals For 33, Goals Against 3
2010 Netherlands P8 F17 A2 and Spain P10 F28 A5
2018 Germany P10 F43 A4
2026 England P8 F22 A0 and Norway P8 F37 A5

Spain hit Turkey 1-0 en way to a victorious World Cup successful 2010 but drew against nan aforesaid guidance connected Tuesday to spoil an different cleanable qualifying campaign. Photograph: Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

Women’s World Cup

1995 Germany P6 F55 A0
1999 Denmark P6 F22 A3 and Sweden P6 F18 A5
2003 Germany P6 F30 A1
2007 Germany P8 F31 A3
2011 France P10 F50 A0
2015 England P10 F52 A1, France P10 F54 A3, Germany P10 F62 A4 and Sweden P10 F32 A1
2019 Spain P8 F25 A2
2023 England P10 F80 A0, Denmark P8 F40 A2, France P10 F54 A4 and Spain P8 F53 A0

England hole to look Belarus successful 2015 World Cup qualifying. The Lionesses won 6-0 successful Bournemouth. Photograph: Chris Ison/PA

Sing song

“Commentating connected Manchester City v Liverpool (in nan US), Jon Champion observed that nan City fans were chanting astir Steven Gerrard’s gaffe of 10 years earlier and commented: ‘Long memories.’ As a shot fan, 10 years (actually 11) doesn’t look for illustration a peculiarly agelong clip to me. So which shot chants show nan longest memories?” asks Chris Taylor.

Football fans person longer memories than most, for richer and poorer, truthful location are plentifulness of answers from nan 20th century. We’ve excluded wide chants astir individual players (“Ooh, Aah, Cantona”) and focused connected those that reference circumstantial incidents aliases seasons. Here they are successful reverse chronological order.

Sheffield Wednesday v Sheffield United, Division Three, 1979-80

“On Boxing Day 1979 location was a Sheffield derby astatine Hillsborough,” writes Darren White. It was nan first convention gathering betwixt nan clubs successful 8 years and attracted a still grounds third-tier crowd of complete 49,000 people. Wednesday won 4-0 and it became known arsenic nan Boxing Day Massacre. To this day, some sets of fans singing nan aforesaid opus to nan tune of Boney M’s Mary’s Boy Child:

Hark now perceive United (or Wednesday) sing
The Wednesday (or United) ran away
And we will conflict for evermore
Because of Boxing Day

“One mightiness deliberation it funny that United fans singing astir an embarrassing defeat, but successful nan existent style of nan era, it’s a ceremony of nan abilities of nan club’s hooligan constituent alternatively than their players.”

On a akin note, this from Ed Parkinson: “In nan run-up to Christmas, immoderate Hartlepool fans for illustration to commemorate early 1970s festive fisticuffs pinch aged rivals Darlington by promising to ‘fight for forevermore because of Boxing Day’.”

Bayern Munich v Leeds United, European Cup final, 1974-75

“Leeds fans origin immoderate disorder pinch nan ‘We are nan champions, champions of Europe’ chant, fixed we’ve ne'er really won nan European Cup/Champions League,” writes Adam Brewer. “The chant originates from nan 1975 last wherever we were [redacted – Legal Ed] retired of it against Bayern Munich. Fifty years later it’s still being sung – and passed down nan generations. You should inquire my 10-year-old astir the foul connected Allan Clarke that wasn’t fixed arsenic a penalty.”

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Sepp Maier (centre) looks hopefully astatine nan shot aft colliding pinch Leeds United’s Allan Clarke (left) successful 1975. Photograph: AP

Sheffield United, 1970-71

It seems Yorkshire shot supporters person longer memories than most. Our ain John Ashdown writes successful pinch a chant that pays tribute to nan 1970-71 promotion squad and specifically 3 players: Eddie Colquhoun, Tony Currie and Alan Woodward.

We ain’t sewage a tube of money,
But we’ve sewage Woodward and Currie,
And pinch Eddie Colquhoun,
Promotion is soon,
U-ni-ted,
All together now …

Rangers v Motherwell, Scottish Cup third-round replay, 1960-61

“Motherwell fans singing a opus which originates As I was stepping down nan Copeland Road, I heard a mightiness roar’,” writes Gary Tait. “This references The Well beating Rangers 5-2 successful a Scottish Cup replay successful March 1961, 1 of Ian St John’s past games earlier moving to Liverpool. The family-friendly type continues:

For nan boys successful bluish sewage hit 5-2 by nan boys successful claret and amber

“‘Beat’ is usually substituted for thing acold much industrial.”

He’s a keeper

In past week’s Knowledge we looked astatine players calved successful nan crown limitations (Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey) who person played for nan Home Nations. There’s different sanction to adhd to nan list. “Walsall goalkeeper Trevor Wood was from Jersey and, contempt nary evident connection, played 1 crippled for Northern Ireland,” writes Robert Davies. “He was recommended by his nine head Chris Nicholl, who had played for Northern Ireland successful nan 1970s and 1980s.”

San Marino: an apology

In past week’s Knowledge we referred to San Marino arsenic a “principality” erstwhile successful truth is simply a republic. We apologise for nan mistake.

Knowledge archive

“Has a footballer ever had a haircut astatine half-time?” pondered Darren McVeigh in 2013.

Although we’ve not been capable to move up immoderate tales of half-time barnet-trimming, location person been a mates of reports of a half-time face-fuzz buzz, though arsenic yet nan reasons stay a mystery. “Although it technically isn’t a haircut, Sweden and erstwhile Celtic defender Daniel Majstorovic had his beard shaved astatine half-time, while playing for AEK Athens,” writes Yiannis Tsaousis. “The lucifer was Levadiakos v AEK connected 30 November 2008. The nosy truth is that he didn’t shave it clean, but he came retired connected nan transportation for nan 2nd half pinch a Genghis Khan-like heavy moustache.”

And there’s a likewise hairy communicative concerning 1 of nan all-time greats. “In each his bearded glory, George Best starred successful an indie movie show present successful Wellington astir six aliases 8 years agone which devoted 90 minutes and a azygous camera fixed connected him passim a match, connected and disconnected nan ball,” writes Ian Rogers. “It was for Manchester United, against nan powerhouse of Coventry City, and nan vice-like boredom of nan full cinematic acquisition was surgery only by George scoring early successful nan 2nd half. There whitethorn person been a 2nd goal, who knows aliases cares really. However, astatine half-time, intelligibly they had to do an off-scene retake and capable successful shot, and truthful a non-sweating, afloat kitted out, and cleanable shaven George gazed dolefully astatine nan camera. Cue commencement of nan 2nd half, and he’s backmost on, beard and all.”

The movie successful mobility is nan East German head Hellmuth Costard’s Fußball wie noch nie, aliases “Football arsenic ne'er before”, and nan crippled successful mobility was United’s location fixture against nan Sky Blues connected 12 September 1970. Ian’s representation is somewhat disconnected arsenic nan beard successful mobility really appears only astatine half-time, and to beryllium adjacent to nan filmmaker it’s not wholly clear that nan half-time conception is expected to beryllium successful existent clip – arsenic good arsenic gaining a beard, Best has mislaid nan No 11 from his back. But, thanks to nan wonderment of YouTube, readers tin dress up their ain minds:

Can you help?

“How does Troy Parrott’s astonishing capacity for Ireland – 5 goals successful 2 games against Portugal and Hungary – comparison to nan awesome individual performances successful a azygous world window? I’m judge different players person scored much goals but who other has had specified a melodramatic impact?” asks Richie Tuohy [Let’s limit immoderate answers to players whose goals were decisive successful each crippled of a azygous model – Knowledge Ed]

“In nan existent under-17 World Cup, Morocco hit New Caledonia 16-0 pinch nary subordinate scoring 2 goals. Is this nan highest people without a hat-trick?” asks Paul Gage.

“Ross Sykes (Union Saint-Gilloise) and Conor Gallagher (Atlético Madrid) some scored erstwhile their teams faced each different successful nan Champions League. Have 2 English players scored successful nan aforesaid lucifer for opposing overseas teams before?” asks Liam Corbett.

“My beloved team/lifelong affliction York City conscionable scored 4 goals successful a 4th consecutive convention game. Three was already a grounds for us, but I’m judge location person been immoderate swashbuckling teams that person done moreover better. What is nan grounds successful modern times for a squad successful nan apical 5 English divisions for scoring 4 aliases much successful consecutive games?” wonders Ross Duggleby.

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