The South American (CONMEBOL) zone of qualification for the 1990 FIFA World Cup saw 9 teams competing for 2 direct places at the finals, with one extra place potentially on offer to the winner of a play-off. CONMEBOL member Argentina qualified automatically as reigning World Cup champions.
Format Teams were divided into 3 groups of 3 teams each. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The 2 group winners with the best record qualified directly while the group winner with the worst record advanced to the CONMEBOL / OFC Intercontinental Play-off.
Draw The draw for the qualifying groups took place in Zürich, Switzerland on 12 December 1987. During the draw teams were drawn from 3 seeded pots into the 3 qualifying groups. Pot APot BPot C
Groups
Group 1 width=25width=25width=25width=25width=25width=25430172+56430165+16400428−60 – 2–0 2–0 2–1– 2–1 0–2 1–2–
Uruguay qualified with the second-best record among the group winners.
Group 2
width=25width=25width=25width=25width=25width=25421153+25420267−14411245−13 – 2–0 2–1 0–0– 3–1 2–1 2–1– Colombia advanced to the CONMEBOL / OFC Intercontinental Play-off with the worst record among the group winners.
Group 3
width=25width=25width=25width=25width=25width=254310131+127421194+554004118−170 – 2–0 6–0 1–1– 5–0 0–4 1–3– Brazil qualified with the best record among the group winners.
Ranking of first-placed teams The two group winners with the best records qualify directly for the 1990 FIFA World Cup while the group winner with the worst record entered the CONMEBOL–OFC play-offs.
Inter-confederation play-offs The winner of this play-off qualified for the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
Qualified teams The following four teams from CONMEBOL qualified for the final tournament.
Team Qualified as Qualified onPrevious appearances in FIFA World Cup1 9 (1930, 1934, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986) 8 (1930, 1950, 1954, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1986) 13 (1930, 1934, 1938, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986) 1 (1962) 1 Bold indicates champions for that year. Italic indicates hosts for that year.
Goalscorers
5 goals
Careca Rubén Sosa
4 goals
Arnoldo Iguarán
3 goals
Juan Carlos Letelier
2 goals
Bebeto Jorge Aravena Raúl Aviles Javier Ferreira
1 goal
José Milton Melgar Tito Montaño Álvaro Peña William Ramallo Erwin Sánchez Branco Romário Paulo Silas Ivo Basay Jaime Vera Patricio Yáñez Iván Zamorano Rubén Darío Hernández Albeiro Usuriaga Álex Aguinaga Pietro Marsetti Roberto Cabañas José Luis Chilavert Alfredo Mendoza Gustavo Neffa Andrés Aurelio González José del Solar Antonio Alzamendi Enzo Francescoli Ildemaro Fernández
1 own goal
Hugo González (playing against Brazil) Alfonso Domínguez (playing against Bolivia) Pedro Acosta (playing against Brazil)
Citations
Notes
External links South American zone at FIFA.com