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Why did only 15 teams participate in the 1938 FIFA World Cup instead of 16?

Question #152292. Asked by pehinhota.
Last updated Nov 26 2025.
Originally posted Nov 26 2025 12:20 PM.

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looney_tunes star
Answer has 1 vote
looney_tunes star
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3351 replies avatar

Answer has 1 vote.
Austria qualified, but then Germany took control in the Anschluss, and they were no longer able to compete as an independent nation. Some of their players joined a unified German-Austrian team, others missed out. Nobody was selected to replace them, so their spot in the first round was turned into a bye. It was a straight knockout tournament, so Sweden went through to the second round.

link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1938_FIFA_World_Cup#Qualification
Response last updated by looney_tunes on Nov 26 2025.
Nov 26 2025, 1:07 PM
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