2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (inter-confederation play-offs)
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox international football competition
| tourney_name = FIFA World Cup qualification (inter-confederation play-offs)
| year = 2002
| alt =
| caption =
| host countries =
| dates = 10–25 November 2001
| num_teams = 4
| confederations = 4
| matches = 4
| goals = 7
| attendance = {{#expr: 36538 + 100000 + 84656 + 62000}}
| top_scorer = {{fbicon|URU}} Richard Morales
(2 goals)
| prevseason = 1998
| nextseason = 2006
}}
For the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification, there were two inter-confederation play-offs to determine the final two qualification spots to the 2002 FIFA World Cup. They were won by Ireland and Uruguay. The matches were played between 10 and 25 November 2001.{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/koreajapan2002/matches/preliminaries/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406212406/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/koreajapan2002/matches/preliminaries/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 April 2015 |title=2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan - Qualifiers |website=FIFA.com |publisher=Fédération Internationale de Football Association |access-date=10 October 2017}} As of 2022, this remains the last time a European team earned a World Cup spot through an intercontinental play-off. From 2006 onwards, the remaining European qualifiers would be determined by continental play-offs.
Format
The four teams from the four confederations (AFC, CONMEBOL, OFC, and UEFA) were drawn into two ties.
The ties themselves were not drawn, but were allocated by FIFA as:
- UEFA first round randomly drawn runner-up v AFC third round (play-off) winner
- OFC final round winner v CONMEBOL round-robin 5th place
The draw for the order in which the two matches were played was held on 31 August 2001 during the FIFA Congress in Zürich, Switzerland.{{cite news |title=Fifa announces play-off draw |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2002/1517066.stm |publisher=BBC |date=31 August 2001 |accessdate=14 November 2017 }}
In each tie, the two teams 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.
Qualified teams
| class=wikitable
! Confederation ! Placement ! Team |
| AFC
| Third round (play-off) winner | {{fb|IRN}} |
| CONMEBOL
| Round-robin 5th place | {{fb|URU}} |
| OFC
| Final round winner | {{fb|AUS}} |
| UEFA
| First round randomly drawn runner-up | {{fb|IRL}} |
Matches
The first legs were played on 10 and 20 November 2001, and the second legs were played on 15 and 25 November 2001.
=UEFA v AFC=
{{main article|2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA–AFC play-off)}}
{{TwoLegStart}}
{{TwoLegResult|{{fb-rt|IRL}}||2–1|{{fb|IRN}}||2–0|0–1}}
{{TwoLeg end}}
{{football box
|id=Republic of Ireland v Iran
| date = 10 November 2001
| time = 18:00 UTC±0
| team1 = {{fb-rt|IRL}}
| score = 2–0
| aet =
| report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20120720121752/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/edition%3D4395/preliminaries/preliminary%3D8021/matches/match%3D24849/report.html (Report)]
| team2 = {{fb|IRN}}
| goals1 = Harte {{goal|44|pen.}}
Keane {{goal|50}}
| goals2 =
| stadium = Lansdowne Road, Dublin
| attendance = 36,538
| referee = Antônio Pereira (Brazil)
}}
{{football box
|id=Iran v Republic of Ireland
| date = 15 November 2001
| time = 17:30 UTC+3:30
| team1 = {{fb-rt|IRN}}
| score = 1–0
| aet =
| report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20120720055933/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/edition%3D4395/preliminaries/preliminary%3D8021/matches/match%3D24850/report.html (Report)]
| team2 = {{fb|IRL}}
| goals1 = Golmohammadi {{goal|90}}
| goals2 =
| stadium = Azadi Stadium, Tehran
| attendance = 100,000
| referee = William Mattus (Costa Rica)
}}
Republic of Ireland won 2–1 on aggregate and qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
=OFC v CONMEBOL=
{{main article|2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC–CONMEBOL play-off)}}
{{TwoLegStart}}
{{TwoLegResult|{{fb-rt|AUS}}||1–3|{{fb|URU}}||1–0|0–3}}
{{TwoLeg end}}
{{football box
|id=Australia v Uruguay
| date = 20 November 2001
| time = 20:15 UTC+13
| team1 = {{fb-rt|Australia}}
| score = 1–0
| aet =
| report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20080624205226/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/edition=4395/preliminaries/preliminary=8024/matches/match=24861/report.html (Report)]
| team2 = {{fb|Uruguay}}
| goals1 = Muscat {{goal|78|pen.}}
| goals2 =
| attendance = 84,656
| referee = Graziano Cesari (Italy)
}}
{{football box
|id=Uruguay v Australia
| date = 25 November 2001
| time = 16:00 UTC−3
| team1 = {{fb-rt|Uruguay}}
| score = 3–0
| aet =
| report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20080420091915/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/edition=4395/preliminaries/preliminary=8024/matches/match=24860/report.html (Report)]
| team2 = {{fb|Australia}}
| goals1 = Silva {{goal|14}}
Morales {{goal|70||90}}
| goals2 =
| stadium = Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
| attendance = 62,000
| referee = Ali Bujsaim (United Arab Emirates)
}}
Uruguay won 3–1 on aggregate and qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Goalscorers
{{Goalscorers
|goals=7 |matches=4
|2 goals=
- {{Fbicon|URU}} Richard Morales
|1 goal=
- {{Fbicon|AUS}} Kevin Muscat
- {{Fbicon|IRN}} Yahya Golmohammadi
- {{Fbicon|IRL}} Ian Harte
- {{Fbicon|IRL}} Robbie Keane
- {{Fbicon|URU}} Darío Silva
}}