1986 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)

Listed below are the dates and results for the 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone (UEFA). For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification.

UEFA was allocated thirteen qualifying berths for the 1986 FIFA World Cup, and one place in a play-off, however Italy were the defending champions and qualified automatically, leaving 12.5 spots open for competition between 32 teams.

Europe's automatic qualifying berths were taken by Poland, West Germany, Portugal, England, Northern Ireland, France, Bulgaria, Hungary, Denmark, Soviet Union and Spain. Belgium and Scotland qualified through the UEFA play-off and UEFA–OFC intercontinental play-off respectively.

Format
The 32 teams were divided into 7 groups. The teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The number of teams and spots for each group were as follows:


 * Groups 2, 3, 4 and 6 had 5 teams each. The group winners and runners-up would qualify.
 * Groups 1, 5 and 7 had 4 teams each. The group winners would qualify. The runners-up of Groups 1 and 5 would advance to the UEFA Play-offs, while the runner-up of Group 7 would advance to the UEFA / OFC Intercontinental Play-off. In the play-offs, the 2 teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis, with the winner qualifying.

Group play
The draw for the qualifying groups took place in Zürich, Switzerland on 7 December 1983. During the draw teams were drawn from the 5 pots into the 7 groups. The seedings below were announced ten days before the draw.

Summary
{{legend|#ccffcc|Group winners and the runners-up from the five-team groups qualified directly for the 1986 FIFA World Cup}} {{legend|#BBF3FF|Runners-up advanced to the play-offs}} {{legend|#ffffcc|Runner-up advanced to the intercontinental play-off}} {{legend|#ffcccc|Other teams were eliminated}}

UEFA play-off
2–2 on aggregate; Belgium won on away goals.

Goalscorers

 * 8 goals


 * Preben Elkjær


 * 6 goals


 * Rainer Ernst


 * 5 goals


 * Bryan Robson
 * Fernando Gomes
 * Oleh Protasov


 * 4 goals


 * Michael Laudrup
 * Ralf Minge
 * Mark Hateley
 * Michel Platini
 * Wim Kieft
 * Gheorghe Hagi
 * Robert Prytz
 * Karl-Heinz Rummenigge


 * 3 goals


 * Bedri Omuri
 * Walter Schachner
 * Franky Vercauteren
 * Georgi Dimitrov
 * Petr Janečka
 * Gary Lineker
 * Tony Woodcock
 * Mika Lipponen
 * Dominique Rocheteau
 * Yannick Stopyra
 * Norman Whiteside
 * Dariusz Dziekanowski
 * Włodzimierz Smolarek
 * Carlos Manuel
 * Rodion Cămătaru
 * Georgi Kondratiev
 * Dan Corneliusson
 * Mark Hughes
 * Ian Rush
 * Klaus Allofs
 * Pierre Littbarski
 * Uwe Rahn


 * 2 goals


 * Enzo Scifo
 * Plamen Getov
 * Stoycho Mladenov
 * Nasko Sirakov
 * Klaus Berggreen
 * Søren Lerby
 * Andreas Thom
 * John Barnes
 * Jari Rantanen
 * Lajos Détári
 * Márton Esterházy
 * József Kiprich
 * Tibor Nyilasi
 * Frank Stapleton
 * Robby Langers
 * Leonard Farrugia
 * Peter Houtman
 * Dick Schoenaker
 * Rob de Wit
 * Tom Sundby
 * Zbigniew Boniek
 * Diamantino Miranda
 * Davie Cooper
 * Mo Johnston
 * Paul McStay
 * Hipólito Rincón
 * Thomas Sunesson
 * André Egli
 * Matthias Herget
 * Rudi Völler
 * Fadil Vokrri


 * 1 goal


 * Mirel Josa
 * Agustin Kola
 * Arben Minga
 * Martin Gisinger
 * Peter Hrstic
 * Toni Polster
 * Herbert Prohaska
 * Gerald Willfurth
 * Nico Claesen
 * Georges Grün
 * Erwin Vandenbergh
 * Eddy Voordeckers
 * Rusi Gochev
 * Kostadin Kostadinov
 * Boycho Velitchkov
 * Paschalis Christophorou
 * Kostas Foti
 * Panayiotis Marangos
 * Jan Berger
 * Stanislav Griga
 * Vladimír Hruška
 * Karel Jarolím
 * Vladislav Lauda
 * Josef Novák
 * Ladislav Vízek
 * John Sivebæk
 * Michael Glowatzky
 * Ronald Kreer
 * Matthias Liebers
 * Uwe Zötzsche
 * Viv Anderson
 * Glenn Hoddle
 * Kenny Sansom
 * Chris Waddle
 * Ari Hjelm
 * Ari Valvee
 * Philippe Anziani
 * Patrick Battiston
 * Luis Fernández
 * Alain Giresse
 * José Touré
 * Nikos Anastopoulos
 * Kostas Antoniou
 * Tasos Mitropoulos
 * Dimitris Saravakos
 * Giorgos Skartados
 * József Kardos
 * Antal Nagy
 * Antal Róth
 * László Szokolai
 * Magnús Bergs
 * Pétur Pétursson
 * Guðmundur Þorbjörnsson
 * Teitur Þórðarson
 * Tony Grealish
 * Kevin Sheedy
 * Mickey Walsh
 * Carmel Busuttil
 * Michael Degiorgio
 * Raymond Xuereb
 * Erwin Koeman
 * Marco van Basten
 * Gerry Armstrong
 * John O'Neill
 * Martin O'Neill
 * Jimmy Quinn
 * Pål Jacobsen
 * Hallvar Thoresen
 * Marek Ostrowski
 * Andrzej Pałasz
 * Rui Jordão
 * José Rafael
 * Marcel Coraș
 * Ion Geolgău
 * Gino Iorgulescu
 * Ștefan Iovan
 * Dorin Mateuț
 * Jim Bett
 * Kenny Dalglish
 * Frank McAvennie
 * Charlie Nicholas
 * Fyodor Cherenkov
 * Anatoliy Demyanenko
 * Yuri Gavrilov
 * Sergey Gotsmanov
 * Hennadiy Lytovchenko
 * Emilio Butragueño
 * Francisco José Carrasco
 * Paco Clos
 * Andoni Goicoechea
 * Rafael Gordillo
 * Marcos Alonso Peña
 * Manuel Sarabia
 * Ingemar Erlandsson
 * Lars Larsson
 * Mats Magnusson
 * Torbjörn Nilsson
 * Glenn Strömberg
 * Umberto Barberis
 * Jean-Paul Brigger
 * Christian Matthey
 * Metin Tekin
 * İlyas Tüfekçi
 * Mickey Thomas
 * Thomas Berthold
 * Andreas Brehme
 * Karlheinz Förster
 * Felix Magath
 * Lothar Matthäus
 * Mehmed Baždarević
 * Milko Djurovski
 * Ivan Gudelj
 * Miloš Šestić
 * Haris Škoro


 * 1 own goal


 * Nikos Pantziaras (playing against the Netherlands)
 * Guy Hellers (playing against Bulgaria)
 * Michel Valke (playing against Austria)
 * Frederico Rosa (playing against Malta)
 * Gino Iorgulescu (playing against Northern Ireland)
 * Andreas Ravelli (playing against Czechoslovakia)