
The winners of the nine groups qualify automatically and the eight best runners-up play off for the four places remaining.
It is 45 years ago since England won their one and only World Cup - and 91 years since Uruguay triumphed in the very first World Cup final - and although it will be a straightforward task for Fabio Capello's successor it will not be a walkover.
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| Rank | Team | W/D/L | Pts |
|---|
Cities & Stadiums
The Top 3 Teams of Previous Tournaments
| Year | Winners | Runner-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Spain | Germany | Russia / Turkey |
| 2004 | Greece | Portugal | Netherlands / Czech Republic |
| 2000 | France | Italy | Netherlands / Portugal |
| 1996 | Germany | Czech Republic | France / England |
| 1992 | Denmark | Germany | Netherlands / Sweden |
| 1988 | Netherlands | Soviet Union | Italy / West Germany |
| 1984 | France | Spain | Denmark / Portugal |
| 1980 | West Germany | Belgium | Czechoslovakia |
| 1976 | Czechoslovakia | West Germany | Netherlands |
| 1972 | West Germany | Soviet Union | Belgium |
| 1968 | Italy | Yugoslavia | England |
| 1964 | Spain | Soviet Union | Hungary |
| 1960 | Soviet Union | Yugoslavia | Czechoslovakia |