# 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)

Listed below are the dates and results for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the South American zone (CONMEBOL). For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification.
A total of 10 CONMEBOL teams entered the competition. The South American zone was allocated 5 places (out of 32) in the final tournament. Brazil, the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 4 spots open for competition between 9 teams.
This was the first World Cup qualifying competition to involve all of the yet-unqualified teams in the confederation playing against each other home and away to decide places in the tournament, a format that was replicated for subsequent World Cup qualifying competitions between CONMEBOL members.

## Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | | | | | | | | | |
| 1 | Argentina | 16 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 23 | 13 | +10 | 30 | 1998 FIFA World Cup | — | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 |
| 2 | Paraguay | 16 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 21 | 14 | +7 | 29 | 1998 FIFA World Cup | 1–2 | — | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 |
| 3 | Colombia | 16 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 23 | 15 | +8 | 28 | 1998 FIFA World Cup | 0–1 | 1–0 | — | 4–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 |
| 4 | Chile | 16 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 32 | 18 | +14 | 25 | 1998 FIFA World Cup | 1–2 | 2–1 | 4–1 | — | 4–0 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 6–0 |
| 5 | Peru | 16 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 19 | 20 | −1 | 25 | | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | — | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 4–1 |
| 6 | Ecuador | 16 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 22 | 21 | +1 | 21 | | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | — | 4–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| 7 | Uruguay | 16 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 18 | 21 | −3 | 21 | | 0–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 5–3 | — | 1–0 | 3–1 |
| 8 | Bolivia | 16 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 21 | −3 | 17 | | 2–1 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | — | 6–1 |
| 9 | Venezuela | 16 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 8 | 41 | −33 | 3 | | 2–5 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | — |

## Qualified teams

The following five teams from CONMEBOL qualified for the final tournament.
| Team | Qualified as | Qualified on | Previous appearances in FIFA World Cup |
| Brazil | Defending champions | 17 July 1994 | 15 (all) (1930, 1934, 1938, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994) |
| Argentina | Winners | 10 September 1997 | 11 (1930, 1934, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994) |
| Paraguay | Runners-up | 10 September 1997 | 4 (1930, 1950, 1958, 1986) |
| Colombia | Third place | 10 September 1997 | 3 (1962, 1990, 1994) |
| Chile | Fourth place | 16 November 1997 | 6 (1930, 1950, 1962, 1966, 1974, 1982) |
    $^1$ Bold indicates champions for that year. Italic indicates hosts for that year.

## Goalscorers

There were 184 goals scored in 72 matches, for an average of 2.56 goals per match.
12 goals
* Iván Zamorano
11 goals
* Marcelo Salas
7 goals
* Faustino Asprilla
6 goals
* Álex Aguinaga
* Ariel Graziani
* Roberto Palacios
4 goals
* Ariel Ortega
3 goals
* Gabriel Batistuta
* Hernán Crespo
* Marco Etcheverry
* Marco Sandy
* Antony de Ávila
* Carlos Valderrama
* Eduardo Hurtado
* Miguel Ángel Benítez
* Carlos Gamarra
* Arístides Rojas
* Marcelo Otero
2 goals
* Marcelo Gallardo
* Claudio López
* Diego Simeone
* Julio Baldivieso
* Jaime Moreno
* Berthy Suárez
* Javier Margas
* Pedro Reyes
* Jorge Bermúdez
* Hamilton Ricard
* Mauricio Serna
* Agustín Delgado
* Derlis Soto
* Catalino Rivarola
* Germán Carty
* Juan Reynoso Guzmán
* Julinho
* Flavio Maestri
* José Pereda
* Jorge Soto
* Sebastián Abreu
* Paolo Montero
* Marcelo Saralegui
* Darío Silva
* Giovanni Savarese
1 goal
* José Albornoz
* Fernando Cáceres
* Néstor Gorosito
* Hugo Morales
* Pablo Paz
* Juan Pablo Sorín
* Juan Sebastián Verón
* Ramiro Castillo
* Milton Coimbra
* Luis Cristaldo
* Fernando Ochoaizpur
* Roly Paniagua
* Vladimir Soria
* Rodrigo Barrera
* Juan Carreño López
* Fernando Cornejo
* Fabián Estay
* Pedro González Vera
* Víctor Aristizábal
* Wilmer Cabrera
* Freddy Rincón
* Iván Valenciano
* Cléber Chalá
* José Gavica
* Iván Hurtado
* Alberto Montaño
* Máximo Tenorio
* Roberto Acuña
* Francisco Arce
* Richard Báez
* Hugo Brizuela
* José Cardozo
* José Luis Chilavert
* Julio César Enciso
* Félix Ricardo Torres
* Manuel Marengo
* Carlos Aguilera
* Pablo Bengoechea
* Gabriel Cedrés
* Gustavo Poyet
* Álvaro Recoba
* Gonzalo de los Santos
* Rafael Castellín
* Gerson Díaz
* Rafael Dudamel
* Dioni Guerra
* Gabriel Miranda
* Edson Tortolero
1 own goal
* Juan Manuel Peña (against Uruguay)