Yugoslavia national teams participations and results on FIFA World Cups since Montevideo 1930 till Germany 2006

Serbian footballers were in last 80 years( since 1930 and World Cup in Uruguay) participated in four national teams: Kingdom Yugoslavia, FYR Yugoslavia, SR Yugoslavia and Serbia&Montenegro.

On, from total of 18 World Cups, Serbian players took part 10 times in finals. 40 games was played, won 16 times, defeated 16 times and 8 draws. 62 goals were scored, 56 goals were received. If total achievement of players from Serbia is viewed, on these competitions, it is spotted that they won 56 points(in 3 point system) and that result enables( Serbia is Yugoslavia inheritor) to be on 11^th place on the eternal list.

Best results were achieved on I(Uruguay, 1930) and VII World Cup(Chile, 1962); when they won 3^rd, and 4^th place. Along with these successes, year 1990 is also important, when the World Cup was held in Italy; and Yugoslavia won 5^th place.

Coaches, selectors or selectory commissions that were leading footballers, on these competitions were: engineer B. Simonovic(1930); Lj. Lovric, P. Mihajlovic and H. Rusevljanin(1962) and I.Osim(1990).

The most convincing victories were against Zaire- 9:0, Colombia 5:0(1962) and Bolivia- 4:0(1962).

Semifinal in the VII World Cup 1962 versus Czechoslovakia(1:3) is the most significant match that was ever played by the Serbian players. Winner had an opportunity to win the world championship!

The biggest number of games played on the World Cups holds Dragan Stojkovic – Piksi(with Yugoslavia Ivan Surjak too with 9 games), 9 games in blue, Yugoslavian kit, in which there is a crest with six torches.

The most goals for national teams where Serbian players played were scored by the following players: Todor Veselinovic, Dusan Bajevic, Milan Galic, Dragan Stojkovic and Djordje Vujadinovic, 3 goals all of them.

Footballers from area of Serbia will first time take place in 2010, on XIX World Cup in South Africa; under the name Serbia.

Uruguay 1930

On first World Cup in Uruguay in 1930 Yugoslavia arrived by mail ship after 17 days of sailing. Bosko Simonovic’s team trained running on the ship deck and creating the tactics for premierre match with Brazil.

Without true preparations, tired from road, “blue” made a sensation and won “cariocas” with 2:1. First goal ever for Yugoslavia on world championship was scored by 18 years old Alexander Tirnanic. After Brazil, Bolivia was demolished with 4:0. Uruguay waited in semi-finals.

On stadium “Santerania” in true carnival atmosphere, Yugoslavia lead in 4^th minute, goalscorer Djordje Vujadinovic. But, after received goal, Uruguay played like in trans and won 6:1. In the famous action for Uruguay’s second goal one police officer took part. From the goal-out he returned the ball to Anslem and enabled him to put the ball behind our goalkeeper Milovan Jaksic.

Brasil 1950

After 2 decades, Yugoslavia returned on the big scene. But after the heavy qualifier and third match versus France. Goal was scored by Zlatko Cajkovski in 113^th minute of the game.

Like in Brazil, Yugoslavia started extraordinary. Switzerland was won with 3-1, after that Mexico 4-1. After that was a match with the home team, which made a draw with Switzerland 2-2, so a victory was needed to pass in the next stage, and for “blue” draw was enough to lead them further.

A huge bad luck for Milorad Arsenijevic team happened before teams ran on the court. Rajko Mitic, during going out of the dressing-room, hit in the metal construction by his head and got deep cut. He had to stay in ambulance, to give him medical help, and then the rule of substitution didn’t existed, so the team started with 10 players. In front of 140,000 fans on famous Maracana, Brazil lead on the beginning by goal of bomber Ademir. Rajko Mitic entered the game after 20 minutes, but it was late for anything to be done. Game was ended 2-0 for Brasil.

Switzerland 1954

Till World Cup under Alps, Serbia qualified after matches with Israel and Greece. It is interested that all four matches were won by “blue” with 1-0. Poollist again wanted us in the group with Brasil, also France was our rival.

According to qualifications, in the first match we celebrated with minimal result versus France, goalscorer Milos Milutinovic. To pass to quarterfinals, draw with Brazil was sufficient. We played 1-1, and goal worth of pass between the best eight was scored by Branko Zebec.

Break till quarterfinals and match with West Germany was lasting for eight days, and that created negative influence to “blue”. Everything gone down when in 9^th minute Ivan Horvat scored in his own net by bad intervence. Till the end Germany scored one more goal; and through to the finals, where they won famous Hungaria with 3-2.

Sweden 1958

On World Cup in Sweden in 1958 Yugoslavia was accompanied with pessimism. Team that won three Olympic medals was significantly youthed. Only Beara, Crnkovic and Boskov stayed from the old players, from last World Cup only Milos Milutinovic was present, and new hopes were Dragoslav Sekularac and Todor Veselinovic.

On the beginning surprise was made because France was won with 3-2. But then 2 draw results occurred with weaker rivals; with Scotland 1-1 and Paraguay 3-3. In this match we received the goal in last minutes, which brought for opponent traditionally unpleasant West Germany instead of Northern Ireland.

Same like in Switzerland four years earlier, West Germany celebrated 2-0 and vanquished all our dreams. Early score of Helmut Run judged. Though our players ensured referee that Ran was offside, it was no purpose from that.

Chile 1962

Till fourth consecutive competition on World Cups, Yugoslavia came after two matches with Poland(2-1,1-1) and with South Korea(5-1, 3-1). New generation came on the scene, which was lead by fantastic dribler Dragoslav Sekularac, Milan Galic and Drazen Jerkovic. Like a vice-champions of Europa, many experts were presenting one of the top places in Chile.

First time since showing on the World Cups, Yugoslavia was defeated in the first match. SSSR was better rival and celebrated 2-0. Two big victories versus teams from South America occurred. First versus Uruguay 3-1, and then Colombia was demolished with 5-0. Door to the semifinals were opened and the match was versus old rival West Germany.

We revenged to the Germans with Petar Radakovic’s goal. An arcade was broken to our central defender in the middle of second halftime, but he denied to be replaced. His wound was sewed up, he returned on the field and on Milan Galic’s centershoot scored a goal worth of match with Czechoslovakia.

Though we were finals in that match, we were easily defeated 3-1. In third place match we played against Chile, home country. We were defeated 1-0 by own goal of later Yugoslavia Football Association legendary secretar Vlatko Markovic.

West Germany 1974

We were waiting for long 12 years to appear again on the World Cup. We reached there again after two antologic games. First we came to the victory in Athens versus Greece of two goals differential literally in last seconds by Stanislav Karasi’s goal; and we won Spain in Frankfurt in sudden match 1-0 by Josip Katalinski’s goal.

We were again in group with Brasil and played draw in first match, 0-0. Then legendary match versus Zaire and triumph 9-0, with which is equaled the largest triumph on world championships. In the last match with Scotland we were peaceful again, 1-1. With a lot of optimism, “blue” were expecting second phase and they were hoping that they can reach far. But three loses then, that were heavily suffered by soccer fans in Serbia. Germany won us 2-0; and Poland and Sweden celebrated 2-1.

Spain 1982

Qualifications for World Cup in Spain were played greatly. They ended first in front of Italy, later the world champion, speaks enough. Selector Miljan Miljanic made a mix from home vedets Vladimir Petrovic, Safet Susic, Ivan Gudelj, Velimir Zajec and internationals that mostly played in France, goalkeeper Pantelic, Sljivo, Surjak and Halilhodzic. It looked like we have a powerful team read to make a muricle on Pirinei.

On first match we made a debacle by playing 0-0 with Northern Ireland. Than came the match versus home team, Spain. We came into the lead early by Ivan Gudelj’s goal. But then came a fatal penalty after Zajec’s offense over Alonso, though offense was outside of penalty area. Now already famous referee Sorensen was inexorable. Firstly Pantelic defended Huanito’s shot, but Sorensen gave him a new chance. Red furia came to the triumph 2-1 by Enrike Saura’s goal in the middle of the second half time.

In the last match we had to win an outsider Honduras, and we made that very heavily, we scored a goal from penalty in the last moments of the match, goalscorer Vladimir Petrovic Pizon. But no celebration occurred in our team. Republic of Ireland won Spain with same results and occupied first, and Spain was second in the group due to victory in mutual match and better goal differential.

Italy 1990

Last World Cup of former Yugoslavia. Lead by Ivica Osim, “blue” successfully passed through qualifier, where the greatest rival was France. Team was formed from the best Partizan, Red Star and Dinamo players, so as the boys that became youth world champions in Chile 1987 – Prosinecki, Boban, Jarni, Mijatovic, Suker…

On championship beginning we played again with West Germany and they won 4-1. After that a hard match with Columbia came and Yugoslavia won 1-0, by Davor Jozic’s goal. In third match we won United Arab Emirates 4-1.

In the round of 16, on Bentegodi stadium in Verona, Spain was waiting for us. We won 2-1 by Dragan Stojkovic Piksi’s goals, art of true soccer grandmaster.

Next rival was Argentina, lead by the world’s best player Maradona. Though due to Sabanadzovic’s exclusion we played with 10 players since 30^th minute, we made to resist gauchoses, and reach extra time, later penalty shootout. Selector Ivica Osim couldn’t watch penalties. He missed to see how Ivkovic saved Maradona’s penalty, but also how imprecise were Brnovic, Hadzibegic, Stojkovic…

France 1998

Under name SR Yugoslavia we started qualification for World Cup in France. Coach Slobodan Santrac had a great team, because players that were present for ages were Stojkovic, Mihajlovic, Savicevic, Mijatovic, Mirkovic, Djukic, Milosevic… However, Spain was first in group stage, and “blue”  had to go to  barrage. Opponent was Hungaria, and victories were very convincing – 7-1 in Budapest and 5-0 in Belgrade. Euphoria is a small word for expectations before going to France.

Pollist placed us in the group with Germany, Iran and USA. We won Iran with Mihajlovic’s goal, USA by Komljenovic’s goal, versus Germany we lead 2-0, and we had to satisfy with 2-2. That meant that our rival in the round of 16 will be powerful Netherlands.

 We played first half time bad and it is true luck that they were leading only with 1-0. In the continuation Yugoslavia played a lot better and more offensive. Komljenovic lined up the result very quickly. Only three minutes later Predrag Mijatovic shot penalty and hit the crossbar. In literally last seconds, Edgar Davids was precise from distance and lead his team to the quarterfinals. 

Germany 2006

On World Cup in Germany 2006, we arrived under name Serbia&Montenegro, but as a team who was the best in qualifications with only one goal received. Selector Ilija Petkovic trusted that we can play an important role on the World Cup with disciplined and tough game.

Group of death that was made of us, Argentina, Netherlands and Cote D’Ivoire; decreased the optimism. In first game we lost from Netherlands 1-0. Decision goal was scored by Robben. All our weaknesses were shown against Argentina. Defeat 6-0 is good for the game we shown. An attempt to save the honour was in the game versus Cote D’Ivoire, but it was unsuccessfull too. Though we lead 2-0, Didier Drogba and friends turn the result over and came to the triumph 3-2.

Science convention “ Experiences and perspectives – World Cup in South Africa 2010”