Editing 1974 FIFA World Cup (section)

==Seeding==
The [[FIFA World Cup Organisers|FIFA Organising Committee]] agreed by vote to seed the hosts, holders and the other two [[1970 FIFA World Cup#Semi-finals 2|1970 semi-finalists]] into the first position of the four groups:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/mm/document/fifafacts/mcwc/ip-201_12d_fwc-seedings_57416.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130717232914/http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/fifafacts/mcwc/ip-201_12d_fwc-seedings_57416.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 July 2013|work=FIFA World Cup seeded teams 1930–2006|title=FIFA World Cup seeded teams}}</ref> 
*{{fb|BRA|1968}} (1970 semi-finalists and [[1970 FIFA World Cup Final|holders]])
*{{fb|ITA|1946}} (1970 semi-finalists)
*{{fb|URU}} (1970 semi-finalists)
*{{fb|FRG}} (1970 semi-finalists and hosts)

Then the remaining spots in the groups were determined by dividing the participants into pots based on geographical sections. When the final draw was held, the 16th and final qualifier was not yet known; it would be either [[Yugoslavia national football team|Yugoslavia]] or [[Spain men's national football team|Spain]] subject to the result of a final playoff match in February 1974. The two teams had finished with an identical record in their [[1974 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 7|qualification group]], and following this situation the rules were changed, so that tied teams had to compete in a playoff match on neutral ground.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:98%"
|-
!Seeded teams<br><small>(hosts, holders and [[1970 FIFA World Cup#Semi-finals 2|1970 semi-finalists]])</small>
!Pot 1: Western Europe<br><small>(unseeded teams)</small>
!Pot 2: Eastern Europe<br><small>(unseeded teams)</small>
!Pot 3: South America<br><small>(unseeded teams)</small>
!Pot 4: Rest of the World<br><small>(unseeded teams)</small>
|-
| valign="top"|
*{{fb|FRG}} <small>(hosts, Group 1)</small>
*{{fb|BRA|1968}} <small>(holders, Group 2)</small>
----
*{{fb|ITA|1946}} <small>(Group 3 or 4, decided by draw)</small>
*{{fb|URU}} <small>(Group 3 or 4, decided by draw)</small>
| valign="top"|
*{{fb|NED}}
*{{fb|SCO}}
| valign="top"|
*{{fb|BUL|1971}}
*{{fb|GDR}}
*{{fb|POL|1928}}
*{{fb|YUG}} or {{fb|ESP|1945}}
| valign="top"|
*{{fb|ARG|1861}}
*{{fb|CHI}}
| valign="top"|
*{{fb|AUS}}
*{{fb|HAI|1964|}}
*{{fb|SWE}}
*{{fb|ZAI}}
|}

===Final draw===
The final draw took place at 21:30 local time on 5 January 1974 in [[HR Sendesaal]] in [[Frankfurt]],<ref name="Draw">{{cite web|title=Ein Elfjähriger schreibt Fußball-Geschichte|language=German|url=http://www.zdf.de/ZDFde/inhalt/4/0,1872,3022116,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051210052048/http://www.zdf.de:80/ZDFde/inhalt/4/0,1872,3022116,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 December 2005}}</ref> and was televised on [[Eurovision (network)|Eurovision]]. 80 commentators were gathered at the Eurovision headquarters, and TV stations from 32 countries had requested pictures of the ceremony at the time.<ref name="Draw"/> The TV broadcast of this show was followed by an estimated 800&nbsp;million people.{{Citation needed|date=May 2018}}

Ahead of the draw, the FIFA Organising Committee decided that the host nation ([[West Germany national football team|West Germany]]) and trophy holder ([[Brazil national football team|Brazil]]) would be seeded, and placed respectively into the first position of Groups 1 and 2 prior to the draw. The remaining two top-seeded teams ([[Uruguay national football team|Uruguay]] and [[Italy national football team|Italy]]) would be drawn into the first position of Group 3 and Group 4.{{efn|name=draw|First position of the four groups were for unknown reasons, displayed at the televised draw as the second line of each drawn group.<ref name="Draw of Groups (muted)"/> The top-seeded team at this "first position" in Group 1 had the benefit of playing the first opening match and closing match of their group, after knowing the results from competing matches. In groups 2–4, all matches were played at the exact same local time, meaning there was no benefit for the top-seeded team, other than having avoided to meet other top-seeded teams already in the first group stage.}} It was also decided that South American nations could not play in the same group during the first group stage. In other words, [[Argentina national football team|Argentina]] and [[Chile national football team|Chile]] drawn from pot 3, could not be drawn into the two groups seeded by Brazil and Uruguay.

Uruguay was drawn before Italy, taking the seeded first position of Group 3, and Italy were drawn into the seeded first position of Group 4.{{efn|name=draw}} Next, the remaining two South American teams from pot 3 were drawn into the two top-seeded European groups (Group 1 and Group 4), as per the draw regulations. This was followed by a draw of the remaining two European teams from pot 1 into Groups 2 and 3. Finally other nations were drawn on an unseeded basis, one by one into Group 1–4 in numerical order, first from pot 2 and then from pot 4.<ref name="Draw of Groups">{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmyczPNOfAA|title=SYND 06/01/74 drawing of positions for the 1974 Football World Cup|date=5 January 1974|access-date=23 July 2015|via=YouTube|medium=video}}</ref><ref name="Draw of Groups (muted)">{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SK_pvQr9eMg |title=FIFA World Cup draw 1974 - mute|date=5 January 1974|access-date=21 July 2015|via=YouTube|medium=video}}</ref>

The "innocent hand" who made the draws was an 11-year-old boy, Detlef Lange, a member of the [[Schöneberger Sängerknaben]], a children's choir.<ref name="Draw"/>

The great sensation of the draw was the meeting of the two German teams in Group 1. When FIFA President Sir [[Stanley Rous]] had announced the lot, the room was quiet for a few moments, followed by long-lasting applause. In the days following the event, a rumour began circulating that [[East Germany national football team|East Germany]] would consider withdrawing from the World Cup following a meeting with the West Germany delegation; however, this was quickly and officially denied by the East German government.<ref>(de) Karl Adolf Scherer: Die Deutschen in einer Gruppe: Die Auslosung am 5. Januar 1974 aus Fußballweltmeisterschaft 1974, page 114</ref>