| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 30 September 1956 – 5 February 1958 |
| Teams | 55 (from 6 confederations) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 89 |
| Goals scored | 341 (3.83 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Tommy Taylor (8 goals) |
← 1954 1962 → | |
A total of 55 teams entered the 1958 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. Sweden as the hosts and West Germany, as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition.