As a welcome to the 2010 World Cup Qualifiers, let’s take a pic at Fifa’s fascinating facts, star names and peculiar oddities of the history of World Cup Qualifier games. Here are my favorites:

The uncertainties of the pre-war period meant only 21 nations took part in qualifying for the 1938 finals in France. In the aftermath of the Second World War, rebuilding the world game was a slow and laborious business as only 19 associations opted to compete for a place at Brazil 1950, England ultimately claiming their first-ever berth at the finals.

Now this one is a winner:

India ordered to boot up
India provided the oddest tale of the year. Following a spate of withdrawals in Asia and Africa, the vast nation qualified for the finals in Brazil, but declined to compete after FIFA refused to allow the players to appear barefoot.

You can read a lot more interesting facts at fifa.com