A total of 9 CONMEBOL teams entered the competition. Chile was banned by FIFA due to the 1989 Maracanazo incident. The South American zone was allocated 3 direct places and 1 play-off places in the final tournament.
Format
The 9 teams were divided into 2 groups. The teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The number of teams and spots for each group were as follows:
Group A had 4 teams. The group winner would qualify. The runner-up would advance to the CONMEBOL / CONCACAF / OFC Intercontinental Play-off.
Group B had 5 teams. The group winner and runner-up would qualify.