2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group I
The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group I is one of the nine UEFA groups for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. The group consists of six teams: Croatia, Iceland, Ukraine, Turkey, Finland, and Kosovo.
The draw for the first round (group stage) was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (UTC+3), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia.[1][2] Kosovo was added to the group after the draw, after becoming FIFA members together with Gibraltar in May 2016,[3] and UEFA decided not to put Kosovo in group H together with Bosnia and Herzegovina for security reasons.[4][5]
The group winners will qualify directly for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Among the nine group runners-up, the eight best runners-up will advance to the play-offs, where they will be drawn into four home-and-away ties to determine the other four qualifiers.[1]
Standings
| 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification tiebreakers |
|---|
In league format, the ranking of teams in each group is based on the following criteria (regulations Articles 20.6 and 20.7):[6]
|
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Croatia |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 | +9 | 10 | Qualification to 2018 FIFA World Cup | — | 24 Mar '17 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 6 Oct '17 | 2 Sep '17 | |
| 2 | Ukraine |
4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 8 | Possible second round[lower-alpha 1] | 9 Oct '17 | — | 1–1 | 2 Sep '17 | 1–0 | 3–0 | |
| 3 | Iceland |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 7 | 11 Jun '17 | 5 Sep '17 | — | 2–0 | 3–2 | 9 Oct '17 | ||
| 4 | Turkey |
4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 Sep '17 | 2–2 | 6 Oct '17 | — | 24 Mar '17 | 2–0 | ||
| 5 | Finland |
4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 1 | 0–1 | 11 Jun '17 | 2 Sep '17 | 9 Oct '17 | — | 1–1 | ||
| 6 | Kosovo |
4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 12 | −11 | 1 | 0–6 | 6 Oct '17 | 24 Mar '17 | 11 Jun '17 | 5 Sep '17 | — |
Updated to match(es) played on 12 November 2016. Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
Notes:
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
Notes:
- ↑ The eight best runners-up across all groups will advance to the second round (play-offs). The ninth-ranked runners-up will be eliminated.
Matches
The fixture list prior to the inclusion of Kosovo was confirmed by UEFA on 26 July 2015, the day following the draw.[1][7] Times are CET/CEST,[note 1] as listed by UEFA (local times are in parentheses).[8]
| Iceland |
3–2 | Finland |
|---|---|---|
Árnason  37'Finnbogason 90+1'R. Sigurðsson 90+6' |
Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
Pukki 21' Lod 39' |
| Kosovo |
0–6 | Croatia |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
Mandžukić 6', 24', 35' Mitrović 68'Perišić 83'N. Kalinić 90+2' |
Loro Boriçi Stadium, Shkodër (Albania)[note 4] Attendance: 14,612 Referee: David Fernández Borbalán (Spain) |
| Turkey |
2–2 | Ukraine |
|---|---|---|
| Tufan 45+1' Çalhanoğlu 81' (pen.) |
Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
Yarmolenko 24' (pen.) Kravets 27' |
| Ukraine |
3–0 | Kosovo |
|---|---|---|
| Kravets 31' Yarmolenko 81'Rotan 87' |
Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
Marshal Józef Piłsudski Stadium, Kraków (Poland)[note 5] Attendance: 999 Referee: Kevin Blom (Netherlands) |
Goalscorers
There have been 32 goals scored in 12 matches, for an average of 2.67 goals per match.
- 4 goals
- 3 goals
- 2 goals
- 1 goal
Discipline
A player is automatically suspended for the next match for the following offences:[6]
- Receiving a red card (red card suspensions may be extended for serious offences)
- Receiving two yellow cards in two different matches (yellow card suspensions are carried forward to the play-offs, but not the finals or any other future international matches)
The following suspensions were (or will be) served during the qualifying matches:
| Player | Team | Offence(s) | Suspended for match(es) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aron Gunnarsson | Iceland |  vs Ukraine (5 September 2016) vs Finland (6 October 2016) | vs Turkey (9 October 2016) |
| Niklas Moisander | Finland | vs Iceland (6 October 2016) vs Croatia (9 October 2016) | vs Ukraine (12 November 2016) |
| Hekuran Kryeziu | Kosovo | vs Finland (5 September 2016) vs Ukraine (9 October 2016) | vs Turkey (12 November 2016) |
| Emre Mor | Turkey | vs Ukraine (6 October 2016) vs Iceland (9 October 2016) | vs Kosovo (12 November 2016) |
| Ivan Perišić | Croatia |  vs Iceland (12 November 2016) | vs Ukraine (24 March 2017) |
| Theódór Elmar Bjarnason | Iceland | vs Ukraine (9 October 2016) vs Croatia (12 November 2016) | vs Kosovo (24 March 2017) |
| Enis Alushi | Kosovo | vs Finland (5 September 2016) vs Turkey (12 November 2016) | vs Iceland (24 March 2017) |
| Thomas Lam | Finland | vs Kosovo (5 September 2016) vs Ukraine (12 November 2016) | vs Turkey (24 March 2017) |
| Eduard Sobol | Ukraine | vs Turkey (6 October 2016) vs Finland (12 November 2016) | vs Croatia (24 March 2017) |
Notes
- ↑ CET (UTC+1) for matches on 12 November 2016 and 24 March 2017, and CEST (UTC+2) for all other matches.
- 1 2 Croatia were sanctioned by FIFA to play two home matches (against Turkey on 5 September 2016 and against Iceland on 12 November 2016) without spectators for two cases of discriminatory chants by fans, which occurred during friendly matches against Israel on 23 March 2016 and against Hungary on 26 March 2016, having already been sanctioned for similar incidents by FIFA and UEFA.[9]
- ↑ Ukraine were sanctioned by FIFA to play one home match (against Iceland on 5 September 2016) without spectators for racist behaviour in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against San Marino at Arena Lviv, Lviv. In addition, the Football Federation of Ukraine were ordered not to play any of its 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches at Arena Lviv.[10][11]
- 1 2 3 4 5 Kosovo play their home matches at Loro Boriçi Stadium, Shkodër in Albania instead of their regular stadium, City Stadium, Pristina in Kosovo.[12]
- ↑ The Ukraine v Kosovo match was played in a neutral venue due to Ukraine's non-recognition of Kosovo's travel documents.[13]
- 1 2 The home matches of Turkey against Kosovo and Finland were changed to 18:00 CET (20:00 local time) due to the decision of the Turkish government to use the UTC+3 time zone all year round starting from September 2016.
References
- 1 2 3 "FIFA World Cup qualifying draw format". UEFA.com. 16 June 2015.
- ↑ "European teams learn World Cup qualifying fate". UEFA.com. 25 July 2015.
- ↑ "FIFA Congress drives football forward, first female secretary general appointed". FIFA.com. 13 May 2016.
- ↑ "Kosovo to play in Group I in European Qualifiers". uefa.org. Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). 9 June 2016.
- ↑ "Kosovo and Gibraltar assigned to 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying groups". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). 9 June 2016.
- 1 2 "Regulations – 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia" (PDF). FIFA.com.
- ↑ "World Cup European Qualifiers fixtures confirmed". UEFA.com. 26 July 2015.
- ↑ "Fixture List – 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition" (PDF). UEFA.com.
- ↑ "FIFA sanctions several football associations after discriminatory chants by fans". FIFA.com. 27 May 2016.
- ↑ "Sanctions of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee against Ukraine and Peru". FIFA.com. 27 September 2013. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016.
- ↑ "FIFA rejects Ukraine appeal; sanctions for discrimination upheld". FIFA.com. 27 November 2013.
- ↑ ""Loro Boriçi", shtëpia e përkohshme e Kosovës". Radio Television of Kosovo. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
- ↑ "Ukraine's national teams to play Kosovo at neutral venues". InSerbia. 6 September 2016.
External links
- Official FIFA World Cup website
- Qualifiers – Europe: Round 1, FIFA.com
- FIFA World Cup, UEFA.com
- Standings – Qualifying round: Group I, UEFA.com
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