2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group H
The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group H is one of the nine UEFA groups for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. The group consists of six teams: Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Estonia, Cyprus, and Gibraltar.
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] Gibraltar was added to the group after the draw, after becoming FIFA members together with Kosovo in May 2016,[3] and UEFA decided not to put Kosovo in same group as 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 | .svg.png){kind=small} |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgium |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 1 | +20 | 12 | Qualification to 2018 FIFA World Cup | — | 25 Mar '17 | 4–0 | 10 Oct '17 | 8–1 | 31 Aug '17 | |
| 2 | Greece |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 | 10 | Possible second round[lower-alpha 1] | 3 Sep '17 | — | 1–1 | 2–0 | 31 Aug '17 | 10 Oct '17 | |
| 3 | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 7 | 7 Oct '17 | 9 Jun '17 | — | 2–0 | 5–0 | 25 Mar '17 | ||
| 4 | Cyprus |
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | −5 | 3 | 0–3 | 7 Oct '17 | 31 Aug '17 | — | 25 Mar '17 | 3–1 | ||
| 5 | Estonia |
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 15 | −10 | 3 | 9 Jun '17 | 0–2 | 10 Oct '17 | 3 Sep '17 | — | 4–0 | ||
| 6 | Gibraltar |
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 17 | −15 | 0 | 0–6 | 1–4 | 3 Sep '17 | 9 Jun '17 | 7 Oct '17 | — |
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 Gibraltar 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]
| Bosnia and Herzegovina |
5–0 | Estonia |
|---|---|---|
Spahić  7', 90+2'Džeko 23' (pen.)Medunjanin 71'Ibišević 83' |
Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
| Gibraltar |
1–4 | Greece |
|---|---|---|
| Walker 26' |
Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
Mitroglou 10' Wiseman 44' (o.g.)Fortounis 45'Torosidis 45+2' |
| Belgium |
4–0 | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
|---|---|---|
| Spahić 26' (o.g.) E. Hazard 29'Alderweireld 60'R. Lukaku 79' |
Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
| Gibraltar |
0–6 | Belgium |
|---|---|---|
| Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
Benteke 1', 43', 56' Witsel 19'Mertens 51'E. Hazard 79' |
| Belgium |
8–1 | Estonia |
|---|---|---|
| Meunier 8' Mertens 16', 68'E. Hazard 25'Carrasco 62'Klavan 64' (o.g.)R. Lukaku 83', 88' |
Report (FIFA) Report (UEFA) |
Anier 29' |
Goalscorers
There have been 48 goals scored in 12 matches, for an average of 4 goals per match.
- 5 goals
- 3 goals
- 2 goals
- 1 goal
- 1 own goal
- Emir Spahić (against Belgium)
- Ragnar Klavan (against Belgium)
- Scott Wiseman (against Greece)
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marouane Fellaini | Belgium |  vs Cyprus (6 September 2016) vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (7 October 2016) | vs Gibraltar (10 October 2016) |
| Edin Džeko | Bosnia and Herzegovina |  vs Greece (13 November 2016) | vs Gibraltar (25 March 2017) |
| Mato Jajalo | Bosnia and Herzegovina | vs Belgium (7 October 2016) vs vs Greece (13 November 2016) | vs Gibraltar (25 March 2017) |
| Senad Lulić | Bosnia and Herzegovina | vs Belgium (7 October 2016) vs vs Greece (13 November 2016) | vs Gibraltar (25 March 2017) |
| Ognjen Vranješ | Bosnia and Herzegovina | vs Estonia (6 September 2016) vs vs Greece (13 November 2016) | vs Gibraltar (25 March 2017) |
| Jason Demetriou | Cyprus | vs Greece (7 October 2016) vs vs Gibraltar (13 November 2016) | vs Estonia (25 March 2017) |
| Pieros Sotiriou | Cyprus | vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (10 October 2016) vs vs Gibraltar (13 November 2016) | vs Estonia (25 March 2017) |
| Jayce Olivero | Gibraltar | vs Cyprus (13 November 2016) | vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (25 March 2017) |
| Kyriakos Papadopoulos | Greece | vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (13 November 2016) | vs Belgium (25 March 2017) |
Notes
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.
External links
- Official FIFA World Cup website
- Qualifiers – Europe: Round 1, FIFA.com
- FIFA World Cup, UEFA.com
- Standings – Qualifying round: Group H, UEFA.com