2018_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_–_UEFA_Group_I

2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group I

2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group I

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The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group I was one of the nine UEFA groups for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. The group consisted 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, Iceland, qualified directly for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The group runners-up, Croatia, advanced to the play-offs as one of the best 8 runners-up. This was the first time Ukraine was eliminated after the first round, as the team had been eliminated in 1998, 2002, 2010 and 2014 after the play-offs, and qualified in 2006.

Standings

2018 FIFA World Cup qualification tiebreakers
In league format, the ranking of teams in each group was based on the following criteria (regulations Articles 20.6 and 20.7):[6]
  1. Points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss)
  2. Overall goal difference
  3. Overall goals scored
  4. Points in matches between tied teams
  5. Goal difference in matches between tied teams
  6. Goals scored in matches between tied teams
  7. Away goals scored in matches between tied teams (if the tie was only between two teams in home-and-away league format)
  8. Fair play points
    • first yellow card: minus 1 point
    • indirect red card (second yellow card): minus 3 points
    • direct red card: minus 4 points
    • yellow card and direct red card: minus 5 points
  9. Drawing of lots by the FIFA Organising Committee

More information Pos, Team ...
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers

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]

More information Croatia, 1–1 ...
Attendance: 0[note 2]
More information Finland, 1–1 ...
Attendance: 7,571
More information Ukraine, 1–1 ...
Attendance: 0[note 3]
More information Iceland, 3–2 ...
Attendance: 9,548
More information Kosovo, 0–6 ...
Attendance: 14,612
More information Turkey, 2–2 ...
Attendance: 36,714
More information Finland, 0–1 ...
Attendance: 15,567
Referee: Ruddy Buquet (France)
More information Ukraine, 3–0 ...
Attendance: 999
More information Iceland, 2–0 ...
Attendance: 9,775
More information Croatia, 2–0 ...
Attendance: 0[note 2]
More information Turkey, 2–0 ...
Attendance: 26,555
More information Ukraine, 1–0 ...
Attendance: 26,482
More information Turkey, 2–0 ...
Attendance: 28,990
More information Croatia, 1–0 ...
Attendance: 27,351
More information Kosovo, 1–2 ...
Attendance: 6,832
More information Finland, 1–2 ...
Attendance: 8,723
Referee: Alon Yefet (Israel)
More information Iceland, 1–0 ...
Attendance: 9,775
More information Kosovo, 1–4 ...
Attendance: 3,758
More information Finland, 1–0 ...
Attendance: 15,835
More information Croatia, 1–0 ...
Attendance: 6,839
More information Ukraine, 2–0 ...
Attendance: 36,796
More information Iceland, 2–0 ...
Attendance: 9,769
More information Kosovo, 0–1 ...
Attendance: 2,446
More information Turkey, 1–0 ...
Attendance: 28,600
More information Croatia, 1–1 ...
Attendance: 7,578
More information Kosovo, 0–2 ...
Attendance: 1,261
More information Turkey, 0–3 ...
Attendance: 30,390
More information Finland, 2–2 ...
Attendance: 6,612
More information Iceland, 2–0 ...
Attendance: 9,775
More information Ukraine, 0–2 ...
Attendance: 60,200
Referee: Felix Brych (Germany)

Goalscorers

There were 70 goals scored in 30 matches, for an average of 2.33 goals per match.

6 goals

5 goals

4 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

1 own goal

Discipline

A player was automatically suspended for the next match for the following offences:[15]

  • Receiving a red card (red card suspensions could be extended for serious offences)
  • Receiving two yellow cards in two different matches (yellow card suspensions were carried forward to the play-offs, but not the finals or any other future international matches)

The following suspensions were served during the qualifying matches:

More information Player, Team ...

Notes

  1. [N 1]
    CET (UTC+1) for matches on 12 November 2016 and 24 March 2017, and CEST (UTC+2) for all other matches.
  2. [N 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]
  3. [N 3]
    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]
  4. [N 4]
    Kosovo play their home matches at Loro Boriçi Stadium, Shkodër in Albania instead of their regular stadium, City Stadium, Pristina in Kosovo.[12]
  5. [N 5]
    The Ukraine v Kosovo match was played in a neutral venue due to Ukraine's non-recognition of Kosovo's travel documents.[13]
  6. [N 6]
    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.
  7. [N 7]
    The Croatia v Kosovo match was suspended after 21 minutes due to torrential rain, with the score 0–0 at the time. The match was resumed on 3 September, 14:30 UTC+2.[14]

References

  1. [1]
    "FIFA World Cup qualifying draw format". UEFA.com. 16 June 2015. Archived from the original on 26 June 2016.
  2. [2]
    "European teams learn World Cup qualifying fate". UEFA.com. 25 July 2015. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015.
  3. [3]
    "FIFA Congress drives football forward, first female secretary general appointed". FIFA.com. 13 May 2016. Archived from the original on 16 May 2016.
  4. [4]
    "Kosovo to play in Group I in European Qualifiers". uefa.org. Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). 9 June 2016. Archived from the original on 11 June 2016.
  5. [5]
    "Kosovo and Gibraltar assigned to 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying groups". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). 9 June 2016. Archived from the original on 9 June 2016.
  6. [6]
    "Regulations – 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia" (PDF). FIFA.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016.
  7. [7]
    "World Cup European Qualifiers fixtures confirmed". UEFA.com. 26 July 2015. Archived from the original on 8 April 2016.
  8. [8]
    "Fixture List – 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition" (PDF). UEFA.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 August 2015.
  9. [9]
    "FIFA sanctions several football associations after discriminatory chants by fans". FIFA.com. 27 May 2016. Archived from the original on 12 September 2016.
  10. [10]
    "Sanctions of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee against Ukraine and Peru". FIFA.com. 27 September 2013. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016.
  11. [11]
    "FIFA rejects Ukraine appeal; sanctions for discrimination upheld". FIFA.com. 27 November 2013. Archived from the original on 3 August 2016.
  12. [12]
    ""Loro Boriçi", shtëpia e përkohshme e Kosovës". Radio Television of Kosovo. Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  13. [13]
    "Ukraine's national teams to play Kosovo at neutral venues". InSerbia. 6 September 2016. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016.
  14. [14]
    "Croatia v Kosovo qualifier to resume on Sunday". uefa.com. 3 September 2017. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017.
  15. [15]
    "Regulations of the UEFA European Football Championship 2014-16" (PDF). UEFA.com.
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