In Beijing, Hisense announced its status as an official sponsor of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
World Cup Qualification
Bale Backs Coleman to Lead Wales to Russia 2018
Gareth Bale insists Wales boss Chris Coleman is the right man to guide the principality to their first World Cup finals since 1958.
BBC Presenters May Skip 2018 World Cup Over Safety Concerns
Speculation is growing suggesting that some of the BBC’s most respected correspondents and presenters could pass on the 2018 World Cup over threats from Russian hooligans.
Russia 2018 Targets Green Stadiums
With the aim to continue to foster green building standards at FIFA World Cup stadiums, the 2018 Local Organising Committee (LOC) hosted a workshop to discuss current practices of green building standards application, best practices for innovative design solutions and aspects of stadium management and operation after certification. The event was attended by environmental protection experts, representatives of design organizations, developers as well as regional environmental authorities, FIFA.com reports.
San Marino Keeper Still Relishing International Role
Aldo Junior Simoncini has spent the majority of his career in the lower reaches of the Italian football system. At international level however the goalkeeper has amassed 52 caps for his country, San Marino where he has come up against some of the biggest names in the world. Continue reading
2018 World Cup Qualification Fixtures (UEFA)
THE ROAD TO RUSSIA
Matchday 1: 4–6 September 2016
4 September
Group C: San Marino v Azerbaijan (18.00), Czech Republic v Northern Ireland (20.45), Norway v Germany (20.45)
Group E: Denmark v Armenia (18.00), Kazakhstan v Poland (18.00), Romania v Montenegro (20.45)
Group F: Lithuania v Slovenia (18.00), Slovakia v England (20.45), Malta v Scotland (20.45)
5 September
Group D: Georgia v Austria (18.00), Serbia v Republic of Ireland (20.45), Wales v Moldova (20.45)
Group G: Albania v FYR Macedonia (20.45), Israel v Italy (20.45), Spain v Liechtenstein (20.45)
Group I: Croatia v Turkey (20.45), Ukraine v Iceland (20.45)
6 September
Group A: Belarus v France (20.45), Bulgaria v Luxembourg (20.45), Sweden v Netherlands (20.45)
Group B: Andorra v Latvia (20.45), Faroe Islands v Hungary (20.45), Switzerland v Portugal (20.45)
Group H: Bosnia and Herzegovina v Estonia (20.45), Cyprus v Belgium (20.45)
Matchday 2: 6–8 October 2016
6 October
Group D Austria v Wales (20:45), Moldova v Serbia (20:45), Republic of Ireland v Georgia (20:45)
Group G: FYR Macedonia v Israel (20:45), Italy v Spain (20:45), Liechtenstein v Albania
Group I Iceland v Finland (20:45), Turkey v Ukraine (20:45)
7 October
Group A: France v Bulgaria (20:45), Luxembourg Sweden (20:45),Netherlands v Belarus (20:45)
Group B: Hungary v Switzerland (20:45), Latvia v Faroe Islands (20:45), Portugal v Andorra (20:45)
Group H: Belgium v Bosnia-Herzegovina (20:45), Greece v Cyprus (20:45)
8 October
Group C: Azerbaijan v Norway (18:00), Germany v Czech Republic (20:45), Northern Ireland v San Marino (20:45)
Group E: Armenia v Romania (18:00), Montenegro Kazakhstan (18:00), Poland v Denmark (20:45)
Group F: England v Malta (18:00), Scotland v Lithuania (20:45), Slovenia v Slovakia (20:45)
Matchday 3: 9–11 October 2016
9 October
Group D: Wales v Georgia (18:00), Moldova v Republic of Ireland (20:45), Serbia v Austria (20:45)
Group G: Israel v Liechtenstein (18:00), Albania v Spain (20:45), FYR Macedonia v Italy (18:00),
Group I: Finland v Croatia (18:00), Iceland v Turkey (20:45)
10 October
Group A: Belarus v Luxembourg (20:45), Netherlands France (20:45), Sweden Bulgaria (20:45),
Group B: Andorra v Switzerland (20:45), Andorra v Switzerland (20:45), Faroe Islands v Portugal (20:45), Latvia v Hungary (20:45)
Group H: Bosnia-Herzegovina v Cyprus (20:45), Estonia v Greece (20:45)
11 October
Group C: Czech Republic v Azerbaijan (20:45), Germany v Northern Ireland (20:45), Norway v San Marino (20:45)
Group E: Kazakhstan v Romania (18:00), Denmark v Montenegro (20:45), Poland v Armenia (20:45)
Group F: Lithuania v Malta (20:45), Slovakia v Scotland (20:45), Slovenia v England (20:45)
Matchday 4: 11–13 November 2016
11 November
Group C: Czech Republic Norway, (20:45), Northern Ireland v Azerbaijan (20:45), San Marino v Germany (20:45)
Group E: Armenia v Montenegro (18:00), Denmark v Kazakhstan (20:45), Romania v Poland (20:45)
Group F: England v Scotland (20:45), Malta v Slovenia (20:45), Slovakia v Lithuania (20:45)
12 November
Group D: Austria v Republic of Ireland (18:00), Georgia Moldova (18:00), Wales v Serbia (20:45)
Group G: Albania v Israel (20:45), Liechtenstein v Italy (20:45), Spain v FYR Macedonia (20:45)
Group I: Croatia v Iceland (20:45), Ukraine v Finland (20:45)
13 November
Group A: Bulgaria v Belarus (18:00), Luxembourg v Netherlands (18:00), France v Sweden (20:45)
Group B: Hungary Andorra (18:00), Portugal v Latvia (20:45), Switzerland v Faroe Islands (20:45)
Group H: Belgium v Estonia (20:45), Greece v Bosnia-Herzegovina (20:45)
Matchday 5: 24–26 March 2017
24 March
Group D: Georgia v Serbia (18:00), Austria v Moldova (20:45), Republic of Ireland v Wales (20:45)
Group G: Italy v Albania (20:45), Liechtenstein v FYR Macedonia (20:45), Spain v Israel (20:45),
Group I: Croatia v Ukraine (20:45), Turkey v Finland (20:45)
25 March
Group A: Sweden v Belarus (18:00), Bulgaria v Netherlands (20:45), Luxembourg v France (20:45)
Group B: Andorra v Faroe Islands (18:00), Switzerland v Latvia (20:45), Portugal v Hungary (20:45)
Group H: Cyprus v Estonia (18:00), Belgium v Greece (20:45)
26 March
Group C: Azerbaijan Germany (18:00), San Marino v Czech Republic (18:00), Northern Ireland v Norway (20:45)
Group E: Armenia v Kazakhstan (18:00), Montenegro v Poland (20:45), Romania v Denmark (20:45)
Group F: England v Lithuania (18:00), Malta Slovakia (20:45), Scotland Slovenia (20:45)
Matchday 6: 9–11 June 2017
9 June
Group A: Belarus Bulgaria (20:45), Netherlands Luxembourg (20:45), Sweden France (20:45)
Group B: Andorra v Hungary (20:45), Faroe Islands v Switzerland (20:45), Latvia v Portugal (20:45)
Group H: Bosnia-Herzegovina v Greece (20:45), Estonia v Belgium (20:45)
10 June
Group C: Azerbaijan v Northern Ireland (18:00), Germany v San Marino (20:45), Norway v Czech Republic (20:45)
Group E: Kazakhstan v Denmark (18:00), Montenegro v Armenia (20:45), Poland v Romania (20:45)
Group F: Scotland v England (18:00), Slovenia v Malta (18:00), Lithuania Slovakia (20:45)
11 June
Group D: Moldova v Georgia (18:00), Republic of Ireland v Austria (18:00), Serbia v Wales (20:45)
Group G: FYR Macedonia v Spain (20:45), Israel v Albania (20:45), Italy v Liechtenstein (20:45)
Group I: Finland v Ukraine (18:00), Iceland v Croatia (20:45)
Matchday 7: 31 August–2 September 2017
31 August
Group A: Bulgaria v Sweden (20:45), France v Netherlands (20:45), Luxembourg v Belarus (20:45)
Group B: Hungary v Latvia (20:45), Portugal v Faroe Islands (20:45), Switzerland v Andorra (20:45)
Group H: Cyprus v Bosnia-Herzegovina (20:45), Greece v Estonia (20:45)
1 September
Group C: Czech Republic v Germany (20:45), Norway v Azerbaijan (20:45), San Marino v Northern Ireland (20:45)
Group E: Kazakhstan v Montenegro (18:00), Denmark v Poland (20:45), Romania v Armenia (20:45)
Group F: Lithuania v Scotland (20:45), Malta v England (20:45), Slovakia v Slovenia (20:45)
2 September
Group D: Georgia v Republic of Ireland (18:00), Serbia v Moldova (18:00), Wales v Austria (20:45)
Group G: Albania v Liechtenstein (18:00), Israel v FYR Macedonia (20:45), Spain v Italy (20:45)
Group I: Finland v Iceland (18:00), Ukraine v Turkey (20:45)
Matchday 8: 3–5 September 2017
3 September
Group A: Belarus v Sweden (18:00), Netherlands v Bulgaria (18:00), France v Luxembourg (20:45)
Group B: Faroe Islands v Andorra (18:00), Hungary v Portugal (20:45), Latvia v Switzerland (20:45)
Group H: Estonia v Cyprus (18:00), Greece v Belgium (20:45)
4 September
Group C: Azerbaijan v San Marino (18:00), Germany v Norway (20:45), Northern Ireland v Czech Republic (20:45)
Group E: Armenia v Denmark (18:00), Montenegro v Romania (20:45), Poland v Kazakhstan (20:45)
Group F England Slovakia (20:45), Scotland v Malta (20:45), Slovenia v Lithuania (20:45)
5 September
Group D: Austria v Georgia (20:45), Moldova v Wales (20:45), Republic of Ireland v Serbia (20:45)
Group G: FYR Macedonia v Albania (20:45), Italy v Israel (20:45), Liechtenstein v Spain (20:45)
Group I: Iceland v Ukraine (20:45), Turkey v Croatia (20:45)
Matchday 9: 5–7 October 2017
5 October
Group C: Azerbaijan v Czech Republic (18:00), Northern Ireland v Germany (20:45), San Marino v Norway (20:45)
Group E: Armenia v Poland (18:00), Montenegro v Denmark (20:45), Romania v Kazakhstan (20:45)
Group F: England v Slovenia (20:45), Malta v Lithuania (20:45), Scotland v Slovakia (20:45)
6 October
Group D: Georgia v Wales (18:00), Austria v Serbia (20:45), Republic of Ireland v Moldova (20:45)
Group G: Italy v FYR Macedonia (20:45), Liechtenstein v Israel (20:45), Spain v Albania (20:45)
Group I: Croatia v Finland (20:45), Turkey v Iceland (20:45)
7 October
Group A: Sweden v Luxembourg (18:00), Belarus v Netherlands (20:45), Bulgaria v France (20:45)
Group B: Faroe Islands v Latvia (18:00), Andorra v Portugal (20:45), Switzerland v Hungary (20:45)
Group H: Bosnia-Herzegovina v Belgium (18:00), Cyprus Greece (20:45)
Matchday 10: 8–10 October 2017
8 October
Group C: Czech Republic v San Marino (20:45), Germany v Azerbaijan (20:45), Norway v Northern Ireland (20:45)
Group E: Denmark v Romania (18:00), Kazakhstan v Armenia (18:00), Poland v Montenegro (18:00)
Group F: Lithuania v England (18:00), Slovakia v Malta (18:00), Slovenia v Scotland (18:00)
9 October
Group D: Moldova v Austria (20:45), Serbia v Georgia (20:45), Wales v Republic of Ireland (20:45)
Group G: Albania v Italy (20:45), FYR Macedonia v Liechtenstein (20:45), Israel v Spain (20:45)
Group I: Finland v Turkey (20:45), Ukraine v Croatia (20:45)
10 October
Group A: France v Belarus (20:45), Luxembourg v Bulgaria (20:45), Netherlands v Sweden (20:45)
Group B: Hungary v Faroe Islands (20:45), Latvia v Andorra (20:45), Portugal v Switzerland (20:45)
Group H: Belgium v Cyprus (20:45), Estonia v Bosnia-Herzegovina (20:45)
Play-off first leg: 9–11 November 2017
TBC
Play-off second leg: 12–14 November 2017
TBC
2018 World Cup Qualification Groups (UEFA)
| Group A | |||||||||
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|
1 |
Netherlands |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
2 |
France |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
3 |
Sweden |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
4 |
Bulgaria |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
5 |
Belarus |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
6 |
Luxembourg |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Group B | |||||||||
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|
1 |
Portugal |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
2 |
Switzerland |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
3 |
Hungary |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
4 |
Faroe Islands |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
5 |
Latvia |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
6 |
Andorra |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Group C | |||||||||
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|
1 |
Germany |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
2 |
Czech Republic |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
3 |
Northern Ireland |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
4 |
Norway |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
5 |
Azerbaijan |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
6 |
San Marino |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Group D | |||||||||
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|
1 |
Wales |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
2 |
Austria |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
3 |
Serbia |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
4 |
Rep of Ireland |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
5 |
Moldova |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
6 |
Georgia |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Group E | |||||||||
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|
1 |
Romania |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
2 |
Denmark |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
3 |
Poland |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
4 |
Montenegro |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
5 |
Armenia |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
6 |
Kazakhstan |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Group F | |||||||||
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|
1 |
England |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
2 |
Slovakia |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
3 |
Scotland |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
4 |
Slovenia |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
5 |
Lithuania |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
6 |
Malta |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Group G | |||||||||
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|
1 |
Spain |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
2 |
Italy |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
3 |
Albania |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
4 |
Israel |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
5 |
Macedonia |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
6 |
Liechtenstein |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Group H | |||||||||
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|
1 |
Belgium |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
2 |
Bosnia and Herz |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
3 |
Greece |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
4 |
Estonia |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
5 |
Cyprus |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
6 |
Gibraltar |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Group I | |||||||||
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|
1 |
Croatia |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
2 |
Iceland |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
3 |
Ukraine |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
4 |
Turkey |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
5 |
Finland |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
6 |
Kosovo |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Group I | |||||||||
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
The Panenka 