The 2018 World Cup Draw (qualifying)

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

All groups
Group A
Netherlands
France
Sweden
Bulgaria
Belarus
Luxembourg

Group B
Portugal
Switzerland
Hungary
Faroe Islands
Latvia
Andorra

Group C
Germany
Czech Republic
Northern Ireland
Norway
Azerbaijan
San Marino

Group D
Wales
Austria
Serbia
Republic of Ireland
Moldova
Georgia

Group E
Romania
Denmark
Poland
Montenegro
Armenia
Kazakhstan

Group F
England
Slovakia
Scotland
Slovenia
Lithuania
Malta

Group G
Spain
Italy
Albania
Israel
FYR Macedonia
Liechtenstein

Group H
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Greece
Estonia
Cyprus

Group I
Croatia
Iceland
Ukraine
Turkey
Finland

Winners in Bold,

 

[easynow]

We always group with the boring countries...ffs.

 

[Eeyore]

Roy Hodgson will end up with the best competitive record of any England manager if these draws continue.

 

[TomandJerry]

Woy Hodgson will end up with the best competitive record of any England manager if these draws continue.

Corrected

 

[Eeyore]

I can't remember us playing Scotland in a qualifying group in my lifetime. Not since they stopped bunching the home nations together (late 60s ?)

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

very pleased with that draw

nothing like beating the jocks

then having the FUN of watching Scotland not being able to beat Malta

 

[albionite]

I can't remember us playing Scotland in a qualifying group in my lifetime. Not since they stopped bunching the home nations together (late 60s ?)

Euros 2000 they were in same qualifying group

 

[S'hampton Seagull]

I can't remember us playing Scotland in a qualifying group in my lifetime. Not since they stopped bunching the home nations together (late 60s ?)

We played them in 1999 for Euro 2000 qualifying. Paul Schloes!

 

[Eeyore]

Euros 2000 they were in same qualifying group

We played them in the play-off, not the group itself.

 

[albionite]

We played them in the play-off, not the group itself.

yep your right forgot the details why we played them twice.

 

[Eeyore]

First time we've met Malta in qualifying since 1972 Euros.

 

[warmleyseagull]

Statistically, this is a less good draw than first appears for England.

The countries are seeded according to FIFA rankings so an easy way of ranking how "difficult" it is for the top seed is simply to sum the respective rankings of the other countries in the group (ignoring 6th teams so all groups are equal).

On that basis, England actually have the toughest group: total rankings 203 (Slovakia 15, Scotland 29, Slovenia 49, Lithuania 110) and Belgium have the easiest (239). Wales do well (234).

This method arguably gives too high rating to fourth team, so an alternative is to consider only second and third seeds. Again Group F (England) is "toughest" (44), and Group H (Belgium's group) easiest (Bosnia 26, Greece 44, total 70).

Group A (Holland) looks strong but France are ranked 25 and Sweden 33. Despite getting Italy (17), Spain have Albana (36) as third seeds.

Yes, FIFA rankings are Mickey (e.g. France are way below where they should be because not playing competitive fixtures) and yes it will all change by next year, and absolutely yes, no excuse for England not winning this group but shows it is not quite all it seems. Slovakia could provide a surprise.

 

[Spider]

How the hell do Faroe Islands and Andorra end up in the same group? How does this seeding work?!

 

[T soprano]

Slovenia & Lithuania again in the group, yawn, plus the might of Malta, apart from the Scotland game the FA will have to come up with cheapish tickets to even half fill up WEMBLEY
Slovakia will be tough currently topping their group above Spain, but at the end of the day all the hype & build up and planning to end up playing just 3 games in Russia or possibly 4

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

How the hell do Faroe Islands and Andorra end up in the same group? How does this seeding work?!

Beat Greece twice recently and only just lost to Romania, not a terrible side.

 

[atfc village]

Forza Malta

 

[Shoreham Gull]

So everyone sees us winning the group? May be 2nd place.

Slovakia are a winning side at the moment, won 9 in a row! ( they have that Martin skrtel fella as captain )

Beating sides like Ukraine, Czech and even Spain 2-1 to qualify top of there group for Euro 2016

 

[TomandJerry]

England and Scotland will meet at Wembley on Friday, 11 November 2016 to play their 2018 World Cup qualifier.

The game will kick off at 19:45 BST with the return match in Group F, at Glasgow's Hampden Park, at 17:00 on Saturday, 10 June 2017.