FIFA.com - News

European qualifying fixtures announced

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:52:00 GMT

All but two of the Groups in European Zone qualifying for Brazil 2014 have had their fixtures finalised, with England, France, Italy and Spain starting out away to Moldova, Finland, Bulgaria and Georgia respectively.

Capello: England need to be careful

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 09:32:00 GMT

"England need to be careful, this will not be easy. We’ve seen already the strength of Ukraine and Montenegro," Fabio Capello, England manager.

Familiar foes await England

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:59:00 GMT

Ukraine, Poland and Montenegro, all of whom have taken points off England in previous qualifying campaigns, are once again preparing to challenge the Three Lions in Group H.

Drama and derbies await in Europe

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 00:37:00 GMT

The draw for the European zone yielded some potentially thrilling sections, with local rivalries set to be stirred and the world champions left to do battle with another winner of football's ultimate prize.

Trapattoni unfazed by play-offs

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:12:00 GMT

Giovanni Trapattoni is confident his Republic of Ireland side can make it through the play-offs to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

Celebrations for Swiss, Slovaks

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:42:00 GMT

Switzerland and Slovakia seized Europe's last two automatic berths in South Africa, while Portugal, Greece, Slovenia and Ukraine made the play-offs.

Montenegro hold Irish in Dublin

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:20:00 GMT

Republic of Ireland dominated possession at home to Montenegro, but the Group 8 runners-up had to settle for their sixth draw in ten qualifiers.

Centurion Given targets results

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:45:00 GMT

Shay Given has said that getting results is all that matters as he and Republic of Ireland colleague Kevin Kilbane prepare to win their 100 caps.

Two tickets on offer in Europe

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:09:00 GMT

Switzerland, Greece, Slovakia and Slovenia head into Wednesday's final qualifiers hoping to claim the two remaining direct tickets to South Africa.

Duff fit for action

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:25:00 GMT

Fulham winger Damien Duff has rejoined the Republic of Ireland squad ahead of Wednesday night's final South Africa 2010 qualifier against Montenegro.

Unconvincing, but ominous Italy

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 04:57:00 GMT

Italy have qualified for South Africa 2010 and will start the competition amongst the favourites, but this was far from a comfortable cruise to the finals.

European quartet stamp tickets

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:46:00 GMT

Italy, Germany, Denmark and Serbia all sealed their places at South Africa 2010 with positive results during Saturday's nervy round of qualifiers.

Debutant Delibasic propels Montenegro

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:56:00 GMT

Andrija Delibasic scored the winner on his debut as Montenegro earned their maiden South Africa 2010 qualifying triumph with a defeat of Georgia.

McGeady relishing Italian duel

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:49:00 GMT

Aiden McGeady is desperate to emerge victorious from "one of the biggest" games of his career against Italy, and help Republic of Ireland qualify.

Given: We want to finish top

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:15:00 GMT

FIFA.com speaks to Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given and coach Giovanni Trapattoni ahead of their final qualifiers with Italy and Montenegro.

Montenegro rue Cyprus equaliser

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:31:00 GMT

Montenegro remain without a win in Group 8 of the European Zone after letting a second-half lead slip away against Cyprus.

England and Serbia on the verge

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:54:00 GMT

England and Serbia will have the chance to reach South Africa 2010 in midweek, while Denmark, Slovakia and Spain could also secure qualification.

Keane eyeing Italian showdown

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:35:00 GMT

With Ireland and Italy battling fiercely for first place in Group 8, Republic striker Robbie Keane has already turned his focus to 10 October's vital qualifier in Dublin.

Swedes surge as France flounder

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:32:00 GMT

Sweden gave some much-needed impetus to their qualification hopes with a win over Hungary, while France could only draw with Romania at home.

Bulgaria maintain slim chances

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:05:00 GMT

Bulgaria produced a dominant second-half performance to come from behind and beat Montenegro 4-1, keeping their South Africa 2010 dream alive.

Safe passage for Netherlands

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 22:56:00 GMT

The Netherlands became the first European side to book passage to South Africa as England, Serbia, Denmark and Slovakia moved closer to the finals.

Montenegro fight back in thriller

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 22:49:00 GMT

A Dejan Damjanovic brace gave Montenegro a share of the spoils as Cyprus missed the chance to reignite their hopes of FIFA World Cup qualification.

Dutch close in as neighbours clash

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:57:00 GMT

In Europe, the Netherlands know that a win in Iceland will guarantee a spot in South Africa, while Sweden square up to Nordic neighbours Demark.

Flawless trio aim for more

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:38:00 GMT

Spain, England and Netherlands have won all their games to date and are out to consolidate their leads on matchday six in the European Zone.

Spain, Netherlands edge closer

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 23:40:00 GMT

Big guns Spain, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands all scored maximum points in a huge night of FIFA World Cup qualifying in Europe.

Italy too much for Montenegro

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 22:12:00 GMT

An Andrea Pirlo penalty and a second-half header from substitute Giampaolo Pazzini earned Group 8 leaders Italy a 2-0 win over Montenegro.

Points to make in Europe

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 08:14:00 GMT

FIFA.com looks ahead to the latest set of European Zone qualifiers, which include crucial games in a wide open Group 1, and tests for some big names.

Italy and France sight South Africa

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 07:09:00 GMT

FIFA World Cup winners Italy and runners-up France can take a giant stride towards South Africa 2010 qualification with wins in their upcoming matches.

Brave Falcons on the rise

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 07:45:00 GMT

More people are beginning to sit up and take notice of Montenegro's emergence following recent draws with Bulgaria and Republic of Ireland.

Stoilov named as new Bulgaria coach

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 22:17:00 GMT

Litex Lovech coach Stanimir Stoilov was on Friday handed the job of trying to guide struggling Bulgaria into the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals.

Determining Europe's runners-up

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:17:00 GMT

FIFA has revealed the criteria that will determine the eight best runners-up in the group phase of European Zone qualifying for South Africa 2010.

Fearsome foursome lead the way

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:10:00 GMT

Four teams have maintained a perfect record on the first three matchdays of European qualifying for South Africa 2010. Can they keep it up?

England to rejig defence

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:27:00 GMT

England will have to deal with defensive absences in Belarus on Wednesday, while Germany sweat over the fitness of Michael Ballack.

Lippi upbeat despite injuries

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:29:00 GMT

Italy coach Marcello Lippi has stated his faith in the ability of the fringe players who may be given a chance against Bulgaria and Montenegro.

Lippi spices up Italy mix

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:35:00 GMT

Italy coach Marcello Lippi is shuffling his pack for the Azzurri's forthcoming qualifiers with Bulgaria and Montenegro. FIFA.com takes a closer look.

Stalemate satisfies Trapattoni

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 23:51:00 GMT

Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni was content after his side managed a goalless draw away to Montenegro in Group 8.

Trebles steal the headlines

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:24:00 GMT

Theo Walcott scored a hat-trick to inspire England to a 4-1 win in Croatia, while Miroslav Klose's treble saved Germany from defeat in Finland.

All eyes on Zagreb

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 11:24:00 GMT

England face a tough test against bogey side Croatia in the pick of Wednesday evening's FIFA World Cup qualifying matches in Europe.

European qualifiers taking shape

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:00:00 GMT

The European teams have been busy drawing up a fixture list, with the matchdays for Groups 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 now set in stone.

Donadoni (ITA): They're tough opponents

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:38:00 GMT

Roberto Donadoni, Italy (Coach): "Bulgaria, Ireland, Georgia, Montenegro don't have a great football tradition but they are difficult opponents. On paper Bulgaria should be the one to push us closest for qualification."

Italian job looks straightforward

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:35:46 GMT

Italy, the FIFA World Cup holders, start out on the long road in defence of their crown in a section which includes Bulgaria and Republic of Ireland.

Europe stirs preliminary passions

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 12:39:00 GMT

In our feature examining the history of FIFA World Cup preliminaries, FIFA.com reflects on Europe's most memorable and dramatic qualifiers.

Debutants take to the stage

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 19:38:55 GMT

The field of 200 teams taking part in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Preliminaries includes five nations making their first appearance at this level.