FIFA.com - News

Van Buyten: The fire still burns

Fri, 18 May 2012 19:58:00 GMT

Bayern Munich defender Daniel van Buyten is back from injury just in time for the UEFA Champions League final, and FIFA.com chatted to the Belgian on the eve of the big day.

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.

Levein: We have homework to do

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 17:12:00 GMT

"It could have been worse. With a draw like this we’ll have a lot of homework to do in preparation for the matches, and I wouldn’t dare to make any predictions at this early stage. I have faith in my team," Craig Levein, Scotland manager

Wide open in Group A

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 20:46:00 GMT

Group A is possibly the hardest to call out of all the European qualifiers, with every team no doubt thinking they at least have a chance of a play-off spot, and no game looking like an easy asking.

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.

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.

Belgium humbled in Estonia

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:51:00 GMT

Estonia rounded off their Group 5 campaign in style, cruising to a comfortable 2-0 win over Dick Advocaat's lacklustre Belgium side.

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.

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.

Mpenza double downs Turkey

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:43:00 GMT

Belgium moved to within two points of Turkey in Group 5 with an Emile Mpenza-inspired 2-0 win over the Turks in Brussels.

European qualifiers preview

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:24:00 GMT

Ten tickets to South Africa remain up for grabs in Europe, where crucial games are set to unfold in Athens, Copenhagen, Dublin, Lisbon and Moscow.

Advocaat assumes Belgium role

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:18:00 GMT

Dick Advocaat will take over as Belgium coach three months early and will be in charge for their next South Africa 2010 qualifier against Turkey.

Belgian FA make early Advocaat approach

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:41:00 GMT

The Belgian Football Association have approached Dick Advocaat to take over as Belgium coach early following the resignation of Frank Vercauterin.

Spanish eyes on South African prize

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:17:00 GMT

Spain have flawlessly booked their passage to South Africa 2010, where they aim to make amends for the disappointment of June 2009.

Belgian coach Vercauteren quits

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:22:00 GMT

Franky Vercauteren quit as Belgium coach following his team's 2-1 loss to Armenia which ended their hopes of reaching South Africa 2010.

Armenia seize maiden victory

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:46:00 GMT

Armenia claimed their first victory in Group 5, goals from Hovhannes Goharyan and Sargis Hovsepyan earning them a 2-1 win over Belgium.

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.

Del Bosque: We're not there yet

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:43:00 GMT

On the back of a comprehensive victory over Belgium, the Spanish supremo has underlined that La Roja's place in South Africa is still not assured.

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.

Spain impress yet again

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:29:00 GMT

Spain continued their seemingly unstoppable march towards South Africa 2010 after handing Belgium a 5-0 defeat to go six points clear.

Ronaldo faces World Cup heartbreak

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 05:41:00 GMT

A massive week of FIFA World Cup qualifying matches loom in Europe with Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal team facing the prospect of elimination.

Alonso ready for Spain chance

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:32:00 GMT

Xabi Alonso believes he can effectively co-exist alongside Xavi in Spain's midfield, while team-mate Sergi Busquets has hailed Vicente Del Bosque.

Turkey target mission improbable

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:47:00 GMT

With Bosnia-Herzegovina in line to finish second in Group 5, Turkey need six points from a vital double-header against Estonia and the Bosnians.

Senna recalled by Spain

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:28:00 GMT

Marcos Senna has been recalled to the Spain squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifying home double-header against Belgium and Estonia.

Advocaat to take Belgium job

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:15:00 GMT

Dick Advocaat has confirmed he is leaving Zenit St Petersburg to become Belgium coach.

Gerets rejects Belgium job

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 19:18:00 GMT

Marseille's coach Eric Gerets has turned down the chance to become the coach of his country's national team, the Belgian FA revealed.

Belgium sack Vandereycken

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Rene Vandereycken has been sacked as coach of the Belgian national team after a string of disappointing results, the Belgian FA announced.

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.

Golden boys boost Red Devils

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:17:00 GMT

FIFA.com profiles Steven Defour, Marouane Fellaini, Eden Hazard, Axel Witsel and Moussa Dembele, the new stars of Belgian football.

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.

Villa: Spain can still improve

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 08:34:00 GMT

Valencia and Spain striker David Villa talks to FIFA.com about EURO 2008, South Africa 2010, Vicente Del Bosque, Cesc Fabregas and Raul.

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.

Belgium to test Spanish resolve

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:21:00 GMT

Currently flying high at the top of Group 5, UEFA EURO 2008 winners Spain face their toughest test so far when they travel to Belgium on Wednesday.

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.

Fast starters eye nine from nine

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 09:09:00 GMT

England, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Ukraine and Spain will hope to make it three wins in a row, but the pressure is on Croatia, France and Portugal.

Live the drama LIVE

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:42:00 GMT

Nearly 100 qualifiers will take place between 10 and 15 October, and FIFA.com's MatchCasts and LIVE feeds mean you won't miss a thing.

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.

Draw settles disputes

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:53:00 GMT

The fixture list draw of Groups 2 and 5 of the European preliminary competition for South Africa 2010 was conducted on Wednesday.

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.

Villar-Llona (ESP): We need to earn our ticket

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:57:00 GMT

Angel Maria Villar-Llona: "The only thing that will count at the end of the day is earning our ticket to the World Cup."

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.