Football: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw held

ISTANBUL 

2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw took place in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg on Saturday.

European elimination groups were set after those for Africa, South America, North and Middle America, Caribbean and Oceania.

The draw was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, FIFA President Sepp Blatter and UEFA President Michel Platini.

Servet Yardimci and Ali Durust, executive board members for the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), Turkish Football Director Fatih Terim and TFF Secretary General Kadir Kardas took part in the drawing.

Turkey ended up with Croatia, Iceland, Ukraine and Finland at the Group I. 

The groups at the European qualifiers, in which 52 countries will compete to attend the World Cup to be hosted by Russia, are as follows: 

Group A: The Netherlands, France, Sweden, Bulgaria, Belarus, Luxemburg

Group B: Portuguese, Switzerland, Hungary, Faroe Islands, Latvia, Andorra

Group C: Germany, Czech Republic, North Ireland, Norway, Azerbaijan, San Marino

Group D: Wales, Austria, Serbia, Republic of Ireland, Moldovia, Georgia

Group E: Romania, Denmark, Poland, Montenegro, Armenia, Kazakhstan

Group F: England, Slovakia, Scotland, Slovenia, Lithuania, Malta

Group G: Spain, Italy, Albania, Israel, Macedonia, Liechtenstein

Group H: Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Estonia, South Cyprus

Group I: Croatia, Iceland, Ukraine, Turkey, Finland 

2018 FIFA World Cup European qualification match dates are as follows:  

1st Matches: Sep. 4-6, 2016

2nd Matches: Sep. 6-8, 2016

3rd Matches: Sept. 9-11, 2016

4th Matches: Nov. 11-13, 2016

5th Matches: March 24-26, 2017

6th Matches: June 9-11, 2017

7th Matches: Aug. 31- Sep. 2, 2017

8th Matches: Sep. 3-5, 2017

9th Matches: Oct. 5-7, 2017

10th Matches: Oct. 8-10, 2017

Play-off game dates 

1st Matches: Nov. 9-11, 2017

2nd Matches: Nov. 12-14, 2017