2022 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group C

The 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group C was one of the ten UEFA groups in the World Cup qualification tournament to decide which teams would qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup finals tournament in Qatar.[1] Group C consisted of five teams: Bulgaria, Italy, Lithuania, Northern Ireland and Switzerland.[2] The teams played against each other home-and-away in a round-robin format.[3]

The group winners, Switzerland, qualified directly for the World Cup finals, while the runners-up, Italy, advanced to the second round (play-offs).

Standings

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification          
1    Switzerland 8 5 3 0 15 2 +13 18 Qualification for 2022 FIFA World Cup 0–0 2–0 4–0 1–0
2   Italy 8 4 4 0 13 2 +11 16 Advance to play-offs 1–1 2–0 1–1 5–0
3   Northern Ireland 8 2 3 3 6 7 −1 9 0–0 0–0 0–0 1–0
4   Bulgaria 8 2 2 4 6 14 −8 8 1–3 0–2 2–1 1–0
5   Lithuania 8 1 0 7 4 19 −15 3 0–4 0–2 1–4 3–1
Source: FIFA, UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Matches

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The fixture list was confirmed by UEFA on 8 December 2020, the day following the draw.[4][5][6] Times are CET/CEST,[note 1] as listed by UEFA (local times, if different, are in parentheses).

Bulgaria  1–3   Switzerland
Despodov   46' Report (FIFA)
Report (UEFA)
Italy  2–0  Northern Ireland
Report (FIFA)
Report (UEFA)

Bulgaria  0–2  Italy
Report (FIFA)
Report (UEFA)
Switzerland  1–0  Lithuania
Report (FIFA)
Report (UEFA)

Lithuania  0–2  Italy
Report (FIFA)
Report (UEFA)
Northern Ireland  0–0  Bulgaria
Report (FIFA)
Report (UEFA)

Italy  1–1  Bulgaria
Report (FIFA)
Report (UEFA)
Lithuania  1–4  Northern Ireland
Report (FIFA)
Report (UEFA)

Bulgaria  1–0  Lithuania
Report (FIFA)
Report (UEFA)
Switzerland  0–0  Italy
Report (FIFA)
Report (UEFA)

Italy  5–0  Lithuania
Report (FIFA)
Report (UEFA)
Northern Ireland  0–0   Switzerland
Report (FIFA)
Report (UEFA)
Attendance: 15,660[20]

Lithuania  3–1  Bulgaria
Report (FIFA)
Report (UEFA)
Attendance: 2,526[21]
Switzerland  2–0  Northern Ireland
Report (FIFA)
Report (UEFA)

Bulgaria  2–1  Northern Ireland
Report (FIFA)
Report (UEFA)
Lithuania  0–4   Switzerland
Report (FIFA)
Report (UEFA)
Attendance: 1,806[24]

Italy  1–1   Switzerland
Report (FIFA)
Report (UEFA)
Attendance: 45,699[25]
Northern Ireland  1–0  Lithuania
Report (FIFA)
Report (UEFA)
Attendance: 14,336[26]
Referee: István Vad (Hungary)

Northern Ireland  0–0  Italy
Report (FIFA)
Report (UEFA)
Attendance: 15,969[27]
Switzerland  4–0  Bulgaria
Report (FIFA)
Report (UEFA)
Attendance: 14,300[28]

Goalscorers

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There were 44 goals scored in 20 matches, for an average of 2.2 goals per match.

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

1 own goal

Discipline

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A player was automatically suspended for the next match for the following offences:[29]

  • Receiving a red card (red card suspensions could be extended for serious offences)
  • Receiving two yellow cards in two different matches (yellow card suspensions were carried forward to the play-offs, but not the finals or any other future international matches)

The following suspensions were served during the qualifying matches:

Team Player Offence(s) Suspended for match(es)
  Bulgaria Valentin Antov   vs Northern Ireland (31 March 2021)
  vs Lithuania (9 October 2021)
vs Northern Ireland (12 October 2021)
Atanas Iliev   vs Northern Ireland (31 March 2021)
  vs Lithuania (5 September 2021)
vs Lithuania (9 October 2021)
Nikolay Mihaylov   vs Lithuania (5 September 2021)
Georgi Yomov   vs Italy (2 September 2021)
  vs Lithuania (9 October 2021)
vs Northern Ireland (12 October 2021)
  Italy Manuel Locatelli   vs Bulgaria (28 March 2021)
  vs Lithuania (31 March 2021)
vs Bulgaria (2 September 2021)
  Lithuania Fedor Černych   vs Switzerland (28 March 2021)
  vs Bulgaria (5 September 2021)
vs Italy (8 September 2021)
Domantas Šimkus   vs Italy (31 March 2021)
  vs Bulgaria (5 September 2021)
Egidijus Vaitkūnas   vs Italy (31 March 2021)
  vs Bulgaria (9 October 2021)
vs Switzerland (12 October 2021)
  Northern Ireland Jamal Lewis     vs Switzerland (9 October 2021) vs Bulgaria (12 October 2021)
Paddy McNair   vs Bulgaria (31 March 2021)
  vs Lithuania (2 September 2021)
vs Switzerland (8 September 2021)
George Saville   vs Italy (25 March 2021)
  vs Bulgaria (31 March 2021)
vs Lithuania (2 September 2021)
   Switzerland Manuel Akanji   vs Bulgaria (25 March 2021)
  vs Italy (12 November 2021)
vs Bulgaria (15 November 2021)
Fabian Frei   vs Italy (5 September 2021)
  vs Northern Ireland (8 September 2021)
vs Northern Ireland (9 October 2021)
Remo Freuler   vs Spain in UEFA Euro 2020 (2 July 2021) vs Italy (5 September 2021)[30]
Denis Zakaria   vs Northern Ireland (8 September 2021)
  vs Northern Ireland (9 October 2021)
vs Lithuania (12 October 2021)

Notes

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  1. ^ CET (UTC+1) for matches until 27 March and from 31 October (matchday 1 and 9–10), and CEST (UTC+2) for matches from 28 March to 30 October 2021 (matchday 2–8).
  2. ^ a b c d e f Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, the match was played behind closed doors.
  3. ^ The Switzerland vs Lithuania match, originally to be played at 20:45 UTC+2, was delayed by 15 minutes to replace a wrong-sized goal.[10]

References

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  1. ^ "UEFA preliminary competition for the FIFA World Cup 2022: Draw procedures" (PDF). FIFA. 22 October 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  2. ^ "FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition – Draw Results" (PDF). UEFA. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  3. ^ "UEFA preliminary competition format for the FIFA World Cup 2022" (PDF). FIFA. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  4. ^ "European Qualifiers for 2022 World Cup: all the fixtures". UEFA. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  5. ^ "Fixture List – European Qualifiers 2020–2022: FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition" (PDF). UEFA. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Fixture List by Group – European Qualifiers 2020–2022: FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition" (PDF). UEFA. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  7. ^ "Bulgaria vs. Switzerland" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  8. ^ "Italy vs. Northern Ireland" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  9. ^ "Bulgaria vs. Italy" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 28 March 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  10. ^ "Swiss goalposts cause delay". football-italia.net. 28 March 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  11. ^ "Switzerland vs. Lithuania" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 28 March 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  12. ^ "Lithuania vs. Italy" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  13. ^ "Northern Ireland vs. Bulgaria" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  14. ^ a b c "World Cup qualifying: Bulgaria and Lithuania matches to take place in Florence and Reggio Emilia". FIGC. 3 May 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  15. ^ "Italy vs. Bulgaria" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  16. ^ "Lithuania vs. Northern Ireland" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  17. ^ "Bulgaria vs. Lithuania" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 5 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  18. ^ "Switzerland vs. Italy" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 5 September 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  19. ^ "Italy vs. Lithuania" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  20. ^ "Northern Ireland vs. Switzerland" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  21. ^ "Lithuania vs. Bulgaria" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 9 October 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  22. ^ "Switzerland vs. Northern Ireland" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 9 October 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  23. ^ "Bulgaria vs. Northern Ireland" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 12 October 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  24. ^ "Lithuania vs. Switzerland" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 12 October 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  25. ^ "Italy vs. Switzerland" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 12 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  26. ^ "Northern Ireland vs. Lithuania" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 12 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  27. ^ "Northern Ireland vs. Italy" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 15 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  28. ^ "Switzerland vs. Bulgaria" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 15 November 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  29. ^ "Regulations FIFA World Cup 2022 Preliminary Competition" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  30. ^ "Booking list" (PDF). UEFA.com. 10 August 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 September 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
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