# 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group C

The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group C was one of the nine UEFA groups for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. The group consisted of six teams: Germany, Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, Norway, Azerbaijan, and San Marino.
The draw was for the first round (group stage) which was not held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (UTC+3), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia.
The group winners, Germany, who finished with a 100% record, qualified directly for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The group runners-up, Northern Ireland, advanced to the play-offs as one of the best eight runners-up.

## Standings

* 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification tiebreakers
* In league format, the ranking of teams in each group was based on the following criteria (regulations Articles 20.6 and 20.7):
* Points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss)
* Overall goal difference
* Overall goals scored
* Points in matches between tied teams
* Goal difference in matches between tied teams
* Goals scored in matches between tied teams
* Away goals scored in matches between tied teams (if the tie was only between two teams in home-and-away league format)
* Fair play points
* first yellow card: minus 1 point
* indirect red card (second yellow card): minus 3 points
* direct red card: minus 4 points
* yellow card and direct red card: minus 5 points
* Drawing of lots by the FIFA Organising Committee
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | | | | | | |
| 1 | Germany | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 4 | +39 | 30 | Qualification to 2018 FIFA World Cup | — | 2–0 | 3–0 | 6–0 | 5–1 | 7–0 |
| 2 | Northern Ireland | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 6 | +11 | 19 | Advance to second round | 1–3 | — | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 4–0 |
| 3 | Czech Republic | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 10 | +7 | 15 | | 1–2 | 0–0 | — | 2–1 | 0–0 | 5–0 |
| 4 | Norway | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 17 | 16 | +1 | 13 | | 0–3 | 1–0 | 1–1 | — | 2–0 | 4–1 |
| 5 | Azerbaijan | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 19 | −9 | 10 | | 1–4 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | — | 5–1 |
| 6 | San Marino | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 51 | −49 | 0 | | 0–8 | 0–3 | 0–6 | 0–8 | 0–1 | — |

## Matches

The fixture list was confirmed by UEFA on 26 July 2015, the day following the draw. Times are CET/CEST, as listed by UEFA (local times are in parentheses).

## Goalscorers

There were 106 goals scored in 30 matches, for an average of 3.53 goals per match.
5 goals
* Thomas Müller
* Sandro Wagner
* Joshua King
4 goals
* Michal Krmenčík
3 goals
* Afran Ismayilov
* Antonín Barák
* Vladimír Darida
* Julian Draxler
* Serge Gnabry
* Leon Goretzka
* Timo Werner
* Kyle Lafferty
* Josh Magennis
* Mohamed Elyounoussi
2 goals
* Theodor Gebre Selassie
* Jan Kopic
* Mario Gómez
* Jonas Hector
* Sami Khedira
* Joshua Kimmich
* André Schürrle
* Chris Brunt
* Steven Davis
* Jamie Ward
1 goal
* Araz Abdullayev
* Maksim Medvedev
* Dimitrij Nazarov
* Ruslan Qurbanov
* Rashad Sadygov
* Ramil Sheydayev
* Václav Kadlec
* Filip Novák
* Jaromír Zmrhal
* Julian Brandt
* Emre Can
* Mats Hummels
* Toni Kroos
* Shkodran Mustafi
* Mesut Özil
* Antonio Rüdiger
* Sebastian Rudy
* Kevin Volland
* Amin Younes
* Stuart Dallas
* Jonny Evans
* Gareth McAuley
* Conor McLaughlin
* Conor Washington
* Adama Diomande
* Markus Henriksen
* Martin Linnes
* Martin Samuelsen
* Ole Selnæs
* Alexander Søderlund
* Mirko Palazzi
* Mattia Stefanelli
1 own goal
* Rashad Sadygov (against Norway)
* Chris Brunt (against Norway)
* Michele Cevoli (against Azerbaijan)
* Davide Simoncini (against Norway)
* Mattia Stefanelli (against Germany)

## Discipline

A player was automatically suspended for the next match for the following offences:
* 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:
| Player | Team | Offence(s) | Suspended for match(es) |
| Cristian Brolli | San Marino | vs Azerbaijan (4 September 2016) | vs Northern Ireland (8 October 2016) |
| Stefan Johansen | Norway | vs Germany (4 September 2016) vs Azerbaijan (8 October 2016) | vs San Marino (11 October 2016) |
| David Pavelka | Czech Republic | vs Northern Ireland (4 September 2016) vs Germany (8 October 2016) | vs Azerbaijan (11 October 2016) |
| Mirko Palazzi | San Marino | vs Northern Ireland (8 October 2016) | vs Norway (11 October 2016) |
| Matteo Vitaioli | San Marino | vs Azerbaijan (4 September 2016) vs Northern Ireland (8 October 2016) | vs Norway (11 October 2016) |
| Shane Ferguson | Northern Ireland | vs Germany (11 October 2016) vs Azerbaijan (11 November 2016) | vs Norway (26 March 2017) |
| Haitam Aleesami | Norway | vs Azerbaijan (8 October 2016) vs Czech Republic (11 November 2016) | vs Northern Ireland (26 March 2017) |
| Sami Khedira | Germany | vs Norway (4 September 2016) vs Azerbaijan (26 March 2017) | vs San Marino (10 June 2017) |
| Davide Simoncini | San Marino | vs Norway (11 October 2016) vs Czech Republic (26 March 2017) | vs Germany (10 June 2017) |
| Matteo Vitaioli | San Marino | vs Germany (11 November 2016) vs Czech Republic (26 March 2017) | vs Germany (10 June 2017) |
| Pier Filippo Mazza | San Marino | vs Czech Republic (26 March 2017) vs Germany (10 June 2017) | vs Northern Ireland (1 September 2017) |
| Badavi Guseynov | Azerbaijan | vs Norway (1 September 2017) | vs San Marino (4 September 2017) |
| Maksim Medvedev | Azerbaijan | vs Northern Ireland (10 June 2017) vs Norway (1 September 2017) | vs San Marino (4 September 2017) |
| Dimitrij Nazarov | Azerbaijan | vs Northern Ireland (11 November 2016) vs Norway (1 September 2017) | vs San Marino (4 September 2017) |
| Giovanni Bonini | San Marino | vs Germany (10 June 2017) vs Northern Ireland (1 September 2017) | vs Azerbaijan (4 September 2017) |
| Tomáš Kalas | Czech Republic | vs Germany (1 September 2017) vs Northern Ireland (4 September 2017) | vs Azerbaijan (5 October 2017) |
| Michele Cervellini | San Marino | vs Germany (10 June 2017) vs Norway (5 October 2017) | vs Czech Republic (8 October 2017) |
| Davide Simoncini | San Marino | vs Northern Ireland (1 September 2017) vs Norway (5 October 2017) | vs Czech Republic (8 October 2017) |