Group H of the 2018 FIFA World Cup took place from 19 to 28 June 2018. The group consisted of Poland, Senegal, Colombia, and Japan. The top two teams, Colombia and Japan, advanced to the round of 16. For the first time in World Cup history, the "fair play" rule was invoked to break a tie. Japan and Senegal finished with identical scores and goal differences to tie for second behind Colombia. Japan were awarded the place in the round of 16 based on receiving fewer yellow cards in their three matches.
Teams Draw position Team Pot Confederation Method ofqualification Date ofqualification Finalsappearance Lastappearance Previous bestperformance FIFA Rankings October 2017 June 2018 H1 1 UEFA UEFA Group E winners 8 October 2017 8th 2006 Third place (1974, 1982) 6 8 H2 3 CAF CAF third round group D winners 10 November 2017 2nd 2002 Quarter-finals (2002) 32 27 H3 2 CONMEBOL CONMEBOL Round Robin fourth place 10 October 2017 6th 2014 Quarter-finals (2014) 13 16 H4 4 AFC AFC third round group B winners 31 August 2017 6th 2014 Round of 16 (2002, 2010) 44 61
Notes
Standings
In the round of 16: The winners of Group H, Colombia, advanced to play the runners-up of Group G, England. The runners-up of Group H, Japan, advanced to play the winners of Group G, Belgium.
Matches All times listed are local time.
Colombia vs Japan The two teams had met in three previous matches, most recently in a 2014 FIFA World Cup group stage game, won by Colombia 4–1.
In the third minute, Carlos Sánchez blocked Shinji Kagawa's 20-yard shot with his arm, denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity and the referee pointed to the penalty spot before showing the midfielder a straight red card. After lengthy protests, Sánchez eventually left the field and Kagawa slotted the penalty into the bottom right corner of the net. José Pékerman then replaced Juan Cuadrado with Wílmar Barrios at the half-hour mark, and an equaliser arrived nine minutes later, from a Juan Fernando Quintero free kick, shot low under the jumping wall which the goalkeeper failed to keep out. In the second half, David Ospina dived full length to his left to stop Takashi Inui's curling 20-yard shot. Yuya Osako then headed the ball into the far corner of the net from a Keisuke Honda corner from the left. With 13 minutes left, James Rodríguez's strike from inside the box was turned over the crossbar by the outstretched leg of Osako.
Quintero became the first Colombian player in history to score at two World Cups. Japan became the first Asian team to beat a side from South America in the competition's history. Honda became the first player from an Asian nation to provide an assist in three different World Cup tournaments since 1966. Eiji Kawashima (35 years, 91 days) became the oldest player to appear for Japan in a World Cup finals match.
GK 1 David OspinaRB 4 Santiago AriasCB 23Davinson SánchezCB 3 Óscar MurilloLB 17Johan MojicaCM 6 Carlos Sánchez CM 16Jefferson LermaRW 11Juan Cuadrado AM 20Juan Fernando Quintero LW 21José Izquierdo CF 9 Radamel Falcao (c)Substitutions:MF 5 Wílmar Barrios MF 10James Rodríguez FW 7 Carlos Bacca Manager: José Pékerman GK 1 Eiji Kawashima RB 19Hiroki SakaiCB 22Maya YoshidaCB 3 Gen ShojiLB 5 Yuto NagatomoCM 17Makoto Hasebe (c)CM 7 Gaku Shibasaki RW 8 Genki HaraguchiAM 10Shinji Kagawa LW 14Takashi InuiCF 15Yuya Osako Substitutions:MF 4 Keisuke Honda MF 16Hotaru Yamaguchi FW 9 Shinji Okazaki Manager:Akira Nishino
Man of the Match: Yuya Osako (Japan)
Assistant referees: Jure Praprotnik (Slovenia) Robert Vukan (Slovenia) Fourth official: Mehdi Abid Charef (Algeria) Reserve assistant referee: Anouar Hmila (Tunisia) Video assistant referee: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands) Assistant video assistant referees: Bastian Dankert (Germany) Sander van Roekel (Netherlands) Felix Zwayer (Germany)
Poland vs Senegal The two teams had never met before.
Senegal had the first clear chance in the 18th minute, M'Baye Niang dragging an effort wide after a break. Senegal took the lead when Idrissa Gueye's 20-yard shot took a huge deflection off Thiago Cionek to flick in Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny's goal and give Senegal the lead. Robert Lewandowski stepped up to float a 25-yard free-kick over the wall, Khadim N'Diaye dived to turn the ball away. Grzegorz Krychowiak hooked a high ball back towards his own goal from inside the Senegal half and with Szczesny attempting to intercept by coming out of his penalty area, Niang knocked the ball past him before side footing into an unguarded goal. Arkadiusz Milik slotted a Łukasz Piszczek cross wide at the near post. Dawid Kownacki's headed attempt was saved late on by N'Diaye but the goalkeeper was beaten by Krychowiak's header with five minutes to go after a free kick from the right.
Cionek became the first Polish player to score an own goal in a World Cup match. Cionek's own goal was only the second time an African nation has benefited from an own goal in a World Cup match, after Andoni Zubizarreta for Spain against Nigeria in 1998. Senegal continued their impressive undefeated run in an opening World Cup match, having beaten France 1–0 in 2002.
GK 1 Wojciech SzczęsnyRB 20Łukasz Piszczek CB 4 Thiago CionekCB 2 Michał PazdanLB 13Maciej RybusCM 10Grzegorz Krychowiak CM 19Piotr ZielińskiRW 16Jakub Błaszczykowski AM 7 Arkadiusz Milik LW 11Kamil GrosickiCF 9 Robert Lewandowski (c)Substitutions:DF 5 Jan Bednarek FW 23Dawid Kownacki DF 18Bartosz Bereszyński Manager:Adam Nawałka GK 16Khadim N'DiayeRB 22Moussa WaguéCB 3 Kalidou KoulibalyCB 6 Salif Sané LB 12Youssouf SabalyRM 10Sadio Mané (c)CM 13Alfred N'Diaye CM 5 Idrissa Gueye LM 18Ismaïla SarrCF 9 Mame Biram Diouf CF 19M'Baye Niang Substitutions:MF 11Cheikh N'Doye FW 14Moussa Konaté MF 8 Cheikhou Kouyaté Manager:Aliou Cissé
Man of the Match: M'Baye Niang (Senegal)
Assistant referees: Yaser Tulefat (Bahrain) Taleb Al Maari (Qatar) Fourth official: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar) Reserve assistant referee: Mohamed Al Hammadi (United Arab Emirates) Video assistant referee: Artur Soares Dias (Portugal) Assistant video assistant referees: Tiago Martins (Portugal) Hernán Maidana (Argentina) Wilton Sampaio (Brazil)
Japan vs Senegal The two teams had faced each other three times, most recently in a friendly in 2003, won by Senegal 1–0.
Senegal took the lead in the 11th minute when Japanese goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima spilled a Youssouf Sabaly shot into the path of Sadio Mané, who hit the ball in from close range. Japan responded in the 34th minute when Yuto Nagatomo received a ball over the top and sent it to Takashi Inui, who curled a shot into the bottom corner past the Senegalese defenders. Yuya Osako missed a close chance in front of the Senegal net and Inui's shot struck the crossbar, before Senegal retook the lead in the 71st minute, when Moussa Wagué finished a low Sabaly cross into the top corner. Japan equalised again just seven minutes later, when Senegal goalkeeper Khadim N'Diaye failed to collect an Osako cross, leading to Inui sending the ball to Japanese substitute Keisuke Honda, who finished at the near post.
Wagué became the youngest African goalscorer at a World Cup, at the age of 19 years and 268 days. With his goal, Honda became the first Japanese player to score at three different World Cups, as well as the top scoring Asian player in World Cup history with four goals. Japan equalled their best points tally of four after two group games at a World Cup, just as they did as co-hosts in 2002.
GK 1 Eiji KawashimaRB 19Hiroki SakaiCB 22Maya YoshidaCB 3 Gen ShojiLB 5 Yuto NagatomoCM 17Makoto Hasebe (c) CM 7 Gaku ShibasakiRW 8 Genki Haraguchi AM 10Shinji Kagawa LW 14Takashi Inui CF 15Yuya OsakoSubstitutions:MF 4Keisuke Honda FW 9Shinji Okazaki MF 11Takashi Usami Manager:Akira Nishino GK 16Khadim N'DiayeRB 12Youssouf Sabaly CB 3 Kalidou KoulibalyCB 6 Salif SanéLB 22Moussa WaguéCM 17Badou Ndiaye CM 13Alfred N'Diaye CM 5 Idrissa GueyeRF 18Ismaïla SarrCF 19M'Baye Niang LF 10Sadio Mané (c)Substitutions:MF 8Cheikhou Kouyaté MF 11Cheikh N'Doye FW 9Mame Biram Diouf Manager:Aliou Cissé
Man of the Match: Sadio Mané (Senegal)
Assistant referees: Elenito Di Liberatore (Italy) Mauro Tonolini (Italy) Fourth official: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar) Reserve assistant referee: Taleb Al Maari (Qatar) Video assistant referee: Massimiliano Irrati (Italy) Assistant video assistant referees: Tiago Martins (Portugal) Hernán Maidana (Argentina) Paolo Valeri (Italy)
Poland vs Colombia The two teams had met in five matches, most recently in a 2006 friendly, won by Colombia 2–1.
Abel Aguilar was taken from the field on a stretcher in the 32nd minute and was replaced by Mateus Uribe. Shortly after, a cross by James Rodríguez from the right was met by the head of Yerry Mina, who lost his marker to head over Wojciech Szczęsny's outstretched arms and into the net. Juan Fernando Quintero fired wide from 25 yards at the start of the second half. Juan Cuadrado then squared to Radamel Falcao on the edge of the box who lifted his shot well over the crossbar. In the 58th minute, Robert Lewandowski controlled a long pass only to shoot straight into David Ospina's midriff as Poland attempted their first shot on target of the game. Quintero's slide-rule pass presented Falcao with a one-on-one situation and he guided the ball past Szczęsny with the outside of his right foot to double his side's lead. With 15 minutes left on the clock, James' pass from the left found Cuadrado in space through the middle and he took a touch before finishing it into the bottom-right corner of the net.
Poland were the first European nation to be eliminated from the 2018 World Cup. Including Colombia's victory against Poland, there were 14 World Cup goals scored on 24 June 2018 - the most on a single day of action in the competition (maximum 3 games) since 10 June 1990 (also 14).
GK 1 Wojciech SzczęsnyCB 20Łukasz PiszczekCB 5 Jan Bednarek CB 2 Michał Pazdan RM 18Bartosz Bereszyński CM 10Grzegorz KrychowiakCM 6 Jacek Góralski LM 13Maciej RybusRF 19Piotr ZielińskiCF 9 Robert Lewandowski (c)LF 23Dawid Kownacki Substitutions:MF 11Kamil Grosicki FW 14Łukasz Teodorczyk DF 15Kamil Glik Manager:Adam Nawałka GK 1 David OspinaRB 4 Santiago AriasCB 23Davinson SánchezCB 13Yerry MinaLB 17Johan MojicaCM 8 Abel Aguilar CM 5 Wílmar BarriosRW 11Juan CuadradoAM 20Juan Fernando Quintero LW 10James RodríguezCF 9 Radamel Falcao (c) Substitutions:MF 15Mateus Uribe MF 16Jefferson Lerma FW 7 Carlos Bacca Manager: José Pékerman
Man of the Match: James Rodríguez (Colombia)
Assistant referees: Marvin Torrentera (Mexico) Miguel Hernández (Mexico) Fourth official: Julio Bascuñán (Chile) Reserve assistant referee: Christian Schiemann (Chile) Video assistant referee: Mauro Vigliano (Argentina) Assistant video assistant referees: Gery Vargas (Bolivia) Roberto Díaz Pérez (Spain) Daniele Orsato (Italy)
Japan vs Poland The two teams had met twice, most recently in a friendly game in 2002, won by Japan 2–0.
Yoshinori Muto's drive forced Łukasz Fabiański to parry, before the goalkeeper smothered a Gōtoku Sakai effort. Eiji Kawashima scooped Kamil Grosicki's header clear. With just over half an hour remaining, Rafał Kurzawa's free-kick from the left picked out Jan Bednarek, who volleyed it into the net from six yards out. Maya Yoshida headed well wide from a left-wing corner. Robert Lewandowski steered Grosicki's pin-point pass over the top.
Poland beat Japan for the first time in an official match, having defeated Japan in four unofficial matches. Poland won each of their 14 games in which they scored first in World Cup finals. Poland kept a clean sheet at the World Cup for the first time since winning 1–0 against Portugal in 1986. On another side, since the new millennium, Poland had repeated their poor performances in 2002 and 2006 World Cups, eliminated after losing two opening matches before grabbing a late victory in the final match.