What You Need to Know About the 2018 World Cup

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world, and it kicked off on Thursday, June 14 for a month-long tournament that will conclude with one team earning the right to call themselves world champions. Over thirty-two teams will be battling it out in Russia for the 2018 World Cup, so here is what you need to know about it:

When

The World Cup only comes around every four years, and it involves a long and arduous process in order to qualify to compete. Countries from around the world compete with each other to have their shot at winning the title. The tournament started on June 14, 2018 and the winner will be crowned July 15, 2018.

Tournament Style

The tournament works by having eight groups consisting of four teams compete against each other, with the winning teams from each group moving on to the knockout stage. The knockout stage consists of a 16-team, single-elimination tournament to decide a winner.

Where

The World Cup is taking place in Russia for the first time ever. There will be twelve different stadiums across eleven different cities hosting the matches. The biggest and newest stadium is the Luzhniki in Moscow, which will be hosting the opening game with Russia competing against Saudi Arabia. It will also host the final game, 31 days from the start of the tournament.

Security has been a big concern in the Russian government, as it scrambles to ensure the entire tournament goes smoothly. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated, “You can take my word for it, the 2018 World Cup in Russia will be up to the highest standards. We are eager to do our best to secure the comfort and safety of our guests.”

Who

Countries from all around the world will be playing, but the United States will not be one of them. This will be the first time the U.S. has missed World Cup since 1986 after a rough campaign to qualify ended in ruin. Other countries playing include, but are not limited to, Brazil, Egypt, France, Australia, Argentina, Mexico, England, Japan, and many more.

Two of the world’s best players will both be playing. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo had to wait until their final qualifying games, but both managed to snag a spot in the competition. Other Premier League stars participating include Paul Pogba and Alvaro Morata, from France and Spain respectively. Another player to watch is Mo Salah from Egypt. He’s won fan’s hearts playing for English club Liverpool in the Premier League where he scored a record 32 goals in 36 league games. You can also look forward to South American stars like Luis Suarez and Neymar. Many are rooting for either Brazil or Germany as the champions.