With only two days to go for one of the world's greatest sporting events — Fifa World Cup, football frenzy is gripping the globe.
Hosts Russia will kickstart the quadrennial global spectacle against higher-ranked Asian side Saudi Arabia in their Group A fixture at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow where the final will also be held.
Former champions Spain and reigning European champions Portugal will go head-to-head as early as on the second day (June 15) of the tournament in Sochi while one of the tournament favourites, France, and Argentina will begin their campaigns on Saturday, June 16.
Defending champions Germany will face Mexico in Moscow in their tournament opener while Brazil, who were the first team after the hosts to qualify for the World Cup finals, open their campaign against Switzerland in Rostov-on-Don on the first Sunday of the tournament.
Fifa World Cup 2018 - Tournament format
Thirty-two teams, drawn into eight groups of four each, will battle for the coveted title between June 14 and July 15 in Russia, across 12 venues and 11 cities.
The group stage of the World Cup will see each team taking on three other teams in their group in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Round of 16 stage, starting June 30.
If two or more teams are tied on points at the end of the group stage, the rankings are determined based on 1: goal difference in the group matches between the teams concerned, 2: goals scored in group matches between the teams concerned.
Groups
- Group A: Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Uruguay
- Group B: Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Iran
- Group C: France, Australia, Peru, Denmark
- Group D: Argentina, Iceland, Croatia, Nigeria
- Group E: Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia
- Group F: Germany, Mexico, Sweden, Korea Republic
- Group G: Belgium, Panama, Tunisia, England
- Group H: Poland, Senegal, Colombia, Japan.
Venues
- Moscow: Luzhniki Stadium
- Moscow: Spartak Stadium
- Samara: Samara Arena
- Nizhny Novgorod: Nizhny Novgorod Stadium
- Volgograd: Volgograd Arena
- Ekaterinburg: Ekaterinburg Arena
- Saransk: Mordovia Arena
- Rostov-on-Don: Rostov Arena
- Kaliningrad: Kaliningrad Stadium
- Kazan: Kazan Arena
- Sochi: Fisht Stadium
- St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg Stadium
Full schedule: Fifa World Cup 2018
(Note: Spartak Stadium matches are marked as Moscow*)
Group Phase
Date | Match | Time | City |
Thursday, June 14 | Russia vs Saudi Arabia | 8:30 pm IST | Moscow |
Friday, June 15 | Egypt vs Uruguay | 5:30 pm IST | Ekaterinburg |
" | Morocco vs Iran | 8:30 pm IST | St. Petersburg |
" | Portugal vs Spain | 11:30 pm IST | Sochi |
Saturday, June 16 | France vs Australia | 3:30 pm IST | Kazan |
" | Argentina vs Iceland | 6:30 pm IST | Moscow* |
" | Peru vs Denmark | 9:30 pm IST | Saransk |
Sunday, June 17 | Croatia vs Nigeria | 12:30 am IST | Kaliningrad |
" | Costa Rica vs Serbia | 5:30 pm IST | Samara |
" | Germany vs Mexico | 8:30 pm IST | Moscow |
" | Brazil vs Switzerland | 11:30 pm IST | Rostov-On-Don |
Monday, June 18 | Sweden vs Korea Republic | 5:30 pm IST | Nizhny Novgorod |
" | Belgium vs Panama | 8:30 pm IST | Sochi |
" | Tunisia vs England | 11:30 pm IST | Volgograd |
Tuesday, June 19 | Colombia vs Japan | 5:30 pm IST | Saransk |
" | Poland vs Senegal | 8:30 pm IST | Moscow* |
" | Russia vs Egypt | 11:30 pm IST | St. Petersberg |
Wednesday, June 20 | Portugal vs Morocco | 5:30 pm IST | Moscow |
" | Uruguay vs Saudi Arabia | 8:30 pm IST | Rostov-On-Don |
" | Iran vs Spain | 11:30 pm IST | Kazan |
Thursday, June 21 | Denmark vs Australia | 5:30 pm IST | Samara |
" | France vs Peru | 8:30 pm IST | Ekaterinburg |
" | Argentina vs Croatia | 11:30 pm IST | Nizhny Novgorod |
Friday, June 22 | Brazil vs Costa Rica | 5:30 pm IST | St. Petersberg |
" | Nigeria vs Iceland | 8:30 pm IST | Volgograd |
" | Serbia vs Switzerland | 11:30 pm IST | Kaliningrad |
Saturday, June 23 | Belgium vs Tunisia | 5:30 pm IST | Moscow* |
" | Korea Republic vs Mexico | 8:30 pm IST | Rostov-On-Don |
" | Germany vs Sweden | 11:30 pm IST | Sochi |
Sunday, June 24 | England vs Panama | 5:30 pm IST | Nizhny Novgorod |
" | Japan vs Senegal | 8:30 pm IST | Ekaterinburg |
" | Poland vs Colombia | 11:30 pm IST | Kazan |
Monday, June 25 | Uruguay vs Russia | 7:30 pm IST | Samara |
" | Saudi Arabia v Egypt | 7:30 pm IST | Volgograd |
" | Spain vs Morocco | 11:30 pm IST | Kaliningrad |
" | Iran vs Portugal | 11:30 pm IST | Saransk |
Tuesday, June 26 | Australia vs Peru | 7:30 pm IST | Scochi |
" | Denmark vs France | 7:30 pm IST | Moscow |
" | Nigeria vs Argentina | 11:30 pm IST | St. Petersberg |
" | Iceland vs Croatia | 11:30 pm IST | Rostov-On-Don |
Wednesday, June 27 | Korea Republic vs Germany | 7:30 pm IST | Kazan |
" | Mexico vs Sweden | 7:30 pm IST | Ekaterinburg |
" | Serbia vs Brazil | 11:30 pm IST | Moscow* |
" | Switzerland vs Costa Rica | 11:30 pm IST | Nizhny Novgorod |
Thursday, June 28 | Japan vs Poland | 7:30 pm IST | Volgograd |
" | Senegal vs Colombia | 7:30 pm IST | Samara |
" | Panama vs Tunisia | 11:30 pm IST | Saransk |
" | England vs Belgium | 11:30 pm IST | Kaliningrad |
Knockout Phase
Round of 16
R 16 - 1C vs 2D | Saturday, June 30 | 7:30 pm IST | Kazan |
R 16 - IA vs 2B | Saturday, June 30 | 11:30 pm IST | Sochi |
R16 - 1B vs 2A | Sunday, July 1 | 7:30 pm IST | Moscow |
R16 - 1D vs 2C | Sunday, July 1 | 11:30 pm IST | Nizhny Novgorod |
R16 1E vs 2F | Monday, July 2 | 7:30 pm IST | Samara |
R16 1G vs 2H | Monday, July 2 | 11:30 pm IST | Rostov-On-Don |
R16 1F vs 2E | Tuesday, July 3 | 7:30 pm IST | St. Petersberg |
R16 1H vs 2G | Tuesday, July 3 | 11:30 pm IST | Moscow |
Quarter-finals
QF 1 | Friday, July 6 | 7:30 pm IST | Nizhny Novgorod |
QF 2 | Friday, July 6 | 11:30 pm IST | Kazan |
QF 3 | Saturday, July 7 | 7:30 pm IST | Samara |
QF 4 | Saturday, July 7 | 11:30 pm IST | Sochi |
Semi-finals
SF 1 | Tuesday, July 10 | 11:30 pm IST | St.Petersburg |
SF 2 | Wednesday, July 11 | 11:30 pm IST | Moscow |
Final and third-place playoff
Third-place playoff | Saturday, July 14 | 7:30 pm IST | St.Petersburg |
Final | Sunday, July 15 | 8:30 pm IST | Moscow |