The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded the hosting rights in 2010. It was the eleventh time the championships had been held in Europe, and the first time they were held in Eastern Europe. At an estimated cost of over $14.2 billion, it was the most expensive World Cup ever held until it was surpassed by the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The tournament phase involved 32 teams, of which 31 came through qualifying competitions, while as the host nation Russia qualified automatically. Of the 32, 20 had also appeared in the 2014 event, while Iceland and Panama each made their debut at the World Cup. 64 matches were played in 12 venues across 11 cities. Germany, the defending champions, were eliminated in the group stage for the first time since 1938. Host nation Russia was eliminated in the quarter-finals. In the final, France played Croatia on 15 July at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. France won the match 4–2, claiming their second World Cup and becoming the fourth consecutive title won by a European team, after Italy in 2006, Spain in 2010, and Germany in 2014.
Croatian player Luka Modrić was voted the tournament's best player, winning the Golden Ball. England's Harry Kane won the Golden Boot as he scored the most goals during the tournament with six. Belgium's Thibaut Courtois won the Golden Glove, awarded to the goalkeeper with the best performance. It has been estimated that more than 3 million people attended games during the tournament.
Venues[]
| Stadiums | Location | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Luzhniki Stadium | Moscow | 78,011 |
| Otkritie Arena (Spartak Stadium) |
44,190 | |
| Krestovsky Stadium (Saint Petersburg Stadium) |
Saint Petersburg | 64,468 |
| Fisht Olympic Stadium (Fisht Stadium) |
Sochi | 44,287 |
| Volgograd Arena | Volgograd | 43,713 |
| Rostov Arena | Rostov-on-Don | 43,472 |
| Nizhny Novgorod Arena | Nizhny Novgorod | 43,319 |
| Kazan Arena | Kazan | 42,873 |
| Samara Arena | Samara | 41,970 |
| Mordovia Arena | Saransk | 41,685 |
| Kaliningrad Stadium | Kaliningrad | 33,973 |
| Central Stadium (Ekaterinburg Arena) |
Yekaterinburg | 33,061 |
Participating teams[]
| Region (confederation) | Team | FIFA ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Asia (AFC) | Australia | 36 |
| Iran | 37 | |
| Japan | 61 | |
| Saudi Arabia | 67 | |
| South Korea | 57 | |
| Africa (CAF) | Egypt | 45 |
| Morocco | 41 | |
| Nigeria | 48 | |
| Senegal | 27 | |
| Tunisia | 21 | |
| Oceania (OFC) | None qualified | |
| North America, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF) | Costa Rica | 23 |
| Mexico | 15 | |
| Panama | 55 | |
| South America (CONMEBOL) | Argentina | 5 |
| Brazil | 2 | |
| Colombia | 16 | |
| Peru | 11 | |
| Uruguay | 14 | |
| Europe (UEFA) | Belgium | 3 |
| Croatia | 20 | |
| Denmark | 12 (joint) | |
| England | 12 (joint) | |
| France | 7 | |
| Germany | 1 | |
| Iceland | 22 | |
| Poland | 8 | |
| Portugal | 4 | |
| Russia (host country) | 70 | |
| Serbia | 34 | |
| Spain | 10 | |
| Sweden | 24 | |
| Switzerland | 6 | |
List of games[]
Group stage[]
| Date | Venue | Winner | Score | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group A | ||||
| 14 June 2018 | Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow | Russia | 5–0 | Saudi Arabia |
| 15 June 2018 | Ekaterinburg Arena, Yekaterinburg | Uruguay | 1–0 | Egypt |
| 19 June 2019 | Saint Petersburg Stadium, Saint Petersburg | Russia | 3–1 | Egypt |
| 20 June 2018 | Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don | Uruguay | 1–0 | Saudi Arabia |
| 25 June 2018 | Samara Arena, Samara | Uruguay | 3–0 | Russia |
| Volgograd Arena, Volgograd | Saudi Arabia | 2–1 | Egypt | |
| Group B | ||||
| 15 June 2018 | Saint Petersburg Stadium, Saint Petersburg | Iran | 1–0 | Morocco |
| Fisht Stadium, Sochi | Portugal | 3–3 (draw) |
Spain | |
| 20 June 2018 | Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow | Portugal | 1–0 | Morocco |
| Kazan Arena, Kazan | Spain | 1–0 | Iran | |
| 25 June 2018 | Mordovia Arena, Saransk | Iran | 1–1 (draw) |
Portugal |
| Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad | Spain | 2–2 (draw) |
Morocco | |
| Group C | ||||
| 16 June 2018 | Kazan Arena, Kazan | France | 2–1 | Australia |
| Mordovia Arena, Saransk | Denmark | 1–0 | Peru | |
| 21 June 2018 | Samara Arena, Samara | Denmark | 1–1 (draw) |
Australia |
| Ekaterinburg Arena, Yekaterinburg | France | 1–0 | Peru | |
| 26 June 2018 | Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow | Denmark | 0–0 (draw) |
France |
| Fisht Stadium, Sochi | Peru | 2–0 | Australia | |
| Group D | ||||
| 16 June 2018 | Spartak Stadium, Moscow | Argentina | 1–1 (draw) |
Iceland |
| Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad | Croatia | 2–0 | Nigeria | |
| 21 June 2018 | Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod | Croatia | 3–0 | Argentina |
| 22 June 2018 | Volgograd Arena, Volgograd | Nigeria | 2–0 | Iceland |
| 26 June 2018 | Saint Petersburg Stadium, Saint Petersburg | Argentina | 2–1 | Nigeria |
| Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don | Croatia | 2–1 | Iceland | |
| Group E | ||||
| 17 June 2018 | Samara Arena, Samara | Serbia | 1–0 | Costa Rica |
| Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don | Brazil | 1–1 (draw) |
Switzerland | |
| 22 June 2018 | Saint Petersburg Stadium, Saint Petersburg | Brazil | 2–0 | Costa Rica |
| Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad | Switzerland | 2–1 | Serbia | |
| 27 June 2018 | Spartak Stadium, Moscow | Brazil | 2–0 | Serbia |
| Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod | Switzerland | 2–2 (draw) |
Costa Rica | |
| Group F | ||||
| 17 June 2018 | Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow | Mexico | 1–0 | Germany |
| 18 June 2018 | Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod | Sweden | 1–0 | South Korea |
| 23 June 2018 | Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don | Mexico | 2–1 | South Korea |
| Fisht Stadium, Sochi | Germany | 2–1 | Sweden | |
| 27 June 2018 | Kazan Arena, Kazan | South Korea | 2–0 | Germany |
| Ekaterinburg Arena, Yekaterinburg | Sweden | 3–0 | Mexico | |
| Group G | ||||
| 18 June 2018 | Fisht Stadium, Sochi | Belgium | 3–0 | Panama |
| Volgograd Arena, Volgograd | England | 2–1 | Tunisia | |
| 23 June 2018 | Spartak Stadium, Moscow | Belgium | 5–2 | Tunisia |
| 24 June 2018 | Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod | England | 6–1 | Panama |
| 28 June 2018 | Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad | Belgium | 1–0 | England |
| Mordovia Arena, Saransk | Tunisia | 2–1 | Panama | |
| Group H | ||||
| 19 June 2018 | Mordovia Arena, Saransk | Japan | 2–1 | Colombia |
| Spartak Stadium, Moscow | Senegal | 2–1 | Poland | |
| 24 June 2018 | Ekaterinburg Arena, Yekaterinburg | Japan | 2–2 (draw) |
Senegal |
| Kazan Arena, Kazan | Colombia | 3–0 | Poland | |
| 28 June 2018 | Volgograd Arena, Volgograd | Poland | 1–0 | Japan |
| Samara Arena, Samara | Colombia | 1–0 | Senegal | |
Knockout stage[]
| Date | Venue | Winner | Score | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round of 16 | ||||
| 30 June 2018 | Kazan Arena, Kazan | France | 4–3 | Argentina |
| Fisht Stadium, Sochi | Uruguay | 2–1 | Portugal | |
| 1 July 2018 | Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow | Russia | 1–1 (a.e.t.) 4–3 (penalties) |
Spain |
| Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod | Croatia | 1–1 (a.e.t.) 3–2 (penalties) |
Denmark | |
| 2 July 2018 | Samara Arena, Samara | Brazil | 2–0 | Mexico |
| Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don | Belgium | 3–2 | Japan | |
| 3 July 2018 | Saint Petersburg Stadium, Saint Petersburg | Sweden | 1–0 | Switzerland |
| Spartak Stadium, Moscow | England | 1–1 (a.e.t.) 4–3 (penalties) |
Colombia | |
| Quarter-finals | ||||
| 6 July 2018 | Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod | France | 2–0 | Uruguay |
| Kazan Arena, Kazan | Belgium | 2–1 | Brazil | |
| 7 July 2018 | Samara Arena, Samara | England | 2–0 | Sweden |
| Fisht Stadium, Sochi | Croatia | 2–2 (a.e.t.) 4–3 (penalties) |
Russia | |
| Semi-finals | ||||
| 10 July 2018 | Saint Petersburg Stadium, Saint Petersburg | France | 1–0 | Belgium |
| 11 July 2018 | Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow | Croatia | 2–1 (a.e.t.) |
England |
| Third place play-off | ||||
| 14 July 2018 | Saint Petersburg Stadium, Saint Petersburg | Belgium | 2–0 | England |
| Final | ||||
| 15 July 2018 | Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow | France | 4–2 | Croatia |
Broadcasters[]
| Country/Territory | Broadcaster(s) |
|---|---|
| Caribbean | DirecTV |
| Lusophone Africa | RTP |
| Middle East and North Africa | beIN Sports |
| Oceania | Sky Pacific |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Kwesé Sports, SuperSport, StarTimes, Canal+, France Médias Monde |
| Afghanistan | ATN |
| Albania | RTSH |
| Andorra | TF1, Mediaset España, beIN Sports |
| Angola | TPA |
| Argentina | TV Pública, TyC Sports, DirecTV |
| Armenia | ARMTV |
| Australia | SBS, Optus Sport, ABC Radio Grandstand |
| Austria | ORF, OE24, DAZN |
| Azerbaijan | İTV, Idman TV |
| Bahamas | ZNS, DirecTV |
| Bangladesh | BTV, Maasranga Television, Nagorik TV, Sony Pictures Networks |
| Belarus | BTRC |
| Belgium Luxembourg |
VRT, RTBF |
| Benin | ORTB |
| Bermuda | BBC, DirecTV |
| Bhutan | Sony Pictures Networks |
| Bolivia | Unitel, BTV, Red Uno, Tigo Sports, DirecTV |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | BHRT |
| Brazil | Rede Globo, SporTV, Fox Sports, Rádio Bandeirantes, Rádio Gaúcha, Rádio Itatiaia, Rádio Jovem Pan, Rádio Verdes Mares, Radio Sagres 730, Sistema Globo de Rádio, Super Rádio Tupi |
| Brunei | Astro |
| Bulgaria | BNT, BNR |
| Burkina Faso | RTB |
| Cameroon | CRTV |
| Cambodia | CTN |
| Canada | CTV, TSN, RDS |
| Chad | Télé Tchad |
| Chile | Canal 13, TVN, Mega, DirecTV, Movistar, ADN Radio, Radio Bío-Bío, Radio Cooperativa, UCV Radio |
| China | CCTV, Migu, Youku |
| Colombia | Caracol Televisión, RCN Televisión, DirecTV, Blu Radio, Caracol Radio, RCN Radio |
| Congo | Télé Congo |
| Costa Rica | Teletica, Sky México, Movistar, Radio Columbia, Radio Monumental, Teletica Radio |
| Croatia | HRT |
| Cuba | ICRT |
| Cyprus | CyBC |
| Czech Republic | ČT |
| Denmark Faroe Islands Greenland |
DR, TV 2 |
| Dominica | Sky México, DirecTV |
| Ecuador | RTS, DirecTV, La Radio Redonda |
| El Salvador | TCS, Sky México |
| Estonia | ERR |
| Finland | Yle |
| France | TF1, beIN Sports, Europe 1, RTL, Radio France, RMC |
| Gabon | RTG |
| Gambia | GRTS |
| Ghana | GBC |
| Georgia | GPB |
| Germany | ARD, ZDF, Sky Sport, DAZN, RTL Radio, Radio Hamburg, Radio NRW, Hitradio RTL Sachsen, Hitradio FFH, Antenne Bayern, 89.0 RTL |
| Greece | ERT |
| Greenland | DR, KNR |
| Guatemala | TV Azteca, Tigo Sports, Sky México, Emisoras Unidas, La Red Deportes 106.1 |
| Guinea | RTG |
| Honduras | TVC, Sky México, Movistar |
| Hong Kong | ViuTV, Now TV, RTHK |
| Hungary | MTVA |
| Iceland | RÚV |
| India | Jio TV, Airtel TV, Sony Pictures Networks |
| Indonesia | Trans Media, K-Vision, Telkom Indonesia, MNC Vision, RRI |
| Iran | IRIB |
| Ireland | RTÉ |
| Israel | Kan, Keshet 12, Sport 5, Charlton |
| Italy San Marino Vatican City |
Mediaset, RAI |
| Ivory Coast | RTI |
| Jamaica | TVJ, DirecTV, RJR 94 FM |
| Japan | Japan Consortium (NHK, Nippon TV, TBS, Fuji TV, TV Asahi, TV Tokyo) |
| Kazakhstan | Qazaqstan |
| Kenya | NTV |
| Kosovo | RTK |
| Kyrgyzstan | KTRK |
| Laos | TVLAO |
| Latvia | LTV |
| Lebanon | Télé Liban, beIN Sports |
| Lithuania | LRT |
| Macau | TDM |
| Macedonia | MRT |
| Madagascar | ORTM |
| Malaysia | RTM, Astro |
| Maldives | PSM, Sony Pictures Networks |
| Mali | Africable |
| Malta | PBS |
| Mauritius | MBC |
| Mexico | Televisa, TV Azteca, Sky México, Televisa Deportes W, W Radio |
| Moldova | TRM |
| Monaco | TF1, France Télévisions, beIN Sports, RMC Sport |
| Mongolia | NTV, MNB |
| Montenegro | RTCG |
| Morocco | SNRT, Radio Mars |
| Mozambique | TVM, TV Miramar, TV Sucesso |
| Myanmar | Skynet Sports |
| Namibia | NBC |
| Nepal | NTV, Kantipur Television, Sony Pictures Networks |
| Netherlands | NOS |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport |
| Nicaragua | Ratensa, Sky México, Movistar |
| Niger | ORTN |
| Nigeria | NTA |
| North Korea | KCTV |
| Norway | NRK, TV2 |
| Pakistan | PTV Sports, Sony Pictures Networks |
| Panama | Corporación Medcom, Televisora Nacional, Sky México, Movistar |
| Paraguay | SNT, Telefuturo, Tigo Sports, Movistar Sports, Caacupé Cable Visión, DirecTV, Caritas 680 AM, La Deportiva 1120 AM, Universo 970 AM, 95.5 FM Rock & Pop |
| Peru | Latina Televisión, DirecTV, RPP |
| Philippines | ABS-CBN |
| Poland | TVP, NC+ |
| Portugal | RTP, SIC, SportTV, TSF, Rádio Renascença |
| Romania | TVR |
| Russia | Channel One Russia, VGTRK, Match TV |
| Rwanda | RBA |
| Senegal | RTS |
| Serbia | RTS |
| Seychelles | SBC |
| Singapore | Mediacorp, Singtel, StarHub |
| Slovakia | RTVS |
| Slovenia | RTVSLO |
| Solomon Islands | Our Telekom |
| South Africa | SABC, SuperSport, StarTimes |
| South Korea | KBS, MBC, SBS |
| Spain | Mediaset España, RTVE, Cadena COPE, Cadena SER, Onda Cero, Radio Marca |
| Sri Lanka | SLRC, Sony Pictures Networks |
| Suriname | SCCN, DirecTV |
| Sweden | SVT, TV4, SR |
| Switzerland Liechtenstein |
SRG SSR, DAZN |
| Taiwan | ELTA TV, CTS |
| Tajikistan | Varzish TV |
| Tanzania | TBC |
| Thailand | TrueVisions, Channel 5, Amarin TV |
| Timor-Leste | ETO Telco |
| Togo | TVT |
| Trinidad and Tobago | CNC3, DirecTV |
| Tunisia | ERTT, beIN Sports |
| Turkey | TRT |
| Uganda | BBS |
| Ukraine | Inter, NTN |
| United Kingdom | BBC, ITV, talkSPORT |
| United States | Fox Sports, Telemundo, Fox Sports Radio, Fútbol de Primera |
| Uruguay | Monte Carlo TV, Canal 10, Teledoce, DirecTV, 770 AM Oriental, 810 AM El Espectador, 850 AM Carve, 890 AM Sarandí Sport, 930 AM Monte Carlo, 970 AM Radio Universal, 1090 AM Radio Imparcial, 1410 AM Radio LaCatorce10, 99.5 FM Del Sol |
| Uzbekistan | Uzreport TV, Futbol TV |
| Venezuela | Venevisión, TVes, Meridiano Televisión, DirecTV |
| Vietnam | VTV, HTV, VOV |
| Zambia | Muvi TV |