World Cup 2018: How to watch, important dates, times, channels and matches
The FIFA World Cup 2018 set to kick off on June 14th. In the words of Michael Scott, ‘Oh my God. Okay it’s happening. Everybody stay calm, stay f****** calm.’ Never has a sentence resonated so perfectly with all football fans, as we as one wait intently for the ultimate football marathon to commence.
So, we are here to make sure you are completely prepared for the biggest sporting event in the world. What, where, who, when, how? We have got you covered!
What?
It is the FIFA World Cup. The ultimate tournament. The big bad beast of football. The cup everyone wants.
Where?
The 2018 FIFA World Cup is being hosted in Russia. From Moscow to Sochi (incidentally host City of the 2014 Winter Olympics), across 11 cities, 12 stadiums will stage every World Cup match. See a full list of venues below.
World Cup Venues
| Venue | City | Capacity | Built | Biggest Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luzhniki Stadium | Moscow | 80,000 | 1956 | The final and one SF |
| Saint Petersburg Stadium | St Petersburg | 67,000 | 2017 | One SF and the 3rd place PO |
| Fisht Stadium | Sochi | 48,000 | 2013 | Portugal v Spain and one QF |
| Ekaterinburg Arena | Ekaterinburg | 45,000 | 1957 | Egypt v Uruguay France v Peru |
| Kazan Arena | Kazan | 45,000 | 2013 | One QF and Korea v Germany |
| Nizhny Novgorod Stadium | Novgorod | 45,000 | 2018 | One QF and England v Panama |
| Rostov Arena | Rostov-on-Don | 45,000 | 2018 | One last 16 and Brazil v Switzerland |
| Samara Arena | Samara | 45,000 | 2018 | One QF and Russia v Uruguay |
| Mordovia Arena | Saransk | 45,000 | 2018 | Iran v Portugal |
| Volgograd Stadium | Volgograd | 45,000 | 2018 | England v Tunisia |
| Spartak Stadium | Moscow | 42,000 | 2014 | One last 16 and Argentina v Iceland |
| Kaliningrad Stadium | Kaliningrad | 35,212 | 2018 | England v Belgium |
How to watch the World Cup – Important dates, times, channels and matches. The stadiums in Russia.
When?
It all kicks off on the 14th June, where host nation Russia face Saudi Arabia. From then, two weeks of group matches will take place, which will determine the last 16 participants.
Following that, the knockout stages will then commence on the 30th June lasting until the 3rd July. The quarter-finals will span just the two days of the 6th and the 7th, with the semis on the 10th and 11th July.
The losers/3rd place play-off match is on the 14th July and then it’s the big one, the World Cup FINAL on the 15th of July. So, mark it in your calendar England fans, the 15th July 2018 will be the day England once again lift the World Cup.
Group Stages: 14th June – 28th June
Last 16: 30th June – 3rd June
Quarters: 6th June – 7th June
Semis: 10th June – 11th June
Final: 14th June
Who?
How to watch the World Cup – Important dates, times, channels and matches. The World Cup 2018 groups.
England is in a group with Tunisia, Panama and Belgium. Their campaign kicks off with a potentially-difficult encounter against the African side.
Next up is Panama where you would normally say complacency will be England’s only downfall but as surprising everyone for the worse seems to worryingly be the norm, this one won’t be a sure thing.
Finally, and perhaps crucially, England will face their toughest test against a Belgium full of stars such as Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard.
ENGLAND vs Tunisia: 18th June 19:00 Volgograd
ENGLAND vs Panama: 24th June 13:00 Novgorod
ENGLAND vs Belgium: 28th June 19:00 Kaliningrad
How?
All World Cup matches are obligated to be shown on free-to-air channels as the tournament is considered part of the ‘Sporting Crown Jewels.’ This basically means that due to the high-profile nature of the tournament and the vast amount of public interest it will generate, the organisers have agreed it can be shown for free. Other ‘Crown Jewels’ include the Olympic Games and the FA Cup final.
All World Cup matches will therefore be broadcast live on either ITV or BBC.
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