The 2018 World Cup is finally here as the world's top soccer stars face off over the next month of competition.

With the World Cup only happening once every four years, you may need a quick refresher to stay up to date on what to expect.

Here are some of the top questions in the US surrounding the World Cup, according to Google Trends:

When does the World Cup start?

The 2018 FIFA World Cup begins June 14 and goes through July 15. The first match, featuring host country Russia vs. Saudi Arabia, kicks off June 14 at 11 a.m. ET.

Where is the World Cup 2018?

This year's World Cup is being held in Russia. The matches will take place throughout 11 different host cities with Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow having the first match and the final.

Who is in the World Cup?

Thirty-two countries qualified for this year's World Cup, unfortunately the US didn't make the cut. The teams are split up into eight different groups for the group phase of the competition.

Only two teams from each group advance to the knockout phase of the World Cup.

Who won the last World Cup?

Germany won the 2014 World Cup by defeating Argentina in the final. Only two teams have won back-to-back World Cups, Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962), but Germany hopes to become the third. 



How to watch the World Cup in the US?

Fox and Fox Sports 1 will be airing this year's World Cup matches in English while Telemundo and NBC Universo will have the games in Spanish for US viewers.

You can also stream all of the World Cup games on fuboTV (which happens to offer a 7-day free trial).

Kickoff times vary but most days during the group phase of competition matches are scheduled for 8 a.m. ET, 11 a.m. ET and 2 p.m. ET.

You can find a full schedule of matches and where to watch on FIFA's website.</s>The Super Eagles who have arrived Russia for the world cup – held their first training session in Essentuki on Tuesday evening before departing their base for Kaliningrad on Wednesday.

The Eagles’ first match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup comes up against Croatia on Saturday at the 35,000 –capacity Kaliningrad Arena.

The 2013 African Cup of Nations winners are expected to depart for Kaliningrad 4pm Russia time.

According to a media statement from the Nigerian Football Federation the team have settled down nicely at their Sanatorium Istochnik Hotel, Essentuki team base camp at the FIFA World Cup.

Essentuki is located in the Stavropol region of southern Russia. There was a brief airport reception coordinated by staff of the Local Organizing Committee and the world football –governing body, FIFA, he added.

At the hotel, a welcome reception organized by the Governor of Essentuki, the Minister of Sports in the Stavropol region and the Manager of Sanatorium Istochnik also held.

Stay updated with the latest Nigerian news from Information Nigeria</s>FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Wednesday asserted that the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia was set to be the best edition of the tournament in history and emphasized that he had reformed and revived football's governing body after taking the helm two years ago. The 48-year-old became FIFA president after Joseph "Sepp" Blatter was ousted in a corruption scandal, becoming FIFA's first new president since Blatter took office in 1988. "Russia has this thing of never having been conquered. The breaking news of today is that, as of tomorrow, Russia will be conquered. Russia will be conquered by football!" Infantino said during his speech at the 68th FIFA Congress in the Russian capital Moscow.

"Football will conquer the world as of tomorrow and for quite some time," Infantino added.

Regarding his rehabilitation of FIFA, Infantino said the organisation had been "clinically dead" when he took over but is now "alive and well, full of joy and passion and with a vision for its future."

Former president Blatter is being investigated by Swiss prosecutors for alleged corruption during his 17-year reign at the head of FIFA. Elections that handed the World Cup to Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022 have since been the target of allegations of bribery and spelled the end for Blatter.

Infantino has put FIFA on a sound financial footing and ushered in the introduction of innovations such as the Video Assistant Referee system to analyze controversial on-pitch incidents during matches.

The 2018 World Cup is set to kick off on Thursday and run until July 15.</s>Alvaro Morata was left out of Spain’s 23-player squad for the World Cup on Monday.

Spain coach Julen Lopetegui decided to pick only three strikers for the tournament in Russia: Diego Costa, Iago Aspas and Rodrigo.

“It’s always a difficult decision,” Lopetegui said. “There wasn’t anything negative about (Morata). But we thought there were other players in the position who could help us.”

Morata, who struggled with Chelsea this year, had not been included in the squad for Spain’s most recent friendlies but Lopetegui had said the player still had chances of making it to the World Cup.

Also left out was forward Victor “Vitolo” Machin of Atletico Madrid. Vitolo had four goals in World Cup qualifying, while Morata had five and was among the team’s top scorers along with Costa, Francisco “Isco” Alarcon and David Silva.

“Best of luck in the World Cup,” Morata wrote on Twitter. “I’ll be supporting and cheering through the end, as always.”

Instead of picking a fourth striker, Lopetegui opted to take eight defenders, including Nacho Monreal, the only other surprise on the list. Marcos Alonso and Marc Bartra were among the defenders left out.

“We are sorry that we couldn’t include some of the players who were decisive in qualifying,” Lopetegui said. “Of course, other players deserved to be in the list, like Morata, Bartra, (Asier) Illarramendi and others. There is a long list of players who have helped us but will not go to the World Cup.”

Nearly 30 players who were called up by Lopetegui since the coach took over in 2016 have been left out of the final list.

Youngster Alvaro Odriozola was added as the second right back behind Dani Carvajal, leaving Barcelona defender Sergi Roberto out of the World Cup.

The squad has six players from Real Madrid and four from Barcelona. The Madrid players will report to the team’s training camp later than the other players because they will play the Champions League final against Liverpool on Saturday in Kiev.

Still unbeaten since Lopetegui arrived, Spain will go to Russia trying to rebound from its recent disappointments in the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016.

Eleven players are back from Euro 2016, and 10 were in the 2014 World Cup squad. Only Andres Iniesta, Sergio Ramos, David Silva and Pepe Reina were in the team that won Euro 2008.

Spain will play warm-up matches against Switzerland on June 3 and Tunisia on June 9.

The team’s World Cup opener will be against European champion Portugal on June 15 in Sochi. Morocco and Iran are also in Group B.

For all the latest Sports News, download Indian Express App</s>The 2018 Fifa World Cup is upon us, and although South Africa didn't qualify for the tournament, there is a strong African contingent in Russia.

In the one-month football festival, 32 teams will play 64 games in the quest to be crowned the world champions. Of those 32 teams, five African teams will be vying to make history by becoming the first African side to win the prestigious trophy.

No African team has ever made it past the quarter-finals, so these teams will be hoping to make history in 2018:

Making their sixth appearance in the 2018 tournament, the Super Eagles are arguably Africa's best chance of winning a World Cup — they come into the tournament as one the toughest sides in it and can be considered the dark horses.

Led by experienced captain John Obi Mikel, the Super Eagles will be banking on their seasoned players — who play their football abroad among the elite teams in Europe.

The Pharaohs will surprisingly be making only their third appearance in the World Cup. They come into the tournament as the most successful African nation in terms of continental titles, winning a record of seven African Cup of Nations (AFCON) trophies.

They Egyptians will be playing in the World Cup for the first time in 28, years and will be buoyed by the fact that their mercurial player and worldwide star Mohammed Salah will be fit to play, after he suffered a shoulder injury in the 2018 Uefa Champions League Final in May.

Their credentials speak for themselves — Egypt will definitely be a team to look out for in Russia.

The Lions of Teranga are playing in the World Cup for only the second time, but will be forever be remembered for their 2002 heroics — when they eliminated then-defending champions France and made it all the way to the quarter-finals.

This Senegalese team is something of an enigma, and will be an unpredictable side, spurred on by their Liverpool talisman Sadio Mane. Of course, from a South African point of view, Senegal will be playing at the expense of Bafana Bafana — after eliminating us in the qualifiers in 2017.

This is the fifth time the Lions of the Atlas have made the tournament. They will be led by two-time AFCON winning coach Hervé Renard. The team will also be looking to make a lasting impression to the world, as Morocco is also bidding for the 2026 Fifa World Cup.

The team from North Africa will be one of three African-Arab representatives, and will be led by Juventus player and national captain Mehdi Benatia.

The Eagles of Carthage head into the 2018 Fifa World Cup as the highest-ranked African side after an impressive 2017 — and their momentum is likely to continue into the tournament.

They are making their fifth appearance — but their first since 2006. Coach Nabil Maaloul, who is in his third spell as Tunisia coach, has built a solid, spirited team worthy of going all the way.</s>The 2018 World Cup is finally here as the world's top soccer stars face off over the next month of competition.

With the World Cup only happening once every four years, you may need a quick refresher to stay up to date on what to expect.

Here are some of the top questions in the US surrounding the World Cup, according to Google Trends:

When does the World Cup start?

The 2018 FIFA World Cup begins June 14 and goes through July 15. The first match, featuring host country Russia vs. Saudi Arabia, kicks off June 14 at 11 a.m. ET.

Where is the World Cup 2018?

This year's World Cup is being held in Russia. The matches will take place throughout 11 different host cities with Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow having the first match and the final.

Who is in the World Cup?

Thirty-two countries qualified for this year's World Cup, unfortunately the US didn't make the cut. The teams are split up into eight different groups for the group phase of the competition.

Only two teams from each group advance to the knockout phase of the World Cup.

Who won the last World Cup?

Germany won the 2014 World Cup by defeating Argentina in the final. Only two teams have won back-to-back World Cups, Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962), but Germany hopes to become the third. 



How to watch the World Cup in the US?

Fox and Fox Sports 1 will be airing this year's World Cup matches in English while Telemundo and NBC Universo will have the games in Spanish for US viewers.

You can also stream all of the World Cup games on fuboTV (which happens to offer a 7-day free trial).

Kickoff times vary but most days during the group phase of competition matches are scheduled for 8 a.m. ET, 11 a.m. ET and 2 p.m. ET.

You can find a full schedule of matches and where to watch on FIFA's website.</s>The 2018 FIFA World Cup hosts an Iberian Derby as turmoil-racked Spain takes on Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal in a Group B matchup on Friday.

Two of FIFA’s greatest powerhouse nations, reigning European champions Portugal and their Iberian rival Spain — winner of the 2010 World Cup — meeting what will be the marquee matchup of the opening two days at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with Spain breaking in a new manager just hired three days earlier, as Reuters reported, in a Group B match that will live stream on Friday.

In a stunning move, Spain gave the sack to Manager Julen Lopetegui after he accepted the job opening at Spanish club giant Real Madrid, FIFA.com noted, after that club won its second straight UEFA Champions League title in May.

The Spanish national side brought in Fernando Hierro to lead their bid for a second World Cup title, even though Hierro has never managed a team at a higher level than Spain’s second tier. But star-studded La Roja, featuring a cast of familiar characters including David De Gea, Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta, and Diego Costa, according to FIFA.com, may still possess the edge over Portugal both on the field, and psychologically.

To find out how to watch a live stream of the Portugal vs. Spain 2018 FIFA World Cup Group B showdown, see the streaming instructions at the bottom of this article. Kickoff for the biggest matchup of the first two days in World Cup play is scheduled for 9 p.m. Moscow Standard Time at Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi, Russia, on Friday, June 15. In the United Kingdom, that start time will be 7 p.m. British Summer Time, while fans in the United States can log in to the live stream at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, or 11 a.m. Pacific.

But Portugal has perhaps the world’s greatest player in Cristiano Ronaldo, who led his country to its first UEFA European Championship just two years ago, crediting the team’s “many years of sacrifice” for the victory as The Independent reported. Ronaldo now hopes to complete the double with Portugal’s first-ever World Cup trophy.

The last, and only, time that Spain and Portugal faced off in a World Cup match came in 2010, when Spain eliminated their rivals from the Round of 16 with a 1-0 win and went on to win the World Cup that year, as Sky Sports recounted. But the two nations have met 35 times previously, with Spain winning 17 to just six wins for Portugal, according to the site 11v11. The two countries have drawn 12 of their matches.

Watch a preview of the Portugal vs. Spain match courtesy of ESPN FC in the video below.

To watch a live stream of the Portugal vs. Spain World Cup Group B match, use the stream provided by Fox Sports Go. Bear in mind that accessing the Fox Sports Go live stream requires login credentials from a cable or satellite TV provider subscription.

To watch the Iberian derby, Portugal vs. Spain FIFA World Cup opening showdown stream live for free without a cable subscription, fans should sign up for a free trial of an “over the top” streaming TV package such as Sling TV at this link, YouTube TV at this link, or DirecTV Now, which can be accessed by clicking here. All three of the “internet TV” services require credit card information and subscription fees — but they all offer seven-day free trial periods, and if the subscription is canceled prior to the expiration of that free week, fans can watch the Portugal vs. Spain match — and all World Cup matches during that weeklong period — live stream at no charge.

In the U.K., a live stream of the Portugal vs. Spain 2018 FIFA World Cup opening match will be carried by ITV and may be accessed inside the U.K. only with the BBC iPlayer at this link.</s>Nike's abrupt withdrawal of support from Iran's national soccer team just days before their opening match in the World Cup has left the team scrambling to find shoes for the tournament. Amin M. Jamali/Getty Images

Just days before their opening match in the 2018 World Cup, the Iranian national team was dealt a severe blow.

Nike, who was set to sponsor the team with cleats and footwear throughout the tournament, announced that it had withdrawn its support of the team for the World Cup because of global economic sanctions against the country.

In a statement, Nike said, "U.S. sanctions mean that, as a U.S. company, Nike cannot supply shoes to players in the Iranian national team at this time."

The decision from Nike comes in the wake of the Trump administration's move to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. While the sanctions are meant to put pressure on the country's economic system, it appears the move has had the unexpected repercussion of leaving Iran's players scrambling for shoes only days before they play the biggest games of their year.

Iran's coach, Carlos Queiroz, expressed frustration with the move, noting how dramatically it could affect his team's play through the tournament.

"Players get used to their sports equipment," Queiroz said. "It's not right to change them a week before such important matches."

According to ESPN's Sam Borden, players on the Iranian team have been left to find shoes by other means — reaching out to non-Iran players that play club ball to loan them a few pairs, or just buying their own. Still, the lack of a reliable supply of boots puts players in a tight spot, especially if weather or field conditions are less than ideal.

Iran will begin its World Cup run on Friday with a match against Morocco, followed by matches against Spain and Portugal to finish out the group stage of the tournament. While they already faced an uphill battle in advancing to the knockout round of the tournament, now they'll have to pull off the miracle without the support of a shoe sponsor.
• 8 teams to root for in the World Cup if your favorite country went bust in qualifying
• The new World Cup uniforms for every country
• World Cup 2018: Everything you need to know about all 32 teams competing for the biggest prize in football
• The one player you need to know from every country competing in the 2018 FIFA World Cup</s>We asked personal shopper and footballer Kyran Wiltshire to rank the best kits on display at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.</s>The 21st FIFA World Cup kicks off Thursday in Russia.

Journalists/wanabee football insiders Mark Bergin, Eric Heubusch and Lara Saavedra attempt to answer some of the most pressing questions ahead of the World Cup.

Here’s what this year’s bracket looks like:

What’s your tweet-length prediction about the World Cup?

Mark Bergin: Uninformed Americans will be shocked to discover the U.S. did not qualify for this year’s World Cup -- something we've known since October.

Eric Heubusch: A non-European team will win for the first time in 16 years.

Lara Saavedra: The heavyweights rise to the top. Brazil, Germany or Argentina will win the 2018 World Cup.

What team will you root for since the U.S. isn’t in the World Cup?

Bergin: I’m still salty the U.S. isn’t playing in this year’s World Cup. It marks the first time the U.S. men’s national team has not played in a World Cup since 1986.

Look at the population difference between the U.S. and Trinidad & Tobago, which is the country that eliminated the USMNT; The U.S. population is about 326 million people, and the Trinidad & Tobago population is about 1.3 million people.

I’m aware the population totals aren’t all men, but the U.S. has more than 250 times more people than Trinidad & Tobago. With apologies to Trinidad & Tobago, but you’d think the U.S. could find 11 better players! Hopefully, the USMNT figures it out by the time North America hosts the 2026 World Cup.

I’m rooting for England in this year’s World Cup. “The Three Lions” haven’t won the World Cup since 1966.

England has had a history of heartbreak in the tournament. Since 1990, England has lost on penalty kicks three times in the World Cup.

Heubusch: I will root for the Japanese team. I placed a small wager on the country that will pay lucratively. If I win, I will go to Japan myself to celebrate.

Saavedra: The fact that the U.S. is not at least in contention for the World Cup is truly an embarrassment. Hopefully, the USMNT has done some soul searching for the next cycle -- but only time will tell. With that being said -- I’ll root for Argentina and Spain.

Bergin: I’m a huge proponent of looking back on what history tells us to predict what lies ahead. Eight teams have won the 20 previous World Cup tournaments.

Brazil: 5 -- Brazil is also the only team to play in every single tournament.

A team hasn’t repeated as World Cup champions since Brazil did in 1958 and 1962. For me, that eliminates last year’s winner, Germany.

Spain fired manager Julen Lopetegui on the eve of the World Cup too.

I suppose I’ll take Brazil or France. Here’s a look at the favorites to win this year’s World Cup, which are subject to change.

Heubusch: I would tell you my prediction, but I also just told you I bet on Japan, and now you don’t respect my opinion anyway.

Saavedra: Argentina. I think forward Lionel Messi and crew are good enough this cycle to win it all.

Bergin: The over-under for the total number of matches Russian President Vladimir Putin attends is at 3.5.

I think this ultimately depends on if Russia gets out of the Group A stage.

Heubusch: Not sure about this year, but here’s a favorite from 2010: Who will retired Argentine manager Diego Maradona verbally insult first?

Saavedra: Will a team finish the 2018 World Cup without scoring a goal?

Mark Bergin is a journalist with 10News WTSP. Like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter and Instagram. You can also email him at mbergin@wtsp.com.

Eric Heubusch is a researcher with 10News WTSP. Follow him on Twitter or email him at eheubusch@wtsp.com

Lara Saavedra is a journalist with 10News WTSP. Follow her on Twitter or email her at lsaavedra@wtsp.com
Julen Lopetegui is ousted as coach of Spanish national football team, one day before the 2018 FIFA World Cup.