2018 FIFA World Cup - wikipedia 2018 FIFA World Cup `` 2018 World Cup '' redirects here. For other competitions of that name, see 2018 World Cup ( disambiguation ). `` FIFA 2018 '' redirects here. For the video game, see FIFA 18. 2018 FIFA World Cup Чемпионат мира по футболу 2018 ( Chempionat mira po futbolu 2018 ) Tournament details Host country Russia Dates 14 June -- 15 July ( 32 days ) Teams 32 ( from 5 or 6 confederations ) Venue ( s ) 12 ( in 11 host cities ) ← 2014 2022 → The 2018 FIFA World Cup will be the 21st FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament contested by the men 's national teams of the member associations of FIFA. It is scheduled to take place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded the hosting rights on 2 December 2010. This will be the first World Cup held in Europe since 2006 ; all but one of the stadium venues are in European Russia, west of the Ural Mountains to keep travel time manageable. The final tournament will involve 32 national teams, which include 31 teams determined through qualifying competitions and the automatically qualified host team. A total of 64 matches will be played in 12 venues located in 11 cities. The final will take place on 15 July in Moscow at the Luzhniki Stadium. The winners will qualify for the 2021 FIFA Confederations Cup. Contents 1 Host selection 2 Branding 3 Sponsorship 4 Qualification 4.1 Qualified teams 4.2 Proposal for expansion 5 Venues 6 Schedule 7 Draw 8 Squads 9 Group stage 9.1 Tiebreakers 9.2 Group A 9.3 Group B 9.4 Group C 9.5 Group D 9.6 Group E 9.7 Group F 9.8 Group G 9.9 Group H 10 Knockout stage 10.1 Bracket 10.2 Round of 16 10.3 Quarter - finals 10.4 Semi-finals 10.5 Third place play - off 10.6 Final 11 Controversies 12 Russian visa policy 13 Broadcasting rights 14 Mascot 15 Ticketing 16 See also 17 References 18 External links Host selection Main article : Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup bid Russian bid personnel celebrate the awarding of the 2018 World Cup to Russia. The bidding procedure to host the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups began in January 2009, and national associations had until 2 February 2009 to register their interest. Initially, nine countries placed bids for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but Mexico later withdrew from proceedings, and Indonesia 's bid was rejected by FIFA in February 2010 after the Indonesian government failed to submit a letter to support the bid. During the bidding process, the three remaining non-UEFA nations ( Australia, Japan, and the United States ) gradually withdrew from the 2018 bids, and the UEFA nations were thus ruled out of the 2022 bid. As such, there were eventually four bids for the 2018 FIFA World Cup : England, Russia, Netherlands / Belgium, and Portugal / Spain. The twenty - two - member FIFA Executive Committee convened in Zürich on 2 December 2010 to vote to select the hosts of both tournaments. Russia won the right to be the 2018 host in the second round of voting. The Portugal / Spain bid came second, and that from Belgium / Netherlands third. England 's bid to host its second tournament fell at the first hurdle. The voting results were as follows : 2018 FIFA bidding ( majority 12 votes ) Bidders Votes Round 1 Round 2 Russia 9 13 Portugal / Spain 7 7 Belgium / Netherlands England Eliminated Branding The typeface used for branding The tournament logo was unveiled on 28 October 2014 by cosmonauts at the International Space Station and then projected onto Moscow 's Bolshoi Theatre during an evening television programme. Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said that the logo was inspired by `` Russia 's rich artistic tradition and its history of bold achievement and innovation '', and FIFA President Sepp Blatter stated that it reflected the `` heart and soul '' of the country. For the branding, a typeface called Dusha ( from Душа, Russian for soul ) was created by Portuguese design agency Brandia Central in 2014. Sponsorship FIFA partners FIFA World Cup sponsors European supporters Adidas Coca - Cola Gazprom Hyundai -- Kia Qatar Airways VISA Wanda Group Anheuser - Busch InBev Hisense McDonald 's Vivo Smartphone Alfa - Bank Qualification Team qualified for World Cup Team may qualify for World Cup Team failed to qualify - games to play Team failed to qualify for World Cup - all games done Team expelled from the tournament by FIFA prior to playing a match Country not a FIFA member Main article : 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification Apart from Russia, who qualified automatically for the tournament as the hosts, all FIFA member associations were eligible to enter the qualification process. Myanmar, having successfully appealed against a ban from the competition for crowd trouble during a 2014 World Cup qualifying tie against Oman, were obliged to play all their home matches outside the country. On 12 March 2015, prior to the start of qualification, Zimbabwe were expelled from the tournament for failing to pay former coach José Claudinei. Indonesia were suspended and then expelled before playing a single qualifying match, as part of punishment for government interference in the Football Association of Indonesia. The qualifying draw took place at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg on 25 July 2015 at 18 : 00 local time ( UTC + 3 ). Qualifying matches for AFC and CONCACAF started in March 2015, prior to the qualifying draw. The allocation of slots for each confederation was decided to be unchanged by the FIFA Executive Committee on 30 May 2015 in Zürich, after the FIFA Congress. On 13 May 2016, Gibraltar and Kosovo became FIFA members and eligible for the World Cup qualifying. Qualified teams Team Qualified as Qualified on Previous appearances in tournament Previous best performance Russia Hosts 01 ! 2 December 2010 10 ( 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 2002, 2014 ) Fourth place ( 1966 ) Brazil CONMEBOL Round Robin winners 02 ! 28 March 2017 20 ( 1930, 1934, 1938, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 ) Winners ( 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002 ) Iran AFC Third Round Group A winners 03 ! 12 June 2017 4 ( 1978, 1998, 2006, 2014 ) Group stage ( 1978, 1998, 2006, 2014 ) Japan AFC Third Round Group B winners 04 ! 31 August 2017 5 ( 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 ) Round of 16 ( 2002, 2010 ) Mexico CONCACAF Fifth Round winners or runners - up 05 ! 1 September 2017 15 ( 1930, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1978, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 ) Quarter - finals ( 1970, 1986 ) Belgium UEFA Group H winners 06 ! 3 September 2017 12 ( 1930, 1934, 1938, 1954, 1970, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2014 ) Fourth place ( 1986 ) South Korea AFC Third Round Group A runners - up 07 ! 5 September 2017 9 ( 1954, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 ) Fourth place ( 2002 ) Saudi Arabia AFC Third Round Group B runners - up 08 ! 5 September 2017 4 ( 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006 ) Round of 16 ( 1994 ) Bold indicates champion for that year. Italic indicates host for that year. From 1958 to 1990, Russia competed as the Soviet Union. Proposal for expansion In October 2013, UEFA President Michel Platini proposed that the World Cup finals should be expanded from 32 to 40 teams starting from 2018. The format would have been the same, but in groups of five instead of four. This was in response to FIFA President Sepp Blatter 's comments that Africa and Asia deserved more spots in the World Cup finals at the expense of European and South American teams. However, FIFA general secretary Jérôme Valcke said that expansion in 2018 would be `` unlikely '', while Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko said that the country was `` preparing on the basis that 32 teams will be taking part. '' Venues Russia proposed the following host cities : Kaliningrad, Kazan, Krasnodar, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov - on - Don, Saint Petersburg, Samara, Saransk, Sochi, Volgograd, Yaroslavl, and Yekaterinburg. All the cities are in or just outside European Russia to reduce travel time for the teams in the huge country. The bid evaluation report stated : `` The Russian bid proposes 13 host cities and 16 stadiums, thus exceeding FIFA 's minimum requirement. Three of the 16 stadiums would be renovated, and 13 would be newly constructed. '' In October 2011 Russia decreased the number of stadiums from 16 to 14. Construction of the proposed Podolsk stadium in the Moscow region was cancelled by the regional government, and also in the capital, Otkrytiye Arena was competing with Dynamo Stadium over which would be constructed first. The final choice of host cities was announced on 29 September 2012. The number of cities was further reduced to 11 and number of stadiums to 12 as Krasnodar and Yaroslavl were dropped from the final list. Sepp Blatter stated in July 2014 that due to concerns over the completion of venues in Russia, the number of venues for the tournament may be reduced from 12 to 10. He also said, `` We are not going to be in a situation, as is the case of one, two or even three stadiums in South Africa, where it is a problem of what you do with these stadiums ''. In October 2014, on their first official visit to Russia, FIFA 's inspection committee and its head Chris Unger visited St Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan and both Moscow venues. They were satisfied with the progress. On 8 October 2015, FIFA and the Local Organising Committee agreed on the official names of the stadiums used during the tournament. Moscow Saint Petersburg Kaliningrad Luzhniki Stadium Otkrytiye Arena ( Spartak Stadium ) Krestovsky Stadium ( Saint Petersburg Stadium ) Kaliningrad Stadium Capacity : 81,000 ( upgraded ) Capacity : 45,360 Capacity : 68,134 Capacity : 35,212 ( new stadium ) Kazan Moscow Saint Petersburg Kaliningrad Nizhny Novgorod Kazan Samara Volgograd Saransk Sochi Rostov - on - Don Yekaterinburg Nizhny Novgorod Kazan Arena Nizhny Novgorod Stadium Capacity : 45,379 Capacity : 44,899 ( new stadium ) Samara Volgograd Cosmos Arena ( Samara Arena ) Volgograd Arena Capacity : 44,918 ( new stadium ) Capacity : 45,568 ( rebuilt ) Saransk Rostov - on - Don Sochi Yekaterinburg Mordovia Arena Rostov Arena Fisht Olympic Stadium ( Fisht Stadium ) Central Stadium ( Yekaterinburg Arena ) Capacity : 45,015 ( new stadium ) Capacity : 45,000 ( new stadium ) Capacity : 47,659 Capacity : 35,000 ( upgraded ) Media related to Stadiums of FIFA World Cup 2018 at Wikimedia Commons Schedule The full schedule was announced by FIFA on 24 July 2015 ( without kick - off times, which were confirmed later ). Russia will be placed in position A1 in the group stage and play in the opening match at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on 14 June, which will also host the second semi-final on 11 July and the final on 15 July. The Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg will host the first semi-final on 10 July and the third place match on 14 July. Draw Main article : 2018 FIFA World Cup seeding The draw will be held on 1 December 2017 at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow. The 32 teams will be drawn into eight groups of four. For the draw, the teams will be allocated to four pots based on the FIFA World Rankings of October 2017. Pot 1 will contain the hosts Russia ( which will be automatically assigned to Position A1 ) and the best seven teams, Pot 2 will contain the next best eight teams, and so on for Pots 3 and 4. This will be different from previous draws, where only Pot 1 was based on FIFA Rankings while the remaining pots were based on geographical considerations. Same as previous editions, teams from the same confederation will not be drawn against each other for the group stage, except for UEFA where each group can contain up to two teams. Squads Main article : 2018 FIFA World Cup squads Each team must first name a preliminary squad of 30 players. From the preliminary squad, the team must name a final squad of 23 players ( three of whom must be goalkeepers ) by the FIFA deadline. Players in the final squad may be replaced due to serious injury up to 24 hours prior to kickoff of the team 's first match, where the replacement players do not need to be in the preliminary squad. For players named in the 30 - player preliminary squad, there is a mandatory rest period between 21 and 27 May 2018, except for those involved in the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final played on 26 May. Group stage The top two teams of each group advance to the round of 16. Matches are played on a round - robin basis. Tiebreakers The rankings of teams in each group are determined as follows ( regulations Article 32.5 ) : points obtained in all group matches ; goal difference in all group matches ; number of goals scored in all group matches ; If two or more teams are equal on the basis of the above three criteria, their rankings are determined as follows : points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned ; goal difference in the group matches between the teams concerned ; number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned ; fair play points first yellow card : minus 1 point ; indirect red card ( second yellow card ) : minus 3 points ; direct red card : minus 4 points ; yellow card and direct red card : minus 5 points ; drawing of lots by the FIFA Organising Committee. All times listed are local time. Group A Pos Team Pld GF GA GD Pts Qualification Russia ( H ) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to knockout stage A2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 A3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 A4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 First match ( es ) will be played on 14 June 2018. Source : FIFA Rules for classification : Group stage tiebreakers ( H ) Host. Russia v A2 14 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 14 ) 18 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) Russia Match 1 A2 Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow A3 v A4 15 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 15 ) 17 : 00 YEKT ( UTC + 5 ) A3 Match 2 A4 Central Stadium, Yekaterinburg Russia v A3 19 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 19 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) Russia Match 17 A3 Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg A4 v A2 20 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 20 ) 18 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) A4 Match 18 A2 Rostov Arena, Rostov - on - Don A4 v Russia 25 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 25 ) 18 : 00 SAMT ( UTC + 4 ) A4 Match 33 Russia Cosmos Arena, Samara A2 v A3 25 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 25 ) 17 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) A2 Match 34 A3 Volgograd Arena, Volgograd Group B Pos Team Pld GF GA GD Pts Qualification B1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to knockout stage B2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 B3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 B4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 First match ( es ) will be played on 15 June 2018. Source : FIFA Rules for classification : Group stage tiebreakers B3 v B4 15 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 15 ) 18 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) B3 Match 4 B4 Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg B1 v B2 15 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 15 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) B1 Match 3 B2 Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi B1 v B3 20 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 20 ) 15 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) B1 Match 19 B3 Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow B4 v B2 20 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 20 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) B4 Match 20 B2 Kazan Arena, Kazan B4 v B1 25 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 25 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) B4 Match 35 B1 Mordovia Arena, Saransk B2 v B3 25 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 25 ) 20 : 00 KALT ( UTC + 2 ) B2 Match 36 B3 Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad Group C Pos Team Pld GF GA GD Pts Qualification C1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to knockout stage C2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 C3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 C4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 First match ( es ) will be played on 16 June 2018. Source : FIFA Rules for classification : Group stage tiebreakers C1 v C2 16 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 16 ) 13 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) C1 Match 5 C2 Kazan Arena, Kazan C3 v C4 16 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 16 ) 19 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) C3 Match 6 C4 Mordovia Arena, Saransk C1 v C3 21 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 21 ) 17 : 00 YEKT ( UTC + 5 ) C1 Match 21 C3 Central Stadium, Yekaterinburg C4 v C2 21 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 21 ) 19 : 00 SAMT ( UTC + 4 ) C4 Match 22 C2 Cosmos Arena, Samara C4 v C1 26 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 26 ) 17 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) C4 Match 37 C1 Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow C2 v C3 26 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 26 ) 17 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) C2 Match 38 C3 Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi Group D Pos Team Pld GF GA GD Pts Qualification D1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to knockout stage D2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 D3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 D4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 First match ( es ) will be played on 16 June 2018. Source : FIFA Rules for classification : Group stage tiebreakers D1 v D2 16 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 16 ) 16 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) D1 Match 7 D2 Otkrytiye Arena, Moscow D3 v D4 16 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 16 ) 21 : 00 KALT ( UTC + 2 ) D3 Match 8 D4 Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad D1 v D3 21 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 21 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) D1 Match 23 D3 Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod D4 v D2 22 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 22 ) 18 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) D4 Match 24 D2 Volgograd Arena, Volgograd D4 v D1 26 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 26 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) D4 Match 39 D1 Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg D2 v D3 26 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 26 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) D2 Match 40 D3 Rostov Arena, Rostov - on - Don Group E Pos Team Pld GF GA GD Pts Qualification E1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to knockout stage E2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 E3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 E4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 First match ( es ) will be played on 17 June 2018. Source : FIFA Rules for classification : Group stage tiebreakers E3 v E4 17 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 17 ) 16 : 00 SAMT ( UTC + 4 ) E3 Match 10 E4 Cosmos Arena, Samara E1 v E2 17 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 17 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) E1 Match 9 E2 Rostov Arena, Rostov - on - Don E1 v E3 22 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 22 ) 15 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) E1 Match 25 E3 Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg E4 v E2 22 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 22 ) 20 : 00 KALT ( UTC + 2 ) E4 Match 26 E2 Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad E4 v E1 27 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 27 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) E4 Match 41 E1 Otkrytiye Arena, Moscow E2 v E3 27 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 27 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) E2 Match 42 E3 Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod Group F Pos Team Pld GF GA GD Pts Qualification F1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to knockout stage F2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 F3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 F4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 First match ( es ) will be played on 17 June 2018. Source : FIFA Rules for classification : Group stage tiebreakers F1 v F2 17 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 17 ) 18 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) F1 Match 11 F2 Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow F3 v F4 18 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 18 ) 15 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) F3 Match 12 F4 Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod F1 v F3 23 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 23 ) 18 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) F1 Match 27 F3 Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi F4 v F2 23 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 23 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) F4 Match 28 F2 Rostov Arena, Rostov - on - Don F4 v F1 27 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 27 ) 17 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) F4 Match 43 F1 Kazan Arena, Kazan F2 v F3 27 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 27 ) 19 : 00 YEKT ( UTC + 5 ) F2 Match 44 F3 Central Stadium, Yekaterinburg Group G Pos Team Pld GF GA GD Pts Qualification G1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to knockout stage G2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 G3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 G4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 First match ( es ) will be played on 18 June 2018. Source : FIFA Rules for classification : Group stage tiebreakers G1 v G2 18 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 18 ) 18 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) G1 Match 13 G2 Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi G3 v G4 18 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 18 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) G3 Match 14 G4 Volgograd Arena, Volgograd G1 v G3 23 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 23 ) 15 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) G1 Match 29 G3 Otkrytiye Arena, Moscow G4 v G2 24 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 24 ) 15 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) G4 Match 30 G2 Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod G4 v G1 28 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 28 ) 20 : 00 KALT ( UTC + 2 ) G4 Match 45 G1 Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad G2 v G3 28 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 28 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) G2 Match 46 G3 Mordovia Arena, Saransk Group H Pos Team Pld GF GA GD Pts Qualification H1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Advance to knockout stage H2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 H3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 H4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 First match ( es ) will be played on 19 June 2018. Source : FIFA Rules for classification : Group stage tiebreakers H1 v H2 19 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 19 ) 15 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) H1 Match 15 H2 Otkrytiye Arena, Moscow H3 v H4 19 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 19 ) 18 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) H3 Match 16 H4 Mordovia Arena, Saransk H4 v H2 24 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 24 ) 20 : 00 YEKT ( UTC + 5 ) H4 Match 32 H2 Central Stadium, Yekaterinburg H1 v H3 24 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 24 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) H1 Match 31 H3 Kazan Arena, Kazan H4 v H1 28 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 28 ) 17 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) H4 Match 47 H1 Volgograd Arena, Volgograd H2 v H3 28 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 28 ) 18 : 00 SAMT ( UTC + 4 ) H2 Match 48 H3 Cosmos Arena, Samara Knockout stage In the knockout stages, if a match is level at the end of normal playing time, extra time is played ( two periods of 15 minutes each ) and followed, if necessary, by a penalty shoot - out to determine the winner. Bracket Round of 16 Quarter - finals Semi-finals Final 30 June -- Sochi Winner Group A 6 July -- Nizhny Novgorod Runner - up Group B Winner Match 49 30 June -- Kazan Winner Match 50 Winner Group C 10 July -- Saint Petersburg Runner - up Group D Winner Match 57 2 July -- Samara Winner Match 58 Winner Group E 6 July -- Kazan Runner - up Group F Winner Match 53 2 July -- Rostov - on - Don Winner Match 54 Winner Group G 15 July -- Moscow ( Luzhniki ) Runner - up Group H Winner Match 61 1 July -- Moscow ( Luzhniki ) Winner Match 62 Winner Group B 7 July -- Sochi Runner - up Group A Winner Match 51 1 July -- Nizhny Novgorod Winner Match 52 Winner Group D 11 July -- Moscow ( Luzhniki ) Runner - up Group C Winner Match 59 3 July -- Saint Petersburg Winner Match 60 Third place play - off Winner Group F 7 July -- Samara 14 July -- Saint Petersburg Runner - up Group E Winner Match 55 Loser Match 61 3 July -- Moscow ( Spartak ) Winner Match 56 Loser Match 62 Winner Group H Runner - up Group G Round of 16 Winner Group C v Runner - up Group D 30 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 30 ) 17 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) Winner Group C Match 50 Runner - up Group D Kazan Arena, Kazan Winner Group A v Runner - up Group B 30 June 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 30 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) Winner Group A Match 49 Runner - up Group B Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi Winner Group B v Runner - up Group A 1 July 2018 ( 2018 - 07 - 01 ) 17 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) Winner Group B Match 51 Runner - up Group A Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow Winner Group D v Runner - up Group C 1 July 2018 ( 2018 - 07 - 01 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) Winner Group D Match 52 Runner - up Group C Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod Winner Group E v Runner - up Group F 2 July 2018 ( 2018 - 07 - 02 ) 18 : 00 SAMT ( UTC + 4 ) Winner Group E Match 53 Runner - up Group F Cosmos Arena, Samara Winner Group G v Runner - up Group H 2 July 2018 ( 2018 - 07 - 02 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) Winner Group G Match 54 Runner - up Group H Rostov Arena, Rostov - on - Don Winner Group F v Runner - up Group E 3 July 2018 ( 2018 - 07 - 03 ) 17 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) Winner Group F Match 55 Runner - up Group E Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg Winner Group H v Runner - up Group G 3 July 2018 ( 2018 - 07 - 03 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) Winner Group H Match 56 Runner - up Group G Otkrytiye Arena, Moscow Quarter - finals Winner Match 49 v Winner Match 50 6 July 2018 ( 2018 - 07 - 06 ) 17 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) Winner Match 49 Match 57 Winner Match 50 Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod Winner Match 53 v Winner Match 54 6 July 2018 ( 2018 - 07 - 06 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) Winner Match 53 Match 58 Winner Match 54 Kazan Arena, Kazan Winner Match 55 v Winner Match 56 7 July 2018 ( 2018 - 07 - 07 ) 18 : 00 SAMT ( UTC + 4 ) Winner Match 55 Match 60 Winner Match 56 Cosmos Arena, Samara Winner Match 51 v Winner Match 52 7 July 2018 ( 2018 - 07 - 07 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) Winner Match 51 Match 59 Winner Match 52 Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi Semi-finals Winner Match 57 v Winner Match 58 10 July 2018 ( 2018 - 07 - 10 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) Winner Match 57 Match 61 Winner Match 58 Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg Winner Match 59 v Winner Match 60 11 July 2018 ( 2018 - 07 - 11 ) 21 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) Winner Match 59 Match 62 Winner Match 60 Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow Third place play - off Loser Match 61 v Loser Match 62 14 July 2018 ( 2018 - 07 - 14 ) 17 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) Loser Match 61 Match 63 Loser Match 62 Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg Final Winner Match 61 v Winner Match 62 15 July 2018 ( 2018 - 07 - 15 ) 18 : 00 MSK ( UTC + 3 ) Winner Match 61 Match 64 Winner Match 62 Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow Controversies Main article : List of 2018 FIFA World Cup controversies As with the 2014 Winter Olympics, the choice of Russia as host has been challenged. Controversial issues have included the level of racism in Russian football, and discrimination against LGBT people in wider Russian society. Russia 's involvement in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has also caused calls for the tournament to be moved, particularly following the annexation of Crimea. FIFA President Sepp Blatter said : `` The World Cup has been given and voted to Russia and we are going forward with our work ''. Allegations of corruption in the bidding processes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups caused threats from England 's FA to boycott the tournament. FIFA appointed Michael J. Garcia, a US attorney, to investigate and produce a report ( the Garcia Report ) on the corruption allegations. Although the report was never published, FIFA released a 42 - page summary of its findings as determined by German judge Hans - Joachim Eckert. Eckert 's summary cleared Russia and Qatar of any wrongdoing, but was denounced by critics as a whitewash. Garcia criticised the summary as being `` materially incomplete '' with `` erroneous representations of the facts and conclusions '', and appealed to FIFA 's Appeal Committee. The committee declined to hear his appeal, so Garcia resigned in protest of FIFA 's conduct, citing a `` lack of leadership '' and lack of confidence in the independence of Eckert. On 3 June 2015, the FBI confirmed that the federal authorities were investigating the bidding and awarding processes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. In an interview published on 7 June 2015, Domenico Scala, the head of FIFA 's Audit And Compliance Committee, stated that `` should there be evidence that the awards to Qatar and Russia came only because of bought votes, then the awards could be cancelled ''. Due to the financial crisis in the Russian economy, the budget for the preparations was cut a few times. In June 2015, a government decree cut the budget by $560 million, to a total of $11.8 billion. Russian visa policy The general visa policy of Russia will not apply to the World Cup participants and fans, who will be able to visit Russia without a visa right before and during the competition regardless of their citizenship. Broadcasting rights See also : 2018 FIFA World Cup broadcasting rights Country Broadcaster Ref. Algeria ENTV Australia SBS, Optus Sport Brazil Rede Globo Canada Bell Media ; CTV ( English ), TSN ( English ), RDS ( French ) Germany ARD, ZDF Indonesia RTV ( only terrestrial network ) Iran IRIB Ireland RTÉ Kosovo RTK ( only terrestrial network ) Philippines ABS - CBN Portugal RTP South Africa SABC South Korea SBS ( Major distributor in South Korea ), KBS, MBC Sweden SVT, TV4 Switzerland SRG SSR United Kingdom BBC, ITV United States Fox ( English ), Telemundo Deportes ( Spanish ) Region Broadcaster Ref. Caribbean DirecTV Europe EBU Middle East and North Africa beIN Sports Jump up ^ The FIFA / DirecTV deal covers the rights for 22 countries : Antigua & Barbuda, Anguilla, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Lucia, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and the Turks and Caicos. Jump up ^ The FIFA / EBU deal covers the rights for 37 countries : Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia - Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine Jump up ^ The FIFA / beIN Sports Arabia deal covers the rights for 21 countries : Algeria ( ENTV ), Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen and the territory of Palestine Mascot The official FIFA World Cup mascot for the 2018 tournament, a wolf named Zabivaka ( `` the one who scores '' in Russian ), was unveiled on 21 October 2016. Representing an anthropomorphic wolf with brown and white wool T - shirt with the words `` RUSSIA 2018 '' with put on and removed orange sport glasses. The combination of white, blue and red T - shirt and shorts are the national colors of the Russian team. The student designer is Ekaterina Bocharova, and the mascot was selected by Internet voting. The election results were announced on October 22, 2016, in the Evening Urgant on the Channel One Russia. Wolf, named Zabivaka, scored 53 % of the vote, ahead of Tiger ( 27 % ). Cat, with 20 % of the vote, was the third. More than 1 million people participated in the voting, which took place during September 2016 in the FIFA platforms, as well as during the live broadcast on Channel One, where the results of creative competition were announced. Ticketing The first phase of ticket sales started on 14 September 2017, 12 : 00 Moscow time, and will last until 12 October 2017. See also Association football portal Russia portal 2010s portal 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification ( CONMEBOL ) 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification ( CONCACAF ) 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification ( AFC ) 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification ( UEFA ) 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification ( CAF ) 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification ( OFC ) References Jump up ^ Standard Russian pronunciation is ( tɕɪmjpjɪɐˈnat ˈmjirə pə fʊdˈbolʊ djvjɪ ˈtɨsjɪtɕɪ vəsjɪmˈnatsətj ) ^ Jump up to : `` Ethics : Executive Committee unanimously supports recommendation to publish report on 2018 / 2022 FIFA World Cup TM bidding process '' ( Press release ). FIFA.com. 19 December 2014. Jump up ^ `` Russia united for 2018 FIFA World Cup Host Cities announcement ''. FIFA.com. Retrieved 13 November 2013. Jump up ^ `` FIFA Picks Cities for World Cup 2018 ''. En.rsport.ru. 29 September 2012. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2013. Jump up ^ `` Russia budget for 2018 Fifa World Cup nearly doubles ''. BBC News. 30 September 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2013. Jump up ^ Goff, Steve ( 16 January 2009 ). `` Future World Cups ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 January 2009. Jump up ^ `` Mexico withdraws FIFA World Cup bid ''. FIFA. 29 September 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2011. Jump up ^ `` Indonesia 's bid to host the 2022 World Cup bid ends ''. BBC Sport. 19 March 2010. Archived from the original on 20 March 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2010. Jump up ^ `` Combined bidding confirmed ''. FIFA. 20 December 2008. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2008. Jump up ^ `` England miss out to Russia in 2018 World Cup Vote ''. BBC News. 2 December 2010. Archived from the original on 3 December 2010. Retrieved 2 December 2010. Jump up ^ Doyle, Paul ; Busfield, Steve ( 2 December 2010 ). `` World Cup 2018 and 2022 decision day -- live ! ''. The Guardian. London. Jump up ^ `` ' Russia 's heart & soul ' : World Cup 2018 logo unveiled in Moscow ( PHOTOS, VIDEO ) ''. RT. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` FIFA and adidas extend partnership until 2030 ''. FIFA.com. FIFA. Retrieved 10 May 2017. Jump up ^ `` Coca - Cola renews Fifa football sponsorship until 2022 ''. Campaignlive.co.uk. Campagin. Retrieved 10 May 2017. Jump up ^ `` Gazprom agrees Fifa sponsorship deal ''. SportsProMedia.com. SportsPro. Retrieved 10 May 2017. Jump up ^ `` Hyundai - Kia drives on as FIFA Partner until 2022 ''. FIFA.com. FIFA. Retrieved 10 May 2017. Jump up ^ `` Qatar Airways announced as Official Partner and Official Airline of FIFA until 2022 ''. FIFA.com. FIFA. Retrieved 10 May 2017. Jump up ^ `` Visa extending World Cup deal for eight years ''. SportsBusinessDaily.com. Sports Business Daily. Retrieved 10 May 2017. Jump up ^ `` Wanda Group becomes new FIFA Partner ''. FIFA.com. FIFA. Retrieved 10 May 2017. Jump up ^ `` FIFA and Anheuser - Busch InBev announce FIFA World Cup TM sponsorship for 2018 / 2022 ''. FIFA.com. FIFA. Retrieved 10 May 2017. Jump up ^ `` Hisense becomes Official Sponsor of 2018 FIFA World Cup TM ''. FIFA.com. FIFA. Retrieved 10 May 2017. Jump up ^ `` McDonald 's looking ahead to 2018 ''. FIFA.com. FIFA. Retrieved 10 May 2017. Jump up ^ `` Fifa agrees massive World Cup deal with Vivo ''. SportsProMedia.com. SportsPro. Retrieved 31 May 2017. Jump up ^ `` Alfa - Bank unveiled as first - ever Regional Supporter for the FIFA World Cup TM ''. FIFA.com. FIFA. Retrieved 10 May 2017. Jump up ^ `` Myanmar appeal partially upheld ''. FIFA. 7 November 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2011. Jump up ^ `` Zimbabwe expelled from 2018 World Cup ''. BBC Sport. 12 March 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015. Jump up ^ `` IMPACT OF FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF INDONESIA SUSPENSION ''. AFC. Retrieved 21 June 2015. Jump up ^ `` FIFA World Cup TM Preliminary Draw : 1 week to go ''. FIFA.com. 18 July 2015. Jump up ^ `` Organising Committee for the FIFA World Cup extends its responsibilities to cover 2018 and 2022 ''. FIFA.com. 19 March 2013. Jump up ^ `` Konstantinovsky Palace to stage Preliminary Draw of the 2018 FIFA World Cup ''. FIFA.com. 10 October 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` 2022 FIFA World Cup to be played in November / December ''. FIFA.com. 20 March 2015. Jump up ^ `` Current allocation of FIFA World Cup TM confederation slots maintained ''. FIFA.com. 30 May 2015. Jump up ^ `` Kosovo, Gibraltar join FIFA before 2018 World Cup qualifying ''. 13 May 2016. Archived from the original on 14 May 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2017 -- via washingtonpost.com. Jump up ^ `` Kosovo & Gibraltar become eligible for 2018 World Cup Qualifying ''. Retrieved 10 January 2017. Jump up ^ Russia 's best result under its current name is the group stage in 1994, 2002 and 2014. However, FIFA considers Russia as the successor team of the Soviet Union. Jump up ^ `` UEFA chief Platini calls for 40 team World Cup ''. Reuters. 28 October 2013. Jump up ^ `` Blatter wants more Africa slots for World Cup ''. Confederation of African Football. 26 October 2013. Jump up ^ `` Michel Platini 's World Cup expansion plan unlikely -- Fifa ''. BBC Sport. 29 October 2013. Jump up ^ `` 2018 World Cup expansion ' unlikely ', says Valcke ''. Soccerway. 29 October 2013. Jump up ^ `` 2018 FIFA World Cup Bid Evaluation Report : Russia '' ( PDF ). FIFA. Retrieved 10 December 2002. Jump up ^ Marikar, Hafiz. `` Russia to host next FIFA World Cup ''. Dailynews.lk. The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. Archived from the original on 9 August 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014. Jump up ^ `` Почему у России осталось только 14 стадионов к ЧМ - 2018 -- Известия ( Why are there only 14 stadiums for the Russia 2018 World Cup ) '' ( in Russian ). Izvestia.ru. 7 October 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2011. Jump up ^ `` 2018 FIFA World Cup TM to be played in 11 Host Cities ''. fifa.com. 29 September 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2012. Jump up ^ Saakov, Rafael ( 22 July 2014 ). `` Russia 2018 : Major challenges for next World Cup hosts ''. BBC News. Retrieved 29 July 2014. Jump up ^ Rogovitskiy, Dmitriy ( 21 October 2014 ). `` Russia on track for World Cup 2018, say FIFA inspectors ''. Reuters. Retrieved 29 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` Stadium names for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia TM confirmed ''. FIFA.com. 8 October 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Capacity at 2 of Russia 's stadiums to be reduced ''. The Oklahoman ( via Associated Press ). 2014 - 09 - 26. Retrieved 2014 - 09 - 28. Jump up ^ `` Match schedules for FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 and 2018 FIFA World Cup TM unveiled ''. FIFA.com. 24 July 2015. Jump up ^ `` Final Draw to take place in State Kremlin Palace ''. FIFA.com. 24 January 2017. Jump up ^ `` OC for FIFA Competitions approves procedures for the Final Draw of the 2018 FIFA World Cup ''. FIFA.com. 14 September 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Regulations -- 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia '' ( PDF ). FIFA.com. Jump up ^ `` Rest periods tor the players on the provisional list tor the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia TM '' ( PDF ). FIFA.com. 30 March 2017. Jump up ^ `` FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 - Match Schedule '' ( PDF ). FIFA.com. Jump up ^ Syal, Rajeev ( 3 December 2010 ). `` World Cup 2018 win raises Russian racism fears ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 20 August 2011. Jump up ^ `` Yaya Toure : Black players may boycott 2018 Russia World Cup ''. BBC Sport. 25 October 2013. Jump up ^ J.P. McCormick ( 25 March 2014 ). `` Campaigns demand FIFA bans Russia from hosting 2018 World Cup due to anti-gay law ''. Pink News. Jump up ^ J. Lavin ( 28 February 2014 ). `` Why FIFA Needs to Move the World Cup ''. advocate.com. Jump up ^ `` Fifa urged to rethink staging 2018 World Cup in Russia ''. Bbc.com. March 21, 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2014. Jump up ^ Winter, Stuart ( March 23, 2014 ). `` US calls for Fifa to drop Russia from hosting World Cup in 2018 ''. Express.co.uk. Retrieved 17 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` Sepp Blatter : Russia will host 2018 World Cup despite Crimea ''. BBC Sport. 21 March 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2014. Jump up ^ Ornstein, David ( 17 November 2014 ). `` World Cup : Former FA chief David Bernstein calls for boycott ''. BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 November 2014. Jump up ^ Dunbar, Graham. `` FIFA under fire after report on Qatar, Russia ''. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 16 November 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014. Jump up ^ Roan, Dan ( 17 November 2014 ). `` Greg Dyke : FA demands full report findings into World Cup corruption ''. BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 November 2014. Jump up ^ Conway, Richard. `` FIFA corruption report : Who is to blame and what happens now ? ''. BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 November 2014. Jump up ^ `` Michael Garcia : FIFA investigator resigns in World Cup report row ''. BBC. December 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Ben Rumsby, `` Fifa in crisis : FBI extends investigation to Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 World Cup bids '', The Telegraph ``. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2015. Jump up ^ `` James Riach `` FBI investigating Fifa 's awarding of 2018 and 2022 World Cups -- report '', The Guardian ``. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2015. Jump up ^ `` ' Russia & Qatar may lose World Cups ' - Fifa official ''. BBC News. 7 June 2015. Jump up ^ Owen Gibson ( 7 June 2015 ). `` Russia and Qatar may lose World Cups if evidence of bribery is found ''. The Guardian. Jump up ^ `` Russia Orders $560 - Million Cuts on World Cup 2018 Spending ''. Retrieved 10 January 2017. Jump up ^ `` Russia to ease visa regime for World Cup fans in 2018 ''. Voice of Russia. 11 July 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Al Jazeera Sport buys broadcast rights to 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups TM ''. FIFA. 26 January 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2014. Jump up ^ Hassett, Sebastian ( 28 October 2011 ). `` SBS locks in two more World Cups ''. Brisbane Times. Retrieved 15 July 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` FIFA awards further TV rights for 2015 -- 2022 ''. FIFA. 27 October 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2014. Jump up ^ `` Globo buys broadcast rights to 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups TM ''. FIFA. 28 February 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2014. Jump up ^ `` Bell Media lands deal for FIFA soccer from 2015 through 2022 ''. The Sports Network. 27 October 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` FIFA Executive Committee agrees major governance reforms & Ethics structure ''. FIFA. 30 March 2012. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2014. ^ Jump up to : Cushnan, David ( 8 June 2014 ). `` BBC, ITV, ARD and ZDF sign World Cup TV deals ''. SportsPro. Retrieved 15 July 2014. ^ Jump up to : Connoly, Eoin ( 2 April 2012 ). `` ARD and ZDF get rights to 2018 World Cup ''. SportsPro. Retrieved 15 July 2014. Jump up ^ RTÉ secures Euro 2016 & World Cup 2018 rights, RTÉ Commercial Enterprises Ltd, 10 April 2013. Jump up ^ `` Sony Six scores World Cup rights deal ''. Sportbusiness.com. 15 January 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014. Jump up ^ Shah, Gouri ( 15 January 2014 ). `` Sony SIX wins broadcast rights for FIFA World Cup 2014 and 2018 ''. Mint. Retrieved 15 July 2014. Jump up ^ `` Sony Six bags exclusive rights for FIFA till 2018 ''. exchange4media.com. 15 January 2014. Archived from the original on 31 May 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014. Jump up ^ `` 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Media Rights Licensees '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 1 March 2017. Jump up ^ `` RTP e Seleção Nacional até 2018 ''. Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 10 April 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2014. Jump up ^ `` SuperSport, SABC awarded 2018 SWC rights ''. Sport24 South Africa. Retrieved 21 June 2017. Jump up ^ `` FIFA Women 's World Cup Canada 2015 Media Rights Licensees '' ( PDF ). Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 16 June 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2015. Jump up ^ Connoly, Eoin ( 24 April 2012 ). `` SRG secures Swiss World Cup rights until 2022 ''. SportsPro. Retrieved 15 July 2014. Jump up ^ Longman, Jeré ( 21 October 2011 ). `` Fox Sports and Telemundo Win U.S. Rights to World Cups ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 15 July 2014. Jump up ^ `` FIFA awards US TV Rights for 2015 -- 2022 ''. FIFA. 21 October 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2014. Jump up ^ Cushnan, David ( 18 December 2014 ). `` DirecTV picks up Fifa rights package in Caribbean ''. SportsPro. Retrieved 18 December 2014. Jump up ^ `` EBU in European media rights deal with FIFA for 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups TM ''. European Broadcasting Union. 30 March 2012. Archived from the original on 2 July 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2014. Jump up ^ Connolly, Eoin ( 26 January 2011 ). `` Al Jazeera secures first 2018 / 2022 rights package ''. SportsPro. Retrieved 15 July 2014. Jump up ^ `` Al Jazeera Sport rebranded beIN SPORTS ''. Al Arabiya. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2014. Jump up ^ `` Wolf chosen as 2018 FIFA World Cup Official Mascot and named Zabivaka '' ( Press release ). FIFA. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2016. Jump up ^ `` Ticket sales for 2018 FIFA World Cup TM to start on 14 September 2017 ''. FIFA.com. 12 September 2017. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2018 FIFA World Cup. FIFA.com 2018 website Welcome2018.com 2018 FIFA World Cup Stages Qualification Group stage Group A Group B Group C Group D Group E Group F Group G Group H Knockout stage Final General information Awards Bids Broadcasting rights Controversies Discipline Marketing Mascot Officials Opening ceremony Preparations Seeding Squads Statistics Venues 2018 FIFA World Cup stadiums Kaliningrad Stadium ( Kaliningrad ) Krestovsky Stadium ( Saint Petersburg ) Luzhniki Stadium ( Moscow ) Otkrytiye Arena ( Moscow ) Kazan Arena ( Kazan ) Nizhny Novgorod Stadium ( Nizhny Novgorod ) Cosmos Arena ( Samara ) Volgograd Arena ( Volgograd ) Mordovia Arena ( Saransk ) Rostov Arena ( Rostov - on - Don ) Fisht Olympic Stadium ( Sochi ) Central Stadium ( Yekaterinburg ) FIFA World Cup Tournaments Uruguay 1930 Italy 1934 France 1938 Brazil 1950 Switzerland 1954 Sweden 1958 Chile 1962 England 1966 Mexico 1970 West Germany 1974 Argentina 1978 Spain 1982 Mexico 1986 Italy 1990 United States 1994 France 1998 South Korea / Japan 2002 Germany 2006 South Africa 2010 Brazil 2014 Russia 2018 Qatar 2022 2026 2030 Qualification 1930 1934 1938 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2014 2018 Finals 1930 1934 1938 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2014 Squads 1930 1934 1938 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2014 Seedings 1998 2002 2006 2014 Broadcasters 1998 2002 2006 2014 2018 Bids 2014 2018 and 2022 2026 2030 Records and statistics All - time table Goalscorers top goalscorers finals goalscorers hat - tricks own goals Penalty shoot - outs Player appearances Red cards Referees Team appearances Teams with no appearances Miscellaneous Awards Balls Economics Final draw History Hosts Mascots Official films Official songs Organisers Trophy Video games Notes : There was no qualification for the 1930 World Cup as places were given by invitation only. In 1950, there was no final ; the article is about the decisive match of the final group stage. 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Question: where will the 2018 world cup be held
Answer: Russia