# Russia at the FIFA World Cup

Russia has participated in 4 FIFA World Cups since its independence in December 1991. The Russian Federation played their first international match against Mexico on 16 August 1992, winning 2–0. Their first participation in a World Cup was in the United States in 1994 where they achieved 18th place.
In 1946, the Soviet Union was accepted by FIFA and entered their first World Cup in Sweden 1958. The Soviet Union national football team played in 7 World Cups. Their best performance was reaching fourth place in England 1966. The USSR was dissolved in 1991 when Belarus, Russia and Ukraine declared independence under the Belavezha Accords, along with Georgia. The CIS national football team (Commonwealth of Independent States) was formed with other independent nations in 1992 for the purpose of competing in UEFA Euro 1992. Russia was recognized as the official successor of the Soviet Union by FIFA and inherited the records of the Soviet Union.
Russia most recently qualified for the 2018 edition as hosts. They were banned from the 2022 edition during qualification. The last time Russia failed to qualify after a full qualification round was in 2010.

## Overview
### History

Champions Runners-up Third place
| FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup record | | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record |
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Campaign |
| as Soviet Union | as Soviet Union | as Soviet Union | as Soviet Union | as Soviet Union | as Soviet Union | as Soviet Union | as Soviet Union | as Soviet Union | | as Soviet Union | as Soviet Union | as Soviet Union | as Soviet Union | as Soviet Union | as Soviet Union | as Soviet Union |
| 1930 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | — |
| 1934 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | 1934 |
| 1938 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | 1938 |
| 1950 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | 1950 |
| 1954 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | 1954 |
| 1958 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 3 | 1958 |
| 1962 | Quarter-finals | 6th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 1962 |
| 1966 | Fourth place | 4th | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 6 | | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 6 | 1966 |
| 1970 | Quarter-finals | 5th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1970 |
| 1974 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1974 |
| 1978 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1978 |
| 1982 | Second group stage | 7th | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 4 | | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 2 | 1982 |
| 1986 | Round of 16 | 10th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 5 | | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 8 | 1986 |
| 1990 | Group stage | 17th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 4 | 1990 |
| as Russia | as Russia | as Russia | as Russia | as Russia | as Russia | as Russia | as Russia | as Russia | | as Russia | as Russia | as Russia | as Russia | as Russia | as Russia | as Russia |
| 1994 | Group stage | 18th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 6 | | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 4 | 1994 |
| 1998 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 5 | 1998 |
| 2002 | Group stage | 22nd | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 5 | 2002 |
| 2006 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 23 | 12 | 2006 |
| 2010 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 6 | 2010 |
| 2014 | Group stage | 24th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 5 | 2014 |
| 2018 | Quarter-finals | 8th | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 7 | | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | Qualified as hosts | 2018 |
| 2022 | Banned during qualification | Banned during qualification | Banned during qualification | Banned during qualification | Banned during qualification | Banned during qualification | Banned during qualification | Banned during qualification | | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 6 | 2022 |
| 2026 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | 2026 |
| 2030 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | 2030 |
| 2034 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | 2034 |
| Total | Fourth place | 11/22 | 45 | 19 | 10 | 16 | 77 | 54 | | 125 | 80 | 24 | 21 | 246 | 81 | Total |
    *Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out
Russia's World Cup record :
| First Match | Soviet Union 2–2 England (8 June 1958; Gothenburg, Sweden) |
| Biggest Win | Soviet Union 6–0 Hungary (2 June 1986; Irapuato, Mexico) |
| Biggest Defeat | Uruguay 3–0 Russia (25 June 2018; Samara, Russia) |
| Best Result | Fourth place in 1966 |
| Worst Result | Group stage in 1990, 1994, 2002 and 2014 |

## Soviet Union in Sweden 1958

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| Brazil | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ∞ | 5 |
| Soviet Union | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1.00 | 3 |
| England | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1.00 | 3 |
| Austria | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 0.28 | 1 |

### Quarter-final
## Soviet Union in Chile 1962

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| Soviet Union | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 1.60 | 5 |
| Yugoslavia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 2.67 | 4 |
| Uruguay | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0.67 | 2 |
| Colombia | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 0.45 | 1 |

### Quarter-final
## Soviet Union in England 1966

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| Soviet Union | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 6.00 | 6 |
| North Korea | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0.50 | 3 |
| Italy | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1.00 | 2 |
| Chile | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0.40 | 1 |

### Bronze Final
## Soviet Union in Mexico 1970

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Soviet Union | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 5 |
| Mexico | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 5 |
| Belgium | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | –1 | 2 |
| El Salvador | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | –9 | 0 |

### Quarter-final
## Soviet Union in Spain 1982

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Brazil | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | +8 | 6 |
| Soviet Union | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 3 |
| Scotland | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 3 |
| New Zealand | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 12 | –10 | 0 |

### Second round Group A

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Poland | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 3 |
| Soviet Union | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| Belgium | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | –4 | 0 |

## Soviet Union in Mexico 1986

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Soviet Union | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | +8 | 5 |
| France | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 5 |
| Hungary | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9 | –7 | 2 |
| Canada | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | –5 | 0 |

### Round of 16
## Soviet Union in Italy 1990

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Cameroon | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | –2 | 4 |
| Romania | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 3 |
| Argentina | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 |
| Soviet Union | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 |

## Russia in the USA 1994

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Brazil | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 7 |
| Sweden | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 5 |
| Russia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 3 |
| Cameroon | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 11 | –8 | 1 |

## Russia in South Korea/Japan 2002

* Legend
* Group winners and runners-up advance to the round of 16
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Japan | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 7 |
| Belgium | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 5 |
| Russia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Tunisia | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | –4 | 1 |

## Russia in Brazil 2014

* Legend
* Group winners and runners-up advance to the round of 16
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Belgium | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Algeria | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 4 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | Russia | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 2 | |
| 4 | South Korea | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 1 | |

### Russia vs South Korea

This was the first time the two countries have played each other in the FIFA World Cup, though they did play a friendly in 2013, which Russia won 2–1. The match ended in a 1–1 draw, with both goals being in the second half.
| Russia | South Korea |
| GK | 1 | Igor Akinfeev |
| RB | 22 | Andrey Yeshchenko |
| CB | 4 | Sergei Ignashevich |
| CB | 14 | Vasili Berezutski (c) |
| LB | 23 | Dmitri Kombarov |
| DM | 8 | Denis Glushakov | | 72' |
| CM | 20 | Viktor Fayzulin |
| CM | 18 | Yuri Zhirkov | | 71' |
| RW | 19 | Aleksandr Samedov |
| LW | 17 | Oleg Shatov | 49' | 59' |
| CF | 9 | Aleksandr Kokorin |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 10 | Alan Dzagoev | | 59' |
| FW | 11 | Aleksandr Kerzhakov | | 71' |
| MF | 7 | Igor Denisov | | 72' |
| Manager: ||
| Fabio Capello ||
| GK | 1 | Jung Sung-ryong |
| RB | 12 | Lee Yong |
| CB | 5 | Kim Young-gwon |
| CB | 20 | Hong Jeong-ho | | 73' |
| LB | 3 | Yun Suk-young |
| RM | 17 | Lee Chung-yong |
| CM | 14 | Han Kook-young |
| CM | 16 | Ki Sung-yueng | 30' |
| LM | 9 | Son Heung-min | 13' | 84' |
| CF | 10 | Park Chu-young | | 56' |
| CF | 13 | Koo Ja-cheol (c) | 90' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 11 | Lee Keun-ho | | 56' |
| DF | 6 | Hwang Seok-ho | | 73' |
| MF | 7 | Kim Bo-kyung | | 84' |
| Manager: ||
| Hong Myung-bo ||
* Man of the Match:
* Son Heung-min (South Korea)
* Assistant referees:
* Hernán Maidana (Argentina)
* Juan Pablo Belatti (Argentina)
* Fourth official:
* Roberto Moreno (Panama)
* Fifth official:
* Eric Boria (United States)

### Belgium vs Russia

| Belgium | Russia |
| GK | 1 | Thibaut Courtois |
| RB | 2 | Toby Alderweireld | 73' |
| CB | 15 | Daniel Van Buyten |
| CB | 4 | Vincent Kompany (c) |
| LB | 3 | Thomas Vermaelen | | 31' |
| CM | 6 | Axel Witsel | 54' |
| CM | 8 | Marouane Fellaini |
| RW | 14 | Dries Mertens | | 75' |
| AM | 7 | Kevin De Bruyne |
| LW | 10 | Eden Hazard |
| CF | 9 | Romelu Lukaku | | 57' |
| Substitutions: ||
| DF | 5 | Jan Vertonghen | | 31' |
| FW | 17 | Divock Origi | | 57' |
| FW | 11 | Kevin Mirallas | | 75' |
| Manager: ||
| Marc Wilmots ||
| GK | 1 | Igor Akinfeev |
| RB | 2 | Aleksei Kozlov | | 62' |
| CB | 14 | Vasili Berezutski (c) |
| CB | 4 | Sergei Ignashevich |
| LB | 23 | Dmitri Kombarov |
| DM | 8 | Denis Glushakov | 38' |
| CM | 20 | Viktor Fayzulin |
| RW | 19 | Aleksandr Samedov | | 90' |
| AM | 6 | Maksim Kanunnikov |
| LW | 17 | Oleg Shatov | | 83' |
| CF | 9 | Aleksandr Kokorin |
| Substitutions: ||
| DF | 22 | Andrey Yeshchenko | | 62' |
| MF | 10 | Alan Dzagoev | | 83' |
| FW | 11 | Aleksandr Kerzhakov | | 90' |
| Manager: ||
| Fabio Capello ||
* Man of the Match:
* Eden Hazard (Belgium)
* Assistant referees:
* Mark Borsch (Germany)
* Stefan Lupp (Germany)
* Fourth official:
* Carlos Vera (Ecuador)
* Fifth official:
* Byron Romero (Ecuador)

### Algeria vs Russia

| Algeria | Russia |
| GK | 23 | Raïs M'Bolhi |
| RB | 20 | Aïssa Mandi |
| CB | 4 | Essaïd Belkalem |
| CB | 5 | Rafik Halliche (c) |
| LB | 6 | Djamel Mesbah | 39' |
| CM | 12 | Carl Medjani |
| CM | 14 | Nabil Bentaleb |
| RW | 10 | Sofiane Feghouli |
| AM | 11 | Yacine Brahimi | | 71' |
| LW | 18 | Abdelmoumene Djabou | | 77' |
| CF | 13 | Islam Slimani | | 90+2' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 7 | Hassan Yebda | | 71' |
| FW | 9 | Nabil Ghilas | 87' | 77' |
| FW | 15 | Hillal Soudani | | 90+2' |
| Other disciplinary actions: ||
| DF | 17 | Cadamuro Bentaïba | 90+2' |
| Manager: ||
| Vahid Halilhodžić ||
| GK | 1 | Igor Akinfeev |
| RB | 2 | Aleksei Kozlov | 59' |
| CB | 14 | Vasili Berezutski (c) |
| CB | 4 | Sergei Ignashevich |
| LB | 23 | Dmitri Kombarov | 57' |
| CM | 8 | Denis Glushakov | | 46' |
| CM | 20 | Viktor Fayzulin |
| RW | 19 | Aleksandr Samedov |
| AM | 9 | Aleksandr Kokorin |
| LW | 17 | Oleg Shatov | | 67' |
| CF | 11 | Aleksandr Kerzhakov | | 81' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 7 | Igor Denisov | | 46' |
| MF | 10 | Alan Dzagoev | | 67' |
| FW | 6 | Maksim Kanunnikov | | 81' |
| Manager: ||
| Fabio Capello ||
* Man of the Match:
* Islam Slimani (Algeria)
* Assistant referees:
* Bahattin Duran (Turkey)
* Tarık Ongun (Turkey)
* Fourth official:
* Joel Aguilar (El Salvador)
* Fifth official:
* Juan Zumba (El Salvador)

## Russia in Russia 2018

* Legend
* Group winners and runners-up advance to the round of 16
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Uruguay | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Russia (H) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | Saudi Arabia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 3 | |
| 4 | Egypt | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 0 | |

### Knockout stage
#### Quarter-finals
## Record players

Russia's record World Cup player is Dynamo Moscow legend Lev Yashin. The 1958 FIFA World Cup in particular, which was the first one to be widely broadcast on television, had a major part in introducing Yashin's active and demanding goalkeeping style to the world at large. FIFA have established him as the best goalkeeper of the 20th century by repeatedly naming him in all-star teams like the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2002.
| Rank | Player | Matches | World Cups |
| 1 | Lev Yashin | 13 | 1958, 1962 and 1966 |
| 2 | Volodymyr Bezsonov | 10 | 1982, 1986 and 1990 |
| 3 | Valentin Ivanov | 9 | 1958 and 1962 |
| 3 | Valery Voronin | 9 | 1962 and 1966 |
| 3 | Albert Shesternyov | 9 | 1966 and 1970 |
| 3 | Rinat Dasayev | 9 | 1982, 1986 and 1990 |
| 3 | Anatoliy Demyanenko | 9 | 1982, 1986 and 1990 |
| 3 | Oleh Kuznetsov | 9 | 1986 and 1990 |
| 9 | Igor Akinfeev | 8 | 2014 and 2018 |
| 9 | Sergei Ignashevich | 8 | 2014 and 2018 |
| 9 | Aleksandr Samedov | 8 | 2014 and 2018 |

## Top goalscorers

Russia's top goalscorers at the FIFA World Cup, Valentin Ivanov and Oleg Salenko, have won a Golden Boot award each. Salenko is the only player who has ever scored five goals in a single World Cup match, and the only player to win the Golden Boot even though his team was eliminated in the group stage.
| Rank | Player | Goals | World Cups |
| 1 | Oleg Salenko | 6 | 1994 |
| 2 | Valentin Ivanov | 5 | 1958 (1) and 1962 (4) |
| 3 | Igor Chislenko | 4 | 1962 (2) and 1966 (2) |
| 3 | Valeriy Porkuyan | 4 | 1966 |
| 3 | Anatoliy Byshovets | 4 | 1970 |
| 3 | Igor Belanov | 4 | 1986 |
| 3 | Denis Cheryshev | 4 | 2018 |
| 8 | Eduard Malofeyev | 3 | 1966 |
| 8 | Artem Dzyuba | 3 | 2018 |
| 10 | Aleksandr Ivanov | 2 | 1958 |
| 10 | Viktor Ponedelnik | 2 | 1962 |
| 10 | Oleh Blokhin | 2 | 1982 and 1986 |
| 10 | Oleksandr Zavarov | 2 | 1986 and 1990 |