World Cup 2018: Football showpiece set to begin in Russia

The opening match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup is less than an hour. 

The host Russia will face Saudi Arabia after an opening ceremony which is currently underway in Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium. 

Football's showpiece event features 32 teams, including defending champions Germany. Sixty-four games in all would be played over 32 days. 

The 21st edition of the ''World Football Festival'' will be played in 12 stadiums, across 11 cities, spread over one thousand 800 miles.  

Germany, who defeated Argentina in the 2014 final, are looking to become the first team to win back-to-back World Cups since 1962, while Brazil seek a record-extending sixth world title.  

The month-long tournament is expected to attract one and a half million fans to Russia and an estimated global television audience of over three billion viewers.  

There are eight groups, each containing four teams, with the top two advancing to the last 16. The final takes place at the 81 thousand-capacity Luzhniki Stadium on the 15th of next month. 

Source: BBC
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