query: where did the fifa world cup 2018 held

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup following the final draw, six kick-off times were adjusted by FIFA. Russia was placed in position A1 in the group stage and played in the opening match at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on 14 June against Saudi Arabia, the two lowest-ranked teams of the tournament at the time of the final draw. The Luzhniki Stadium also hosted the second semi-final on 11 July and the final on 15 July. The Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg hosted the first semi-final on 10 July and the third place play-off on 14 July. The opening ceremony took place on Thursday, 14 June

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup program in network history). 2018 FIFA World Cup The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, an international football tournament contested by the men's national teams of the member associations of FIFA once every four years. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018. It was the first World Cup to be held in Eastern Europe, and the 11th time that it had been held in Europe. At an estimated cost of over $14.2 billion, it was the most expensive World Cup. It was also the first World Cup to use the video

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup 2018 FIFA World Cup The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, an international football tournament contested by the men's national teams of the member associations of FIFA once every four years. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018. It was the first World Cup to be held in Eastern Europe, and the 11th time that it had been held in Europe. At an estimated cost of over $14.2 billion, it was the most expensive World Cup. It was also the first World Cup to use the video assistant referee (VAR) system.

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup Final 2018 FIFA World Cup Final The 2018 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 15 July 2018 to determine the winners of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It was the final of the 21st FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial tournament contested by the men's national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The match was contested by France and Croatia, and held at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia. Before 2018, France's only World Cup victory was in 1998 – though they had also reached the final in 2006 – while Croatia were playing in

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group G 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group G The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group G was one of the nine UEFA groups for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. The group consisted of six teams: Spain, Italy, Albania, Israel, Macedonia, and Liechtenstein. The draw for the first round (group stage) was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia. The group winners, Spain, qualified directly for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The group runners-up, Italy, advanced to the

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group E 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group E The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group E was one of the nine UEFA groups for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. The group consisted of six teams: Romania, Denmark, Poland, Montenegro, Armenia, and Kazakhstan. The draw for the first round (group stage) was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia. The group winners, Poland, qualified directly for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The group runners-up, Denmark, advanced to the

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group A 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group A The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group A was one of the nine UEFA groups for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. The group consisted of six teams: Netherlands, France, Sweden, Bulgaria, Belarus, and Luxembourg. The draw for the first round (group stage) was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia. The group winners, France, qualified directly for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The group runners-up, Sweden, advanced to the

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group F 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group F The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group F was one of the nine UEFA groups for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. The group consisted of six teams: England, Slovakia, Scotland, Slovenia, Lithuania, and Malta. The draw for the first round (group stage) was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia. The group winners, England, qualified directly for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The group runners-up, Slovakia, were eliminated as

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group B 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group B The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group B was one of the nine UEFA groups for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. The group consisted of six teams: Portugal, Switzerland, Hungary, Faroe Islands, Latvia, and Andorra. The draw for the first round (group stage) was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia. The group winners, Portugal, qualified directly for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The group runners-up, Switzerland, advanced to

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group D 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group D The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group D was one of the nine UEFA groups for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. The group consisted of six teams: Wales, Austria, Serbia, Republic of Ireland, Moldova, and Georgia. The draw for the first round (group stage) was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia. The group winners, Serbia, qualified directly for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The group runners-up, Republic of

pos: England at the FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cup, the 1958 FIFA World Cup and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Their best ever performance is winning the Cup in the 1966 tournament held in England, whilst they also finished in fourth place in 1990, in Italy, and in 2018 in Russia. Other than that, the team have reached the quarter-finals on nine occasions, the latest of which were at the 2002 (South Korea/Japan) and the 2006 (Germany). England are the only team not representing a sovereign state to win the World Cup, which they did in 1966 when they hosted the finals. They defeated West Germany

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) The Oceanian section of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification acted as qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, to be held in Russia, for national teams which are members of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). A total of 0.5 slots (i.e. 1 inter-confederation play-off slot) in the final tournament was available for OFC teams. The 2016 edition of the OFC Nations Cup once again doubled as the second round of the OFC qualifying competition for the 2018 FIFA World Cup (similar to the 2012 OFC Nations Cup and the OFC qualifying competition for

pos: Tunisia at the FIFA World Cup where they finished in ninth position. Between 1998 and 2006 they had a streak of three World Cup qualifications. They have made their fifth appearance at the finals in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. As of 2018, Tunisia never survived the group stage of a World Cup. They have won two matches: Mexico in 1978, and Panama in 2018. Tunisia's first World Cup was the 1978 competition held in Argentina. They became the first African team to win a World Cup game, defeating Mexico 3–1 in Rosario. A 1–0 defeat to 1974 semi-finalists Poland followed. Although "The Eagles

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group I 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group I The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group I was one of the nine UEFA groups for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. The group consisted of six teams: Croatia, Iceland, Ukraine, Turkey, Finland, and Kosovo. The draw for the first round (group stage) was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia. Kosovo was added to the group after the draw, after becoming FIFA members together with Gibraltar in May 2016,

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group H 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group H The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group H was one of the nine UEFA groups for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. The group consisted of six teams: Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Estonia, Cyprus, and Gibraltar. The draw for the first round (group stage) was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia. Gibraltar was added to the group after the draw, after becoming FIFA members together with Kosovo in

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL) 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL) The South American section of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification acted as qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia, for national teams which are members of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL). A total of 4.5 slots (4 direct slots and 1 inter-confederation play-off slot) in the final tournament were available for CONMEBOL teams. The qualification structure was the same as for the previous five tournaments. The ten teams played in a league of home-and-away round-robin matches. The top four teams qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) The African section of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification acted as qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, to be held in Russia, for national teams which are members of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). A total of 5 slots in the final tournament were available for CAF teams. The CAF Executive Committee approved the format for the qualifiers of the 2018 FIFA World Cup on 14 January 2015, with three preliminary rounds before a final group stage featuring 20 teams. The number of preliminary rounds was reduced to two, based on

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group C 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group C The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group C was one of the nine UEFA groups for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. The group consisted of six teams: Germany, Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, Norway, Azerbaijan, and San Marino. The draw was for the first round (group stage) which was not held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia. The group winners, Germany, who finished with a 100% record, qualified directly for

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) The Asian section of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification acted as qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, held in Russia, for national teams which are members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). 4.5 slots (4 direct slots and 1 inter-confederation play-off slot) in the final tournament were available for AFC teams. On 16 April 2014, the AFC Executive Committee approved a proposal to merge the preliminary qualification rounds of the FIFA World Cup and the AFC Asian Cup, which will be expanded to 24 teams starting in 2019. Therefore, the first two

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) fewer FIFA ranking points (345.31) than Benin (345.46) and Libya (345.35). In the FIFA World Rankings, teams share the same ranking if their ranking points round to the same whole number. The schedule of the competition was as follows. The draw for the first round was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia. The draw for the second round was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (),

pos: Cameroon at the FIFA World Cup three group games and finished in 17th position. In 1990 Cameroon reached the Quarter-Final stage before being defeated 3-2 by England. Roger Milla, at the age of 42, became the oldest player ever to appear in a World Cup finals at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where he also managed to score. The record for oldest player was broken in 2014 by Colombian goalkeeper Faryd Mondragón, but Milla is still the oldest goalscorer at FIFA World Cup finals. They did not qualify for the finals in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia as they came third in their CAF

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification first legs were played on 10 and 11 November 2017, and the second legs were played on 15 November 2017. The matchups were decided at the preliminary draw which was held on 25 July 2015, at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia. 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification process was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations to decide 31 of the 32 teams which would play in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with Russia qualifying automatically as hosts. All 210 remaining FIFA member associations were eligible to enter the

pos: Néstor Pitana Néstor Pitana Néstor Fabián Pitana (; born 17 June 1975) is an Argentine football referee and former actor who refereed at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, 2015 Copa América and 2018 FIFA World Cup. He oversaw the opening match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup between Russia and Saudi Arabia. Pitana was appointed to take charge of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final between France and Croatia at Moscow on 15 July 2018. He became the second Argentine referee to take charge of a World Cup Final (after Horacio Elizondo, who did the same in 2006). Pitana's performance in the

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF) round was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia. The draw for the fourth round was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia. As with every World Cup qualification campaign since 1998, CONCACAF held a six-team, home-and-away round-robin group known as the 'Hexagonal', or 'Hex', as its final and decisive round. As a result of the abolition of

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF First Round 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF First Round The first round of CAF matches for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification was played from 7 to 17 October 2015. A total of 26 teams (teams ranked 28–53 in the CAF entrant list) played home-and-away over two legs. The 13 winners advanced to the second round. The draw for the first round was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia. The seeding was based on the FIFA World Rankings of

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL) first-placed team from OFC, with the CONMEBOL team hosting the second leg. The following five teams from CONMEBOL qualified for the final tournament. 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL) The South American section of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification acted as qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia, for national teams which are members of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL). A total of 4.5 slots (4 direct slots and 1 inter-confederation play-off slot) in the final tournament were available for CONMEBOL teams. The qualification structure was the same as for the previous five tournaments. The

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg. The fifth-placed team from AFC was drawn against the fourth-placed team from CONCACAF, with the AFC team hosting the second leg. The following five teams from AFC qualified for the final tournament. 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) The Asian section of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification acted as qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, held in Russia, for national teams which are members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). 4.5 slots (4 direct slots and 1 inter-confederation play-off slot) in the final tournament were available for AFC teams. On 16 April 2014,

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF) CONCACAF was drawn against the fifth-placed team from Asian Football Confederation (AFC), with the CONCACAF team hosting the first leg. The following three teams from CONCACAF qualified for the final tournament. 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF) The North, Central American and Caribbean section of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification acted as qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, to be held in Russia, for national teams which are members of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF). 3.5 slots (3 direct slots and 1 inter-confederation play-off slot) in the final tournament were available for

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Second Round 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Second Round The second round of CAF matches for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification was played from 11 to 17 November 2015. A total of 40 teams (teams ranked 1–27 in the CAF entrant list and 13 first round winners) played home-and-away over two legs. The 20 winners advanced to the third round. The draw for the second round was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia. The seeding was based on

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF Third Round 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF Third Round The third round of CONCACAF matches for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification was played from 4 to 8 September 2015. A total of 12 teams (teams ranked 7–8 in the CONCACAF entrant list and 10 second round winners) played home-and-away over two legs. The six winners advanced to the fourth round. The draw for the third round was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia. The seeding was based on

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Euro 2016. 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The European section of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification acted as qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which is being held in Russia, for national teams which are members of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Apart from Russia, who qualified automatically as hosts, a total of 13 slots in the final tournament were available for UEFA teams. The qualifying format was confirmed by the UEFA Executive Committee meeting on 22–23 March 2015 in Vienna. The qualification process started on 4 September 2016, almost two months after UEFA Euro

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The European section of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification acted as qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which is being held in Russia, for national teams which are members of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Apart from Russia, who qualified automatically as hosts, a total of 13 slots in the final tournament were available for UEFA teams. The qualifying format was confirmed by the UEFA Executive Committee meeting on 22–23 March 2015 in Vienna. The qualification process started on 4 September 2016, almost two months after UEFA Euro 2016, and

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF) 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF) The North, Central American and Caribbean section of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification acted as qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, to be held in Russia, for national teams which are members of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF). 3.5 slots (3 direct slots and 1 inter-confederation play-off slot) in the final tournament were available for CONCACAF teams. In a change to previous qualification tournaments for this confederation, the first three rounds were played as knockout rounds, with both the fourth round and the final round (referred

pos: 2022 FIFA World Cup 2022 FIFA World Cup The 2022 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to be the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international men's football championship contested by the national teams of the member associations of FIFA. It is scheduled to take place in Qatar in 2022. This will be the first World Cup ever to be held in the Arab world and the first in a Muslim-majority country. This will be the first World Cup held entirely in geographical Asia since the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan (the 2018 competition in Russia featured one geographically Asian

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony Yeah, I did, didn't I?”. Williams changing his lyrics "every night" is still unexplained. 2018 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony The opening ceremony of the 2018 FIFA World Cup took place on Thursday, 14 June 2018, at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia at 3:30 (BST), about a half hour before the opening match which Russia won 5–0 over Saudi Arabia. Former Brazilian World Cup-winning striker Ronaldo walked out with a child wearing a Russia 2018 shirt. English pop singer Robbie Williams then took centre stage with a rendition of "Let Me Entertain You" before Russian soprano Aida Garifullina was

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup squads 2018 FIFA World Cup squads The 2018 FIFA World Cup was an international football tournament held in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018. The 32 national teams involved in the tournament were required to register a squad of 23 players, including three goalkeepers. Only players in these squads were eligible to take part in the tournament. A provisional list of 35 players per national team was submitted to FIFA by 14 May 2018, one month prior to the opening match of the tournament. From the preliminary squad, the final list of 23 players per national team was submitted

pos: 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup was the 10th FIFA Confederations Cup, a quadrennial international men's football tournament organised by FIFA. It was held in Russia, from 17 June to 2 July 2017, as a prelude to the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Russia was announced as the host on 2 December 2010 after the country was awarded the hosting rights of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The matches were played in four different stadiums across four cities: Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Kazan, and Sochi. It was the first time Russia has hosted the tournament, and the third time

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification the fixtures) was held on 8 July 2016 at the CONCACAF headquarters in Miami Beach, United States. The qualification structure was the same as the previous five editions. The ten teams played in a league of home-and-away round-robin matches. The top four teams qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the fifth-placed team advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs, playing the winners of the Oceania Football Confederation qualifying competition. Unlike previous qualifying tournaments where the fixtures were pre-determined, the fixtures were decided by a draw held on 25 July 2015, at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia. The

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Second Round 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Second Round The UEFA Second Round was contested by the best eight runners-up from the nine first round groups from the UEFA segment of the qualification tournament for the 2018 FIFA World Cup final tournament. The winners — Croatia, Denmark, Sweden, and Switzerland — of each of four home and away ties joined the group winners in the World Cup in Russia. These pairs of matches, also commonly known as the playoffs, were held in November 2017. The losers were Greece, Italy, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. The draw for the ties

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup squads – is the oldest in the tournament's history. League systems with 20 or more players represented are listed. In all, World Cup squad members play for clubs in 57 countries, and play in 54 national league systems, as the league systems of England and France include clubs from Wales and Monaco respectively, and one league system covers both the United States and Canada. Clubs with 10 or more players represented are listed. Coaches in bold represent their own country. 2018 FIFA World Cup squads The 2018 FIFA World Cup was an international football tournament held in Russia from 14 June

pos: Alfredo Talavera named in Mexico's preliminary 28-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and in June 2018, he was named in Mexico's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but did not receive any minutes on the field during the tournament. Spanish newspaper "Marca" described Talavera as the best out of the other 2018 FIFA World Cup Mexico goalkeepers in aerial game, someone who knows how to play with his feet (following an injury that left him out for various months), knows how to block penalties, and is able to block shots with stable hands, avoiding rebounded balls

pos: Kazan Arena and 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. Kazan Arena also hosted the 2015 World Aquatics Championships. The 16th FINA World Championships were held in Kazan, with some events held at the Arena. It saw twelve swimming records. In the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the stadium hosted six matches, including the ones where three past champions (Germany, Argentina, and Brazil) were eliminated from the tournament. Kazan Arena Kazan Arena (; ) is a stadium in Kazan, Russia. It was completed in July 2013, and hosts football matches, especially Rubin Kazan's home games in the Russian Premier League. The stadium has the largest outside

pos: Jalal Hosseini FIFA World Cup qualification matches. He also played in 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification for Team Melli and 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification. He featured in West Asian Football Federation Championship 2010 and 2011 Asian Cup. On 1 June 2014, he was called into Iran's 2014 FIFA World Cup squad by Carlos Queiroz. He was called into Iran's 2015 AFC Asian Cup squad on 30 December 2014 by Carlos Queiroz. In May 2018 he was named in Iran’s preliminary squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia but did not make the final 23. On 1 December 2018, Hosseini announced

pos: Zabivaka Urgant", where the results of the competition were announced. The name was suggested at the show by the chairman of the World Cup 2018 Organising Committee Vitali Mutko. FIFA paid Bocharova a meager sum of $500. Zabivaka Zabivaka (, "Goalscorer") is the official mascot of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which was held in Russia. The name is a blend of the Russian words забияка ("hothead") and забивать ("to score"). The mascot was selected by internet voting in Russia, and its author is student designer Ekaterina Bocharova. The mascot was unveiled on 21 October 2016. It represents an anthropomorphic Eurasian

pos: Pejman Montazeri played full 90 minutes in all three matches for Team Melli, where Iran eliminated in the group stage. However, he missed 2015 AFC Asian Cup due to injury. He was also called up to play in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification and made a strong partnership with Morteza Pouraliganji as Iran qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup without conceding a single goal. In May 2018 he was named in Iran's preliminary squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His brother, Nadar Montazeri plays for the Iran national rugby union team and his cousin, Roozbeh Madadi currently

pos: Andrei Sergeyevich Semyonov FIFA World Cup squad. On 11 May 2018, he was included in Russia's extended 2018 FIFA World Cup squad. On 3 June 2018, he was included in the finalized World Cup squad. He didn't make any appearance for the squad in the tournament, that was the second World Cup in a row he was included in the squad but did not end up playing in any games. Andrei Sergeyevich Semyonov Andrei Sergeyevich Semyonov (; born 24 March 1989) is a Russian professional football player. He plays as a centre-back for Akhmat Grozny. He made his Russian Premier League debut for

pos: Denmark at the FIFA World Cup to England and the Republic of Ireland. They qualified for the first time in 1986, where they won all three of their Group Stage matches including a 2-0 against title contenders West Germany, but were eliminated by Spain in the next round. Since then, the Danish national team has regularly qualified for FIFA World Cup Finals and have made their fifth appearance in Russia 2018. Their best performance was in 1998, where they reached the quarter finals. Awards Records Denmark at the FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, sometimes called the Football World Cup or the Soccer World Cup,

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL) fifth-placed team advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs. Unlike previous qualifying tournaments where the fixtures were pre-determined, the fixtures were determined by draw, which was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia. For scheduling reasons, Argentina and Brazil were automatically positioned as Teams 4 and 5 respectively to ensure that no team has to play both of them on any double matchday. The remaining eight teams were drawn into one of the remaining eight positions from Teams 1 to 10

pos: Switzerland at the FIFA World Cup they finished in seventh position. They have made their eleventh appearance in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Switzerland's record at FIFA World Cups: The group stage used in the first World Cup was discarded in favour of a straight knockout tournament. Switzerland hosted the tournament in 1954 and reached the quarter-final for a third time, where the team was beaten 7–5 by neighbouring Austria. ---- After missing out on the previous tournament, Switzerland qualified for the 1962 edition, held in Chile. Unfortunately, they finished at the bottom of Group 2 without a single point, having lost all their matches.

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification process was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations to decide 31 of the 32 teams which would play in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with Russia qualifying automatically as hosts. All 210 remaining FIFA member associations were eligible to enter the qualifying process, and for the first time in World Cup history, all eligible national teams registered for the preliminary competition, but Zimbabwe and Indonesia were disqualified before playing their first matches. Bhutan, South Sudan, Gibraltar and Kosovo made their FIFA World Cup qualification debuts.

pos: Mário Fernandes (footballer) He did not appear in that game. He made his debut for Russia on 7 October 2017 in a friendly game against South Korea. On 11 May 2018, he was included in Russia's extended 2018 FIFA World Cup squad. On 3 June 2018, he was included in the finalized World Cup squad. He played a key role in Russia's performance at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In the quarter finals against Croatia, he scored an equalising goal in extra time, which sent the match to a penalty shootout. However, Russia was eliminated after losing the shootout. Mario was born in

pos: FIFA World Cup FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the "" (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946 when it was not held because of the Second World War. The current champion is France, which won its second title at the 2018 tournament in Russia. The current format of the competition involves a qualification phase, which currently takes place over the

pos: James Rodríguez and granting Colombia the last automatic qualification spot at fourth place. James' last contribution of 2017 for Colombia would be an assist against South Korea, which would end 2–1. Colombia's World Cup preparations in 2018 began against World Cup favorites France, where James provided two assists towards a comeback of a 2–0 score to a 2–3 victory. This marked the first victory in Colombia's history over France. On 4 June 2018, James was selected in Colombia's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. James did not start in the opening game against Japan after a calf injury

neg: 2018 FIFA World Cup disciplinary record a player was sent off in his team's last match), it had to be served in the team's next competitive international match(es). A player also received a one match ban if he picked up a single yellow card in two different games from the beginning of the group stage until the end of the quarter-finals, where single yellow cards were negated. However, such a ban did not carry over beyond the World Cup finals if the second yellow card was collected in his team's last match. <onlyinclude></onlyinclude> 2018 FIFA World Cup disciplinary record In the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which

neg: 2018 FIFA World Cup Final RDS. In the United States, Fox received between US$399,000 and $750,000 for a 30-second advertisement spot during the World Cup final; whereas in France, TF1 got up to $300,000 for a 30-second ad-spot. 2018 FIFA World Cup Final The 2018 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 15 July 2018 to determine the winners of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It was the final of the 21st FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial tournament contested by the men's national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The match was contested by France and Croatia, and held

neg: 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup The 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup was the ninth edition of the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, the biennial international women's youth football championship contested by the under-20 national teams of the member associations of FIFA, since its inception in 2002 as the FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship (age limit was raised from 19 to 20 in 2006). The tournament was held in Brittany, France between 5 and 24 August 2018, who would also host the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. Haiti and the Netherlands made their U-20 Women's World Cup debuts. North

neg: 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bids fund its World Cup bid preparation. Rudd met with Sepp Blatter to discuss the Commonwealth Government's support of the bid in Zurich in July 2009. At the 2008 FIFA Congress, held in Sydney, FIFA president Sepp Blatter suggested that Australia concentrate on hosting the 2022 tournament, but Lowy responded by recommitting Australia to its 2018 bid. However, Australia ultimately withdrew from the bidding for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in favour of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on 10 June 2010, following comments from the chief of the Asian Football Confederation that the 2018 tournament should be held in Europe.

neg: Australia 2022 FIFA World Cup bid Australia 2022 FIFA World Cup bid Australia submitted an unsuccessful bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. On 2 December 2010 FIFA announced that the event would be held in Qatar. Australia also lodged a bid for the 2018 World Cup, but withdrew the bid on 10 June 2010. The 2018 and 2022 World Cups will be the 21st and 22nd editions of the FIFA World Cup. The bidding procedure to host both the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup began in January 2009, and national associations had until 2 February 2009 to register their interest. The bid was presented

neg: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group H scored in 30 matches, for an average of 109/30 round 2 goals per match. A player is automatically suspended for the next match for the following offences: The following suspensions were served during the qualifying matches: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group H The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group H was one of the nine UEFA groups for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. The group consisted of six teams: Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Estonia, Cyprus, and Gibraltar. The draw for the first round (group stage) was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup

neg: Croatia at the FIFA World Cup Croatia at the FIFA World Cup Croatia national football team have appeared in the FIFA World Cup on five occasions (in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2014 and 2018) since gaining independence in 1991. Before that, from 1930 to 1990 Croatia was part of Yugoslavia. Their best result thus far was silver position at the 2018 final, where they lost 4-2 to France. In the draw for the final tournament, held on 4 December 1997 at Stade Vélodrome in Marseille, Croatia was drawn to play in Group H, along with two other teams which qualified for the World Cup for the first

neg: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (inter-confederation play-offs) 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (inter-confederation play-offs) For the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, there were two scheduled inter-confederation play-offs to determine the final two qualification spots to the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The matches were originally scheduled to be played between 6–14 November 2017, and later confirmed to take place between 10–15 November. The draw for the inter-confederation play-offs was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg. The four teams from the four confederations (AFC, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, and OFC)

neg: Portugal–Spain 2018 FIFA World Cup bid on the assumption that FIFA allows twelve venues for the tournament, nine venues would be allocated to Spain and the remaining three would go to Portugal. The following are the 21 venues that were submitted to FIFA on 14 May 2010 as part of the FPF–RFEF's bid to host the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup: The following is a list of stadiums that were considered at one time as part of the FPF–RFEF's bid to host the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup, but did not make the final cut: Portugal–Spain 2018 FIFA World Cup bid Spain and Portugal 2018 was an official

neg: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC–CONMEBOL play-off) qualified for the World Cup in 1982. The draw for the order in which the two matches would be played was held by FIFA on 25 July 2015 at the World Cup Preliminary Draw. <onlyinclude></onlyinclude> <onlyinclude></onlyinclude> 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC–CONMEBOL play-off) The 2018 FIFA World Cup OFC–CONMEBOL qualification play-off was a two-legged home-and-away tie between the winning team of the OFC Third Round, New Zealand, and the fifth-placed team from the CONMEBOL qualifying tournament, Peru. The matches were played on 11 and 15 November 2017. Peru emerged victorious and qualified for the finals of the 2018 FIFA World

neg: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – OFC First Round 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – OFC First Round The first round of OFC matches for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (and 2016 OFC Nations Cup qualification) was played from 31 August to 4 September 2015 in Tonga. In this round, four teams, as determined by the OFC in March 2014, played a single round-robin tournament held in a single country which was later decided to be in Tonga. All matches were held at the Loto-Tonga Soka Centre in Nuku'alofa. Samoa, the winner, advanced to the 2016 OFC Nations Cup, held from 28 May – 12 June 2016, to join

neg: Iran national football team results (2010–19) FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Second Round Friendly 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Second Round 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Second Round 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Second Round 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Second Round Friendly Friendly 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Third Round 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Third Round 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Third Round 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Third Round Friendly 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Third Round Friendly 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Third Round 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Third Round

neg: 2018 Emperor's Cup Kashima Antlers won 2018 AFC Champions League and advanced to the Emperor's Cup semi-finals, due to the schedule conflict with 2018 FIFA Club World Cup. The final was originally scheduled to be held on 24 December 2018. However, the final was rescheduled to be held on 9 December 2018 after Kashima Antlers won 2018 AFC Champions League and advanced to the Emperor's Cup semi-finals, due to the schedule conflict with 2018 FIFA Club World Cup. 2018 Emperor's Cup The was the 2018 edition of the annual Japanese national football cup tournament, which began on 26 May 2018 and ended with

neg: 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bids and Qatari bid teams did try to trade votes, "but it didn't work". 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bids The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups was the process by which the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) selected locations for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. The process began officially in March 2009; eleven bids from thirteen countries were received, including one which was withdrawn and one that was rejected before FIFA's executive committee voted in November 2010. Two of the remaining nine bids applied only to the 2022 World Cup, while the

neg: 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup The 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup was the 6th edition of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, the biennial international women's youth football championship contested by the under-17 national teams of the member associations of FIFA, since its inception in 2008. The tournament was held in Uruguay from 13 November to 1 December 2018. North Korea were the defending champions but were eliminated by Spain in the quarter-finals. The final took place at the Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo between Spain and Mexico a rematch from the group stage in 2016. Spain won their first

neg: FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup The Golden Ball and Golden Shoe awards both went to Asisat Oshoala of Nigeria. The 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup was expected to be held in South Africa, but due to the country's withdrawal, a new host was chosen on 19 March 2015, and it was Papua New Guinea. The 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup was held in France from 5–24 August 2018, a year later France will host the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup The Golden Ball and Golden Shoe awards both went to Patricia Guijarro of Spain. The topscorer award. Awarded to the best player of

neg: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Third Round 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CAF Third Round The third round of CAF matches for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification was played from 7 October 2016 to 14 November 2017. A total of 20 teams which had advanced from the second round were drawn into five groups of four teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The winners of each group qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The draw for the third round was held on 24 June 2016, 17:00 EET (), at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt. The seedings - initially released on 8 June 2016 -

neg: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC Third Round 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC Third Round The third round of AFC matches for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification was played from 1 September 2016 to 5 September 2017. A total of 12 teams which advanced from the second round (the eight group winners and the four best group runners-up) were divided into two groups of six teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The top two teams of each group have qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the two third-placed teams advanced to the fourth round. The draw for the third round was held on 12

neg: Lothar Matthäus Lothar Matthäus Lothar Herbert Matthäus (; born 21 March 1961) is a German football manager and former player. After captaining West Germany to victory in the 1990 FIFA World Cup where he lifted the World Cup trophy, he was named European Footballer of the Year. In 1991, he was named the first ever FIFA World Player of the Year, and remains the only German to have received the award. Matthäus held the record of having played in five FIFA World Cups (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998), more than any other outfield player in men's football, until the 2018 World Cup,

neg: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC First Round 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC First Round The first round of AFC matches for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (and 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification) was played from 12 to 23 March 2015. A total of 12 teams (teams ranked 35–46 in the AFC entrant list) played home-and-away over two legs. The six winners advanced to the second round. The draw for the first round was held on 10 February 2015, 15:30 MST (), at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The seeding was based on the FIFA World Rankings of January 2015 (shown in parentheses below).

neg: 2018 FIFA World Cup Group F 2018 FIFA World Cup Group F Group F of the 2018 FIFA World Cup took place from 17 to 27 June 2018. The group consisted of Germany, Mexico, Sweden, and South Korea. Sweden and Mexico were the top two teams that advanced to the round of 16. The incumbent World Cup champions, Germany, placed last, making it the first time since 1938 that the Germans did not advance beyond the first round, and the first time ever, the group stage. The early German exit was "greeted with shock in newspapers around the world". In the round of 16: All times

neg: Croatia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Croatia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Croatia participated in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. This was their fifth appearance. Croatia was in Group I of UEFA's World Cup qualifications. They played alongside Iceland, Ukraine, Turkey, Finland and Kosovo. Croatia finished as runner-up in the group and entered the second-round play-offs where the team beat Greece and qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Croatia national team was led by manager Ante Čačić until 7 October 2017 when he was, due to a series of bad results, replaced by Zlatko Dalić. The results of the group stage Standings The results

neg: 2018 FIFA World Cup Group F group matches as follows: Only one of the above deductions would be applied to a player in a single match. 2018 FIFA World Cup Group F Group F of the 2018 FIFA World Cup took place from 17 to 27 June 2018. The group consisted of Germany, Mexico, Sweden, and South Korea. Sweden and Mexico were the top two teams that advanced to the round of 16. The incumbent World Cup champions, Germany, placed last, making it the first time since 1938 that the Germans did not advance beyond the first round, and the first time ever, the group stage.

neg: Christian Bolaños in the 2001 FIFA U-17 World Championship held in Trinidad and Tobago. He made his debut for the senior national team in a May 2005 friendly match against Norway and has, as of November 2016, collected a total of 71 caps, scoring 6 goals. He has represented his country in 25 FIFA World Cup qualification matches and played at both the 2006 FIFA World Cup and the 2014 FIFA World Cup as well as at the 2005, 2007 and 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cups. In May 2018 he was named in Costa Rica's 23 man squad for the 2018 FIFA World

neg: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF First Round 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF First Round The first round of CONCACAF matches for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification was played between 22 and 31 March 2015. A total of 14 teams (teams ranked 22–35 in the CONCACAF entrant list) played home-and-away over two legs. The seven winners advanced to the second round. The draw for the first round was held on 15 January 2015, 19:40 EST (), at the W Hotel at Miami Beach, Florida, United States. The seeding was based on the FIFA World Rankings of August 2014 (shown in parentheses). The 14 teams were seeded

neg: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF Second Round 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF Second Round The second round of CONCACAF matches for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification was played from 7 to 16 June 2015. A total of 20 teams (teams ranked 9–21 in the CONCACAF entrant list and seven first round winners) played home-and-away over two legs. The ten winners advanced to the third round. The draw for the second round was held on 15 January 2015, 19:40 EST (), at the W Hotel at Miami Beach, Florida, United States. The seeding was based on the FIFA World Rankings of August 2014 (shown in parentheses).

neg: Adidas Telstar 18 Adidas Telstar 18 The Adidas Telstar 18 was the official match ball of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which was held in the Russian Federation. It is designed by the company Adidas in Sialkot, Pakistan. A FIFA Partner and FIFA World Cup official match ball supplier since 1970, and based on the concept of the first Adidas's World Cup match ball. The Telstar 18 was presented in Moscow on November 9, 2017 by Lionel Messi. Retired Brazilian footballer Ronaldo opened the 2018 FIFA World Cup by introducing a Telstar 18 that was sent into space to the International Space Station

neg: 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup bids the event of 2023. Having previously hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup, it is hoping to play host to the first ever Women's World Cup held in the African continent. South Africa agreed to officially launch the bid after South Africa qualified for the Women's World Cup for the first time in 2019 on 3 December 2018. Japan bid on 2023 tournament after declining their initial intention to bid on 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. Japan Football Association (JFA) Vice president Kozo Tashima says that the facilities will be renovated and ready for the World Cup. As of 2018, Japan

neg: Croatia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup of the second-round play-off Altogether 26 players appeared in the qualifying matches. Domagoj Vida is the only player that appeared in all 12 matches playing the full 90 minutes of all games. Mario Mandžukić was the top scorer with 5 achieved goals. Filip Bradarić, Duje Ćaleta-Car and Dominik Livaković did not appear in any of the qualifying matches but made the final World Cup squad. Complete list of players in the qualifying matches Croatia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Croatia participated in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. This was their fifth appearance. Croatia was in Group I of UEFA's

neg: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – OFC First Round entered the first round: Note: Bolded team qualified for the 2016 OFC Nations Cup. The match schedule was revealed on 30 July 2015, following a draw held at OFC Headquarters in Auckland, New Zealand. All times are local, . There were 17 goals scored in 6 matches, for an average of 17/6 round 2 goals per match. 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – OFC First Round The first round of OFC matches for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (and 2016 OFC Nations Cup qualification) was played from 31 August to 4 September 2015 in Tonga. In this round, four teams,

neg: Colombia national futsal team American Under-18 Futsal Championship held in 2018. Champions Runners-up Third Place Fourth place Colombia national futsal team The Colombia national futsal team represents Colombia in international futsal competitions. It is overseen by the Colombian Football Federation in FIFA competitions and by the Fecolfutsal in AMF competitions. The team's most notable performance in the FIFA Futsal World Cup was at the 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Thailand, where they achieved fourth place. In the Copa América, the regional competition, the best results of the team were achieving fourth place in 2011 and 2015. In the AMF Futsal World Cup, the

neg: Mauricio Espinosa and officials alike, as well as increased demands for FIFA to introduce goal-line video technology in matches. Espinosa and Larrionda were among referees dropped by FIFA after the Round of 16. They did not participate in any further matches in the 2010 World Cup. In March 2018, FIFA announced that he will officiate some matches at side of Andres Cunha and Nicolas Taran as assistant referee at 2018 FIFA World Cup. Mauricio Espinosa Mauricio Espinosa Rodríguez (born 6 May 1972) is an Uruguayan football referee who participated in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He gained publicity during the Round of

neg: FIFA World Rankings were a seeded team at the 2014 FIFA World Cup having played only three friendly matches in the previous year, and Poland before the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The use of regional strength multiplier in the ranking formula before 2018 was also accused of further reinforcing and perpetuating the bias for and against certain regions. FIFA's use of regional multiplier was cited as a primary reason why most teams in AFC (Asia) and CONCACAF (North America) held significantly lower FIFA rankings compared to their position in the World Football Elo Rankings. On 10 June 2018, the new ranking system was

neg: Iran national football team results (2010–19) Friendly 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Third Round 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Third Round 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Third Round Friendly Friendly Friendly Friendly Friendly Friendly Friendly Friendly Friendly Friendly 2018 FIFA World Cup – Preliminary Round 2018 FIFA World Cup – Preliminary Round 2018 FIFA World Cup – Preliminary Round Friendly Friendly Friendly Friendly Iran national football team results (2010–19) This is a list of official football games played by Iran national football team between 2010 and 2019. 2010 Qatar Friendship Cup 2011 AFC Asian Cup Qualifier 2011 AFC Asian Cup Qualifier Friendly Friendly

neg: FIFA World Cup future boycotts or controversy, FIFA began a pattern of alternating the hosts between the Americas and Europe, which continued until the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The 2002 FIFA World Cup, hosted jointly by South Korea and Japan, was the first one held in Asia, and the first tournament with multiple hosts. South Africa became the first African nation to host the World Cup in 2010. The 2014 FIFA World Cup was hosted by Brazil, the first held in South America since Argentina 1978, and was the first occasion where consecutive World Cups were held outside Europe. The host country is

neg: 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup In principle, FIFA preferred the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup to be hosted by the same member association, but if circumstances required, FIFA reserved the right to award the hosting of the events separately. The following countries made official bids for hosting the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup by submitting their documents by 31 October 2014: The following countries withdrew their bid for hosting the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup: France were awarded the hosting rights

neg: Unofficial Football World Championships the Copa América Centenario, but regained it before winning the tournament. The UFWC was exchanged between CONMEBOL sides during 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, and remained in South America despite being contested by outside teams during Chile's successful 2017 China Cup campaign. Ultimately it was Peru took the Championship into the 2018 World Cup where the title ended with tournament victors France. France held the title for four subsequent matches after the World Cup, going unbeaten against Germany, Netherlands, Iceland and Germany again, before being defeated 2–0 in a UEFA Nations League match by the Netherlands in November 2018. The

neg: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – OFC Third Round 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – OFC Third Round The third round of OFC matches for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification began on 7 November 2016 and ended on 5 September 2017. A total of six teams which had advanced from the OFC Nations Cup (second round) were drawn into two groups of three teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The winners of each group advanced to the OFC Final, played home-and-away over two legs, and the winners of the final advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs. The draw for the third round was held on 8 July 2016, 11:00 NZST

neg: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) at the OFC headquarters in Auckland, New Zealand. The winner of the final advanced to inter-confederation play-offs. Dates were set for the two-legged final as being between 28 August and 5 September 2017. The draw for the inter-confederation play-offs was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg. The first-placed team from OFC was drawn against the fifth-placed team from CONMEBOL, with the OFC team hosting the first leg. 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) The Oceanian section of the 2018

neg: 2018 FIFA World Cup knockout stage 2018 FIFA World Cup knockout stage The knockout stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup was the second and final stage of the competition, following the group stage. It began on 30 June with the round of 16 and ended on 15 July with the final match, held at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. The top two teams from each group (16 in total) advanced to the knockout stage to compete in a single-elimination style tournament. A third place play-off was also played between the two losing teams of the semi-finals. France won the final 4–2 against Croatia for their

neg: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF Fourth Round and 4 into Group B, series winners 5 and 6 into Group C). As the draw was held before the third round was played, the identities of the third round winners were not known at the time of the draw. The fixtures of each group were automatically decided based on the respective pot or series won of each team. Note: Bolded teams qualified for the fifth round. 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF Fourth Round The fourth round of CONCACAF matches for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification was played from 13 November 2015 to 6 September 2016. A total

neg: 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF Second Round the third round. Nicaragua won 4–1 on aggregate and advanced to the third round. 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF Second Round The second round of CONCACAF matches for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification was played from 7 to 16 June 2015. A total of 20 teams (teams ranked 9–21 in the CONCACAF entrant list and seven first round winners) played home-and-away over two legs. The ten winners advanced to the third round. The draw for the second round was held on 15 January 2015, 19:40 EST (), at the W Hotel at Miami Beach, Florida, United States. The

neg: Costa Rica at the FIFA World Cup finals, namely in 1990, 2002, 2006, 2014 and 2018. Their best performance to date was in the 2014 edition, where they reached the quarter-finals. A list of the top goalscorers for Costa Rica in the FIFA World Cup. Joel Campbell, Óscar Duarte, Marco Ureña and Bryan Ruiz all scored in Costa Rica's 2014 World Cup campaign. Costa Rica at the FIFA World Cup This is a record of Costa Rica's results at the FIFA World Cup. The FIFA World Cup, sometimes called the Football World Cup or the Soccer World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup,

neg: FIFA World Cup awards was an online poll to FIFA.com Club members named "Dream Team", sponsored by Yingli. The Dream Team poll returned the following edition sponsored by Oi, and again in 2018 sponsored by Hisense. While FIFA did not release an official list for 2014, official sponsor Castrol published a team of the tournament based on their Castrol Performance Index, which evaluates players' performances through statistical data. Similarly, McDonald's sponsored in 2018 a fantasy football game, whose team of highest-scoring players was published after the tournament. FIFA World Cup awards At the end of each FIFA World Cup final tournament, several awards are

neg: FIFA World Cup qualification tournaments where the fixtures were pre-determined, the fixtures were determined by a draw, which was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw, on 25 July 2015. The top 4 teams from the 10-team group advanced to the World Cup finals, while the fifth placed team entered an inter-confederation play-off for a World Cup spot. Like the previous 2014 tournament, the pairings for the two play-offs were determined by an open draw on 25 July 2015, as part of the aforementioned preliminary draw. Intercontinental play-offs are played as home-and-away ties. Qualification tournaments generally consist of a number

neg: Football in Japan FIFA World Cup with Republic of Korea. After this, the association football communities of both countries received the FIFA Fair Play Award. The Japanese national team has reached the round of 16 on three occasions – as hosts in 2002, where they were knocked out by Turkey 1–0, in 2010, where they lost to Paraguay in penalties and in 2018 where they fell 2–3 to Belgium. Japan also qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The first worldwide popular association football-oriented Japanese

neg: Iran national football team results (2010–19) Cup – Preliminary Round 2014 FIFA World Cup – Preliminary Round 2014 FIFA World Cup – Preliminary Round Friendly Friendly 2015 AFC Asian Cup – Preliminary Round 2015 AFC Asian Cup – Preliminary Round 2015 AFC Asian Cup – Preliminary Round 2015 AFC Asian Cup – Quarterfinal Friendly Friendly Friendly 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Second Round 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Second Round 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Second Round "* FIFA awarded Iran a 3–0 win as a result of India fielding the ineligible player Eugeneson Lyngdoh. The match initially ended 3–0 to Iran. 2018

neg: Zayed Sports City Stadium hosted the 1996 AFC Asian Cup including the final, where the United Arab Emirates lost against Saudi Arabia in penalty shoot-outs. The stadium also hosted the 2007 Gulf Cup of Nations final between the United Arab Emirates and Oman. The semi finals and finals of 2009 and 2010 FIFA Club World Cup were also held at the stadium. The stadium will also be hosting some of the 2017 and 2018 FIFA Club World Cup and 2019 AFC Asian Cup matches alongside five other stadiums. Guided by the belief of the President His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in