France
Croatia
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was held in Russia from 14 June to 15 July, it is remembered as a historic event for world football. For the first time, the Mundial was hosted by Eastern Europe with Russia as host, making it the largest country ever to organise such a large-scale competition. The tournament attracted 32 national teams from around the world, battling for the title in 12 stadiums located from western Kaliningrad to eastern Yekaterinburg. The final match was played at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, which had a capacity of 80,000 fans.
Prior to the covid postponement of Euro 2020, the full start of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the first VAR matches were incredibly sought after.
The teams were divided into 8 groups of four teams each. The first two teams from each group advanced to the playoffs, starting with the 1/8 finals, where the games were played according to the Olympic system with the elimination of the losing teams. The final was the culmination of the championship, determining the World Cup champion for the next 4 years.
The 2018 World Cup unfolded in the following arenas:
The host country Russia and Uruguay easily reached the 1/8 finals, leaving Egypt and Saudi Arabia behind. Egypt failed to score a single point, losing to Saudi Arabia in their last match. Russia made a splash by defeating Saudi Arabia 5-0, while Uruguay soundly defeated all their group opponents.
Spain topped the group ahead of Portugal on the basis of more goals scored after a 2-2 draw with Morocco. Iran was close to a sensation, drawing 1:1 with Portugal, but fell just short of qualifying for the playoffs.
France and Denmark advanced from the group to the playoffs, while Peru and Australia were eliminated. France confidently defeated Australia 2:1 and Peru 1:0, and the match with Denmark ended in a goalless draw. Denmark and Australia ended the match with a 1:1 result, which did not allow the Australians to advance further.
Croatia impressed everyone by finishing in first place without a loss, including a 3-0 win over Argentina. Argentina barely made it into the knockout stages, beating Nigeria 2-1. Iceland and Nigeria failed to make it past the group stage.
Brazil as champion Copa America 2021 and Switzerland reached the 1/8 finals, leaving Serbia and Costa Rica behind . Brazil topped the group by beating Serbia 2-0 and Costa Rica 2-0, while Switzerland drew 2-2 with Costa Rica to finish second.
Sweden and Mexico advanced, sensationally leaving Germany in last place in the group. Sweden scored 3 goals against Mexico to finish in first place. Germany was defeated by South Korea 0:2, which became one of the main sensations of the tournament.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia will be remembered for incredible emotions, dramatic moments and football magic. Let’s take a look at the key playoff moments that determined the outcome of the tournament.
The final match between France and Croatia ended in a victory for France with a score of 4:2. Mandzukic’s own goal, goals from Griezmann, Pogba and Mbappe secured France’s second world title.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup, held in Russia, left an indelible mark on the history of sports. From June 14 to July 15, football fans were immersed in an atmosphere of intense matches, dramatic turns and historic achievements. The tournament exceeded expectations, becoming one of the highest scoring in history, with only one game ending goalless, between France and Denmark in the group stage.
The highlight of the championship was the performance of unexpected teams and the early withdrawal of many favorites. The current champion, the German team, failed to make it through the group stage, losing to Mexico and South Korea. Iceland, who captivated fans at Euro 2016, did not advance beyond the group stage but made their mark by drawing with Argentina. The Argentina national team, in turn, made it out of the group with great difficulty and was stopped in the 1/8 finals by France.
One of the most memorable matches of the group stage was the 3:3 draw between Spain and Portugal, where Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick. However, both teams exited the tournament in the next round, losing to Uruguay and Russia respectively.
Japan almost created a sensation by losing to Belgium only after the Belgians were able to come back from 0:2. The England team, which was not very highly regarded at home before the start of the championship, managed to win a penalty shootout for the first time at a World Cup, beating Colombia.
The Croatian national team made a historic breakthrough by reaching the final, where they met France. The final was the highest scoring in recent decades, the teams scored a total of six goals, and the French won with a score of 4:2, which brought them their second world title.
The unexpected hero of the 2018 World Cup was the host of the championship, the Russian national team. Despite skeptical forecasts before the start of the World Cup, the Russian team reached the quarterfinals, beating Spain in a penalty shootout. The army captain and national team record holder Igor Akinfeev, whose rescue was the culmination of the meeting, became the hero of the whole country for a long time. The Russian team’s success sparked excitement among fans and led to massive celebrations across the country.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup not only provided the world with exciting and intense matches, but also proved that football still has the power to amaze and inspire millions of people around the world.
The top scorer of the 2018 World Cup is English striker Harry Kane, who scored 6 goals in 6 matches. His performance helped England reach the semi-finals, where they lost to eventual champions France. Kane was ahead of the likes of Antoine Griezmann of France and Romelu Lukaku of Belgium, who scored 4 goals each.
One of the most exciting matches of the tournament was the meeting between France and Argentina in the 1/8 finals, which ended with a score of 4:3 in favor of France. The match turned out to be a real goal fest, with young star Kylian Mbappe and future FIFA MVP scoring two goals. Another unforgettable match took place between Spain and Russia, where the tournament hosts were able to beat the favorites in a penalty shootout. Equally exciting was the game between Belgium and Japan in the round of 16, where the Belgians made a stunning comeback to win 3-2 after being 0-2 down.
Of course, one of the main disappointments was the German team in the group stage. The team, which came to Russia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup as the defending champion, failed to make it past the group stage, losing to the teams of Mexico and South Korea. Also disappointing for many were the performances of Argentina and Portugal, which, despite having such stars as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in their ranks, were knocked out of the tournament already at the 1/8 final stage.
The video assistant referee (VAR) system was first used at the 2018 World Cup and left mixed impressions. On the one hand, VAR has helped correct many refereeing errors, including in the awarding of penalties and the determination of goals, but on the other hand, it has introduced elements of inconsistency and controversy, especially in matters relating to handball and the strength of fouls. Despite criticism, the system as a whole was considered a step forward in ensuring the fairness of the game.
