Let the games begin! Russia kick starts the much awaited FIFA World Cup 2018

Moscow, June 14: As the world waited to witness the grand beginning of FIFA World Cup 2018, the 21st edition of the World Cup kicked off in the Russian capital of Moscow last evening. 32 nations, divided into eight groups, will battle it out for the coveted trophy in the quadrennial month-long event.

Grabbing popcorns and some coke, get ready to watch the first opening match between Russia and Saudi Arabia. Germany is the defending champions, with five-time winners Brazil emerging as favorites. Top shot players like Argentine Lionel Messi, Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah will all be taking part in the tournament looking to guide their teams to glory.

 

In the opener, hosts Russia will play Saudi Arabia in Group A at 8:30 Indian Time tonight. An elaborate opening ceremony featuring star singer Robbie Williams and Russian soprano Aida Garifullina will precede the match at the Luzhniki Stadium.

 

Search Engine giant Google today welcomed the FIFA World Cup 2018 with a doodle. The doodle shows people welcoming the start of the mega tournament by playing drums and other instruments. The World Cup, hosted by Russia, this year will go on till July 15.

Earlier, Google had rolled out new features to help keen followers of the game follow real-time matches and also follow highlights on their smartphones. These features are designed to help football fans get new experience while checking statistics, group tables and trending players. “Looking forward to the updated Search experience for soccer, just in time for the World Cup,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai had tweeted earlier.