Ten records that could fall in Russia

Messi (Argentina)

135 years and three months will be the combined age of Oscar Tabarez and Fernando Santos if Uruguay and Portugal meet in the Round of 16 – the oldest combined age for two coaches in a World Cup game. The current record is the 133 years and nine months Greece’s Otto Rehhagel and Nigeria’s Lars Lagerback had between them at South Africa 2010.

45 years and five months is what Essam El-Hadary will be when Egypt begin their campaign against Uruguay. If he plays in Russia he will break Faryd Mondragon’s record (43 years and three days) to become the oldest player in World Cup history.

13 World Cup matches unbeaten – between a 4-2 loss to Hungary in the 1954 quarter-finals and a 3-1 defeat by the same team in the group stage in ’66 – is the World Cup record belonging to Brazil. Germany’s last loss was 1-0 to Spain in the 2010 semi-finals and they’ll begin Russia 2018 on an eight-match unbeaten streak in the tournament.

6 goals as captain is the World Cup record belonging to Diego Maradona. Argentina skipper Lionel Messi requires three to break his former coach’s milestone.

6 games unbeaten in the World Cup: that is the CONCACAF record Mexico recorded over USA 1994 and France 1998. Costa Rica, who didn’t lose any of their five matches at Brazil 2014, will equal it if they avoid defeat against Serbia and surpass it if they do the same against Brazil.

5 goals in three World Cups is what Thomas Muller is bidding to become the first player to register. The 28-year-old, fellow German Miroslav Klose and Peruvian Teofilo Cubillas are the only men to have scored more than four times in multiple editions of the tournament. Klose, on 16 overall, holds the record for the most World Cup goals, with Muller six shy.

5 World Cups is what Rafa Marquez will become the third man – and second Mexican – to play in if he makes an appearance in Russia. Antonio Carbajal and German legend Lothar Matthaus achieved the feat, while Gigi Buffon went to five World Cups but didn’t make an appearance at France 1998.

5 consecutive World Cup draws is the record Belgium set over 1998 and 2002. Costa Rica drew their last three outings at Brazil 2014.

4 World Cups is what Australia’s Tim Cahill, Mexico’s Rafa Marquez and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo will have netted in if they find the target at Russia 2018. Uwe Seeler, Pele and Miroslav Klose are the only men to have scored in more than three instalments of the competition.

3 men will have won the World Cup as a player and a coach if Didier Deschamps leads Franceto glory. The former defensive midfielder, who captained his country to the title in 1998, would emulate Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer.

Fans flock to FIFA World Cup app

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The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ is still a few days away, but already, the official tournament app is proving a smash hit with fans across the world.

The FIFA World Cup app has been launched over 11 million times since the tournament's Final Draw, and hit a new record on Sunday, with 800,000 launches in a single day.

It is already the No1 free sports app in over 60 countries, including 10 of those represented at Russia 2018: Australia, Argentina, Colombia, Croatia, Iran, France, Mexico, Russia, Switzerland and Spain.

Download the World Cup app for yourself and you will immediately see why it is proving so popular, and gaining such positive user ratings.

Ahead of the action beginning, you can already:

• Select your favourite teams
• Keep up-to-date with the latest World Cup news and enjoy exclusive videos and photos
• Plan your Russia 2018 experience with the official match schedule of all 64 games
• Learn more about the 32 teams
• Explore Russia and get familiar with the stadiums and cities

Then, once the action begins, you can look forward to:

• Minute-by-minute action of every match and real-time live coverage for all 64 games through our live blog, where our 32 team reporters will be offering exclusive stories, videos, photos and on-the-ground information
• Real-time live stats for the tournament and detailed match data, tactics and line-ups for all 64 games
• Casting your vote for the Man of the Match
• Receiving real-time match alerts from all your favourite teams
• Reliving the key moments of every match with our video highlights

As you can see, the official 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ app is a must-have for any football enthusiast. Download it now and take the World Cup with you everywhere!

Ibrahimovic: I would not miss the biggest party in the world Ibrahimovic

Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is larger than life as a player and a public figure. Known for his brash confidence and outrageous goals, the 36-year-old striker recently promised that he would be at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.

It turns out that he is a man of his word. He will be in the host country attending matches and experiencing the event close-up in partnership with Visa’s FOMO (“Fear Of Missing Out”) campaign.

As he gets ready to enjoy the biggest sports event on the planet, the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cup™ veteran spoke to FIFA.com about his pick to win, some stars to watch and the unique spectacle that is the FIFA World Cup.

The young prodigy: Kylian Mbappe (France)

Kylian Mbappe (France)

At just 19 years old, Mbappe is the youngest player on this shortlist and is not just one to watch for 2018 but for the next few years. Despite his age, he is already an incredibly astute and mature goalscorer, as he proved for Monaco in both Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League. He is now keen to take the next step to the pinnacle of the beautiful game with Paris Saint-Germain.

The master of understatement: Harry Kane (England)

Harry Kane (England)

In Harry Kane, England have a world-class striker for the first time since Alan Shearer, who came third in the 1996 FIFA World Player of the Year vote. The 24-year-old stands out for his strength of character, hard work and incredible sense of space and timing. This, combined with his impressive ability to read the game and significantly improved heading, enabled him to churn out goals as if from a production line last season. England coach Gareth Southgate has even handed Kane the captain’s armband ahead of the World Cup finals in Russia, while transfer rumours have been swirling around him that would lift him to a similar level as Neymar.

The assist king: Kevin de Bruyne (Belgium)

Kevin de Bruyne (Belgium)

This title could just as easily be applied to Eden Hazard, whose style of play is often more spectacular than that of his compatriot and has already earned him a place on the shortlist of the world’s best players. Yet the assists and incisive passes that De Bruyne has provided for Manchester City and Belgium in recent years, creating countless goals for his team-mates in the process, represent football played to the very highest standard. If Belgium justify their status as dark horses with an impressive World Cup campaign, De Bruyne’s name could end up at the top of this year’s shortlist for The Best FIFA Men’s Player.

The shooting star: Mohamed Salah (Egypt)

Mohamed Salah

Before moving from Roma to Liverpool in June 2017, Salah was considered a good but not exceptional winger whose defining feature was his pace. Under Jurgen Klopp’s playing system he has demonstrated hitherto unseen finishing abilities and ended last season as the Premier League’s top goalscorer, which earned him numerous other individual accolades. Now part of the game’s global elite, Salah helped Egypt return to the World Cup finals for the first time in 28 years. If he can recover from the injury he sustained in the UEFA Champions League final in time, an impressive performance in Russia will help to reinforce his claim to The Best FIFA Men’s Player throne.

The crown prince: Neymar (Brazil)

Neymar (Brazil)

This stylish attacking player became the most expensive footballer of all time when he moved from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain last summer and has the potential to enjoy as illustrious a career as Messi or Ronaldo. With his powerful dribbling, intelligent play, excellent finishing and captivating style, Neymar has all the qualities needed to be named the best in the world. Having been sorely missed by Brazil in the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ semi-final against Germany, he led his country to their first-ever gold medal at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament two years later and will now be determined to lift the World Cup Trophy in Russia.

Ten years of Messi and CR7 – but what’s next?

For the past ten years, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have shared the title of The Best FIFA Men's Player between them with five wins apiece, and show no signs of slowing down. The tenth anniversary of this duopoly is a good time to cast a critical eye over the heirs to this particular dynasty. Can one of them even triumph in London in 2018?

Robbie Williams, Aida Garifullina and Ronaldo to brighten up 2018 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony

Ronaldo, Robbie Williams and Aida Garifullina

On 14 June, just a few moments before Russia and Saudi Arabia kick off the 2018 FIFA World Cup™, three international stars will thrill the fans in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium. Global music icon Robbie Williams will entertain the stadium crowd and the millions watching around the world, with celebrated Russian soprano Aida Garifullina joining him during the musical extravaganza. The football glory that all players will be hoping to achieve on Russian soil will be represented by Brazil’s two-time FIFA World Cup champion Ronaldo.

“I’m so happy and excited to be going back to Russia for such a unique performance. I’ve done a lot in my career, and opening the FIFA World Cup to 80,000 football fans in the stadium and many millions all over the world is a boyhood dream,” says Robbie Williams. “We’d like to invite football and music fans to party with us in Russia, in the stadium, or to tune in their TVs a little earlier for an unforgettable show.”

The 2018 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony will have a slightly different format compared to previous editions of the tournament. This time, the ceremony will focus on musical acts and will take place much closer to kick-off, just half an hour before the start of the match, which is scheduled for 18:00 (local time). One thing will remain the same, however: the underlying theme of celebrating not only football but also the host country, this time with a touching performance by one of Russia’s most acclaimed young voices, Aida Garifullina.

“I never imagined I would be part of this huge celebration, the World Cup, happening in my own country,” says the soloist from the Vienna State Opera. “And, on 15 July, we will find out for whom this precious dream will come true, back on the same stage, after a month-long festival of football in Russia.”

“The opening match is always a very symbolic one – it is that instant when you realise that the big moment you, as a player or fan, have been waiting for four years has finally arrived. No one knows what will happen in the four weeks of the tournament, but everyone is sure that it will be memorable,” believes ‘o Fenômeno’ Ronaldo. “Of course it is also an emotional one for the hosts. After so much hard work, suddenly the whole world is gathered in your backyard to celebrate their love for football. I felt that in Brazil four years ago and I am now happy to share this excitement with the Russians as well.”

Russia’s Channel One will produce the show, and the creative concept will once again be developed by Felix Mikhailov, who directed the main ceremonies held throughout the entire 2018 FIFA World Cup journey – from the Preliminary Draw in 2015 right up to the closing act ahead of the final on 15 July.

FIFA Fan Fest and kick off the festival of football in Russia

FIFA Fan Fest and kick off the festival of football in Moscow, Russia.

According to the local organisers, around 25,000 people visited Moscow’s FIFA Fan Fest™ on its opening day (10.06), when fans were thrilled by the vibrant music line-up and the presence of French FIFA World Cup™ champion Marcel Desailly and Russia’s all-time top scorer Aleksandr Kerzhakov. The FIFA Fan Fest Ambassadors took to the stage to greet the crowd together with Moscow’s Head of Sports Department and Tourism Nikolay Gulyaev and the 2018 FIFA World Cup Official Mascot Zabivaka. They were joined by none other than the embodiment of the dream of the 32 teams competing in the tournament from 14 June: the FIFA World Cup Winner's Trophy.

“It’s amazing to see so many people here today, having fun and celebrating the World Cup in such a nice venue for free,” said Desailly. “The excitement is already immense and will only increase over the next few days ahead of the Opening Match. Having seen this, however, we can already say that Russia has got off on the right foot.”

“I am very proud that our country will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup,” added Kerzhakov when leaving the stage yesterday. “Now, with just four days to go, you can already feel the football atmosphere, and today's event demonstrated our fans’ tremendous interest in the tournament once more. I am sure the stadiums will be full and Russians will celebrate at the FIFA Fan Fests with fans from all over the world.”