Follow #WorldCup 2018 on @guardian_sport pic.twitter.com/o8JSeJRQjr
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) June 14, 2018
Read the full match report from opening game, as Russia beat Saudi Arabia 5-0
Updated
Michael Hann on the opening ceremony:
A Russian MP has encouraged Russians to have sex with visiting foreign football fans, a day after Russian authorities were embarrassed when one of his fellow parliamentarians warned against World Cup sexual liaisons.
And with that, I’m going to leave you. Barry Glendenning is on hand to take you through the actual football. Enjoy!
The national anthems are played, while giant circular flags of the two competing nations are held by dozens of people in Mork off Mork and Mindy tribute costumes.
Peter Tatchell update: he has been released, and told to appear in court later this month.
Now Gianni Infantino is speaking. We were denied Rock DJ, and we get this? Where’s the justice? Not that Rock DJ is good, you understand, but it is better.
Vladimir Putin is giving a welcome speech, which suggests there’s probably enough time to make some tea and/or weep silently about what football has done to itself before kick-off.
Here’s Michael Hann’s musical review of the opening ceremony:
It was, perhaps, inevitable that Robbie Williams would begin the 2018 World Cup opening ceremony by singing Let Me Entertain You, rather than Party Like a Russian, the 2016 single that reportedly caused a certain amount of disquiet in the titular nation. It was certainly a robust opening for British viewers, but one wondered if it had quite the impact for the rest of the world: Williams’ s stardom has been largely confined to Europe, and isn’t of the wattage it once was. Still, nothing hung around long enough to get dull – Let Me Entertain You faded into the soprano Aida Garifulina warbling on the back of a “firebird” for a few seconds before Williams returned for a snippet of Feel, befoe Garifulina joined him for, inevitably, Angels. “And through it all she offers me protection,” Williams sang, echoing the prayers of flair players towards referees.
The whole thing – compact, based around partial songs rather than a dragged-out epic – felt based not on the self-conscious pomposity of Olympics opening ceremonies, but the tightly scheduled wham-bam of Super Bowl halftime shows. Albeit this was a Super Bowl halftime show done on a fraction of the budget. There were no bonkers mass dance displays, but there were women in some Fifa-approved bastardised national costumes. And a man in a wolf suit giving high fives to Ronaldo – the original one – and a child identified in Fifa’s official schedule only as “kid”. Presumably all those Fifa riches were heading straight for grassroots football projects even as Ronaldo and “kid” grinned awkwardly at each other.
It was short, it was painless. And it was completely pointless.
Updated
Here’s a list of nations who have sent leaders to join Vladimir Putin at the World Cup’s opening game. It is a short list, which probably illustrates the extent to which the tournament has become diplomatically toxic:
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bolivia, North Korea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Moldova, Paraguay, Panama, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Tajikstan, Uzbekistan.
The opening ceremony is closed. Over the next few minutes an emblem, giant flags and a “players’ carpet” will be placed on the pitch. Apparently 140 volunteers are involved in this effort.
ITV have cruelly cut away from the opening ceremony, denying us the chance of watching Robbie Williams sing Rock DJ while the stage is dismantled behind him. This seems rude to me.
Ronaldo passes the ball to the mascot, Zabivaka. This was “a symbolic first kick”. Blink and you missed it.
Updated
And here’s Ronaldo, interacting with that kid again.
The official match ball has just been brought onto the pitch, by the model Victoria Lopyreva. This very ball went into space earlier this year, spent some time on the International Space Station and got back on 3 June.
The 32 pairs aren’t exactly dancers. Each has one flag-bearing, marching man, and a woman dressed in spectacular, lavish dresses in the colours of each nation’s flag. Top-notch costumery here.
It segues into Angels. Aida Garifullina will join in with this, while 32 pairs of dancers, each representing one of the participating teams, take to the field. Meanwhile 211 kids of the “football for friendship” programme will wave flags in the stands, and spectators will “hold golden stars”.
Only 1min 20sec has been allocated to this song, so enjoy it while it lasts.
Robbie Williams is now playing Feel, “accompanied by dancers and performers with ‘bird-kites’”.
According to Fifa in the next 90 seconds “performers play with the firebird’s feathers”.
Now Alexander Boldachev, the harpist, is playing for us. “A firebird enters the pitch, spreads its wings and reveals Aida Garifullina on its back”. TV cameras missed the wing-spreading reveal, sadly.
Interacting, incidentally, means holding hands. Ronaldo and Robbie don’t hold hands, but the kid has a go with both of them. Anyway, now Robbie Williams is singing Let Me Entertain You, “accompanied by dancers and freestylers”.
There they are, interacting!
Next up according to the official Fifa information sheet is “interaction between kid, Ronaldo and Robbie Williams”.
The opening ceremony has started!
The ceremony starts with a disappointingly pre-recorded video of the violinist Yuri Bashmet and the pianist Daniil Trifonov performing Tchaikovski on a floating platform on the Moscow river.
The trophy is in the stadium! That’s the good news. The bad news is that it arrived in a needless bespoke Louis Vuitton case created for no obvious reason. Here are some details:
A few minutes before Russia and Saudi Arabia kick-off the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ this Thursday at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, FIFA Legend and 2010 FIFA World Cup™ winner Iker Casillas will bring on to the pitch the FIFA World CupTM Original Trophy in its newly designed travel case by Louis Vuitton. Casillas will be accompanied by Russian supermodel and philanthropist Natalia Vodianova.
The case created for Russia is covered in beautiful, lightweight yet hardwearing, laser-engraved Monogram Titanium. The trunk’s eight corners are protected with Louis Vuitton’s celebrated natural cowhide leather, and the lock and six clasps are made in ruthenium, a strong dark-grey metal, which has the chemical symbol Ru and was named after this year’s FIFA World Cup™ host.
The teams are in, and the players are warming up, with less than 15 minutes to go before the opening ceremony begins.
The teams for #RUSKSA are in... 👀#WorldCup pic.twitter.com/rjPSQQWUQ5
— FIFA World Cup 🏆 (@FIFAWorldCup) June 14, 2018
0 - No host nation has ever lost in their opening game of a World Cup tournament (W15 D6, including both Japan and Korea debuts in 2002). Expectation. #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/PD8tHQHMz9
— OptaJavier (@OptaJavier) June 14, 2018
My first impression of the Luzhniki Stadium dressing-rooms is that they are unremarkable in every respect except cleanliness. They are absolutely spotless:
Yes, but why?
Half an hour to go before the opening ceremony begins, which leaves just enough time for a quick World Cup opening-game quiz:
Speaking of music, I am particularly looking forward to an extended spoons of victory solo at the opening ceremony. I will be beyond disappointed if they don’t make an appearance. They’re not the World Cup’s official instrument for nothing.
Please, enough. Hippopotamuses cannot predict the results of football matches. Hell, people can’t reliably predict the results of football matches. Stop this nonsense now.
Michael Hann will be writing a little later about the use of music in the opening ceremony, but in the meantime he’s been thinking about soundtracks to this and previous World Cups:
Today’s World Cup opening ceremony is just the spearhead of a month in which the music business will expect to make serious money. Robbie Williams and his label, Universal, will be hoping for the massive increase in sales and streams that traditionally follow a globally televised appearance (as will classical stars Placido Domingo, Juan Diego Florez and Aida Garifullina); the official World Cup song – Live It Up by Nicky Jam featuring Will Smith – will doubtless get it little boost after getting a run-out at the ceremony. But away from the Luzhniki Stadium, the industry is gearing up for a month of money making.
For starters, Live It Up isn’t the only “official anthem” of this World Cup. Tournament sponsor Coca-Cola has its own “official anthem” – Colors, by Jason Derulo and Maluma. Telemundo, which holds the Spanish-language broadcast rights to the tournament in the US, has released J Balvin and Michael Brun’s Positivo – an old song with repurposed lyrics – as its World Cup anthem. And there are three more songs that appear to have been given “official” status, too, originally with the intention of there being a Fifa-sanctioned album, though there’s been no sign of it yet. Still, that pales in comparison with the nine – nine! – songs that were granted official status one way or another for the 2014 World Cup.
Then there are the scores of unofficial songs: from the dreadful Rasputin Rebooted by the Stars House Band, featuring Ricky Wilson of the Kaiser Chiefs, and sport’s buffoon-in-chief, Andrew Flintoff, to the rather better Chin Up, by hipsters du jour Rhythm Method, though don’t expect it to be echoing round the streets, sung lustily by post-pub gangs of drunk fans.
Old music, too, gets a push. World Cup advertising campaigns get built around music – for people of a certain age, Massive Attack’s Angel isn’t so much an expression of dread, as the accompaniment to Adidas’s 1998 World Cup campaign – and the money that flows in from “syncs” to advertisements is a major revenue stream in this age of declining sales. This year, Beats by Dré has commissioned a four-minute mini-movie directed by Guy Ritchie called Made Defiant, telling the “origin stories” of World Cup stars – and soundtracked by hip-hop star Anderson.Paak. You can also expect to hear AC/DC on Coca-Cola ads and Major Lazer on Pepsi ads. Even the streaming services aren’t letting up, with Deezer and Apple creating World Cup-themed playlists. And a nation awaits what lachrymose power ballads BBC and ITV have chosen for their montage sequences (Oasis, of course, claimed to have written Stop Crying Your Heart Out in expectation of it accompanying England’s exit from Euro 2002).
But what British audiences hear will be just a fraction of the World Cup’s musical spread. The combination of Latin American music’s booming popularity around the world, and the fevered obsession with football in South America means that this could be a massive tournament for the South American music industry: it’s no coincidence that both Fifa’s and Coca-Cola’s songs feature Latin artists – Nicky Jam and Maluma. This could be the reggaeton World Cup.
Martha Kelner is one of our representatives in Moscow today, where she has been meeting some Saudi Arabians.
Heartening to speak to Saudi Arabia fan (engineer from Riyadh) who has come to Russia for the World Cup with wife and two primary school age daughters with them. Women weren't even allowed into football stadiums in Saudi Arabia until this year.
— Martha Kelner (@marthakelner) June 14, 2018
This is remarkable: Antoine Griezmann will reveal his future plans on national television this evening:
"Estaréis hartitos por los comentarios que dicen si me voy, si me quedo, cuánto me dan... Pero la verdad es la que voy a decir ahora". #LaDecisión de @antogriezmann, hoy a las 21.15h SÓLO en @cero. pic.twitter.com/lZOb47itC6
— Movistar+ (@MovistarPlus) June 14, 2018
Lee Dixon is asked about the political situation
They definitely need a good tournament. We’re aware of the political situation and everything that’s going on, but now it’s football’s time.
So that’s that dealt with, then.
British TV coverage is starting! The World Cup is on!
This just in from the fun-loving England camp:
After the press conference, Chelsea defender Gary Cahill took on - and beat - Daily Mail columnist Charles Sale in a game of darts at the media centre.
A ‘Players’ and ‘Press’ scoring chart was kept, with the indication being that this could be the first in a series of darts matches between the squad and the media.
The media centre also contains a ten-pin bowling alley and Trippier joined Jesse Lingard and Alexander-Arnold in a game, as the assembled media looked on.
Here’s a bit more information on Peter Tatchell, from our Moscow correspondent, Shaun Walker:
British rights campaigner Peter Tatchell is in Moscow to protest against gay rights abuses by the Russian government and the campaign against gay men in Chechnya. He held a one-man protest just outside Red Square holding a placard saying “Putin fails to act against Chechnya torture of gay people”. He was approached by police, who escorted him to a nearby police car and said he was being taken to the nearest police station. Demonstrations without government permission are illegal in Moscow, though one-person demos are allowed.
Here’s another prod towards my piece on the BBC’s World Cup trailer. I truly cannot believe that, having gone to all that effort and created something genuinely special, they then dumped it in favour of totally different opening credits for the actual tournament. Madness.
Updated
Almost-live scenes of Saudi-supporting madness in Moscow:
📹
— Saudi National Team (@SaudiNT_EN) June 14, 2018
The Saudi fans near stadium 😍💚🇸🇦#RUSKSA#KSA #Worldcup pic.twitter.com/MMIYW0lpja
Official: Pele is “well past ready” for the World Cup, a sentiment heartily shared by those who have spent the last six hours liveblogging its build-up.
Are you ready? I am ready. No - I am well past ready! I can't wait any longer! Bring on the #WorldCup! Who's with me? Good luck to 🇷🇺 and 🇸🇦! // Você está pronto? Eu mal posso esperar! Que venha a #Copa2018 ! Quem está comigo? Boa sorte para a Rússia e Arábia Saudita! pic.twitter.com/rPiSU8QBdX
— Pelé (@Pele) June 14, 2018
The good news: the England team is no longer training with a funny mini-rugby-ball-with-a-tail thing. The bad news: now they’re bowling.
Even the Pope’s got World Cup fever! Sorry, World Soccer Championships fever!
I send my cordial greetings to all those following the World Soccer Championships that begin today in Russia. I hope this sports event may be a positive opportunity for encounter and fellowship.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 14, 2018
The LGBT campaigner Peter Tatchell has been arrested in Moscow for what local police described as an illegal protest. He may thus be among the first visitors to enjoy Russia’s new improved prison facilities (see 10.43am)
Hello again! Simon here, back to take you through to kick-off. And here’s a photo from backstage in Moscow, showing the star of the opening ceremony. He looks very excited, don’t you think?
Salah set to play: Egypt’s coach Hector Cuper says he is “very optimistic” that Mohamed Salah will play in his team’s World Cup opener against Uruguay.
Cuper said officials will continue to monitor Salah in training on Thursday but said he was expecting his star forward to be on the field. “I can almost assure you 100 percent that he will play, save unforeseen circumstances at the very last minute,” said Cuper.
Salah injured his left shoulder injury during a collision with Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos during the Champions League final last month after almost single-handedly leading Egypt to the World Cup finals.
Updated
Here’s an intriguing story, flagged up by a reader called Ariane PG. A group of Mexico fans have driven a school bus decorated with drawings from Mexican culture (Day of the Dead, a man making tacos, mariachi etc) all the way from Mexico to Russia, leaving Altamira on the Gulf of Mexico on 25 April. They’ve done it all wearing wrestling masks and sombreros too.
“We’re leaving everything behind and spending our four-year savings so that our bus can take us to our destination. We’re not afraid of death, and we’re not afraid of adventure,” they say.
Four years ago, the Germany team resided in a purpose-built five-star hotel on a tiny, picturesque island off the Brazilian mainland, with the spectacular lush jungle and sea views inspiring them to the World Cup title. This time, the defending champions have replaced their tropical paradise with a red-brick hotel block in the village of Vatutinki, along a drab strip of motorway that leads out of Moscow, surrounded by dozens of huge tower blocks.
But, as Reuters report, Toni Kroos doesn’t mind: “I think it’s OK. We can spend our time here with two, three activities that we can do. It is absolutely OK and the desire for vacation afterwards becomes even stronger,” he said er had no water in his room on the team’s arrival this week, said Kroos, adding that some things still needed to be ironed out.
Assistant coach Thomas Schneider had no water in his room on the team’s arrival this week, said Kroos, adding that some things still needed to be ironed out. “It is normal when you arrive that everything is new. Some things won’t work that well. Thomas Schneider had no water but I had,” he said.
Germany kick off their title defence on Sunday with their Group F opener against Mexico.
Next summer, the excitement will be building in France for the Women’s World Cup - Suzanne Wrack weighs up what England are getting right and what they still need to fix in her weekly blog.
Fans of whizzy graphics and corporate sponsorship battles, could do considerably worse than looking here:
Peru’s fans are staking a claim to be the best supporters of the World Cup and, according to our man in eastern Europe, are everywhere.
Is there anyone left in Peru? Enormous groups of Peruvian fans all over Moscow in recent days pic.twitter.com/PGmH1iBhqJ
— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) June 14, 2018
Producing the Guardian’s World Cup journalism is expensive, but supporting us isn’t. Our senior sports writer Barney Ronay explains how you can help keep the Guardian’s football coverage in play.
“I just finished my time machine. But there’s only enough time juice for one trip before the end of July. Should I go back and get Euro 2004 Rooney, or Italia 90 Gascoigne to be the joker in Southgate’s squad? I’m erring on the Gazza side myself,” emails Dave Seare, who appears to have forgotten Rio’s World Cup Wind-Ups as the high-water mark of football prankery.
Lunchtime quiz: which stadium has a 4,030 square metre hi-def video screen? Which arena has a view of the Krasnaya Polyana mountains and the Black Sea? Which two stadiums caught fire in the buildup to the World Cup? All the answers and more are available right here.
This piece may be on rugby league, but it could equally apply to any sport as the former former forward Paul Highton reveals the problems he had on retiring from the sport. “I was really struggling,” he says. “That led me to alcohol and taking prescription drugs to cope with the fact I wasn’t playing anymore.”
Something to flag away from the World Cup is the US Open, which is chugging into life at Shinnecock Hills. Scott Murray is in the chair throughout the tournament and, it is with some sense of trepidation, that he has just written his first entry given it means he’ll more or less be constantly liveblogging for the next four days. It is on, as he’s always keen to point out.
Afternoon all. Tom Bryant here just taking over the liveblog while Simon gets a break. I’ve enjoyed reading Sid Lowe’s piece on Panama’s Julio Dely Valdés this morning: “This should be the start of something: Panama at the World Cup! We’ve taken a giant leap, it’s the country’s biggest sport now, and we have to keep building.”
Worth five minutes of your time:
People have started arriving at the Luzhniki Stadium ahead of the game. Mainly volunteers and stewards from the looks of things, but kick-off is still three hours away.
BONG! It’s Fiver o’Clock!
Updated
True fact: Renard is French for fox.
The Guardian doesn’t just do words, you know. Here are some moving pictures. And words.
Here’s the Queen in action today. I’m taking this as official confirmation that she is supporting Nigeria.
I’ve been sent the results of a survey of English fans conducted by an online gambling company. In what must have been an infuriating result for said online gambling company, looking for a headline-grabbing, eye-catching result from their expensively-commissioned (I’m guessing, it might have been cheap) survey, the most popular answer to the question “who is going to win the 2018 World Cup” was “don’t know”. After that came Germany and then Brazil. This reflects surprisingly well on English football fans, as these are probably the three most sensible answers at this stage.
Mitch Zachi has tipped me off about a solar-powered, LED-panelled T-shirt that at the flick of a switch changes between the English and Russian flags, “allowing you to support England inside the stadium and stay out of trouble on your way back to your hotel”. “Just one click is all you need to switch sides in a tricky situation,” they say. “Our intuitive button is easy to locate and operate, even after vodka.” Unfortunately, it’s out of stock (and probably fictional).
I’ve just received a full running order of the opening ceremony. It’s strictly embargoed until the ceremony begins, so I can’t tell you much, but Robbie Williams fans are going to be very happy. His widely-touted appearance is no mere cameo.
The official World Cup portrait photos have been a mixed bag, full of comic poses, chummy bromances and also distracting shadows. Here’s a sample of England’s:
We asked our readers for their experiences of VAR around the world. Here’s what they said. Sample quote:
I’ve visited Russian tea rooms before to have my fortune told. Given the long-standing tradition for this in Russia, it may be a more efficient way of deciding close calls this summer. Give the fourth official some soggy tea leaves and let him sort it out. It’ll surely go more smoothly than VAR
Julen Lopetegui and Real Madrid have scheduled a press conference for early this evening (7pm CET, to be precise). In the circumstances, you’d have thought it might be better just to keep quiet for a few days. It will happen just an hour after his stand-in Fernando Hierro undertakes Spain’s pre-match press conference in Russia.
You know World Cup fever is taking hold when in the 10 minutes since you last checked the picture wires 500 new photos have arrived and major international agencies think we might want to see random Australians having lunch.
“Here in rule-loving Switzerland, the local police have recently issued a statement about the use of car horns following matches,” writes Adam Horridge. “Interestingly enough, they have said they will ‘indulgently’ allow a maximum of 1 hour’s worth of car horn honking after a game to allow fans to express their ‘joy or disappointment’. So I’m already planning to head straight down to the car park following England’s 2-2 draw with Tunisia on Monday night.”
Here’s the official announcement from the canton of Vaud. It’s really impressive forward planning, though expecting supporters to “express their joy by expressing the rules of road traffic” might be going a bit far. I for one have never been moved to mark moments of particular happiness by ecstatically using my indicator or joyously maintaining an appropriate stopping distance.
The end of the matches will inevitably generate gatherings of fans who will express their joy or their disappointment, notably by forming motorcades of vehicles in the urban centers and by honking continuously. These gatherings, as long as they do not unduly disrupt traffic and public order, will be tolerated ... The municipal police and the cantonal police of Vaud recommend that supporters express their joy by respecting the rules of road traffic and are cautious so that the party remains beautiful until the end of the event.”
Well if it isn’t time for elevenses (insert alternative excuse for a scone if in different time zone). Here’s a short reading list for those heading out on a break. First, how Sporting’s meltdown is dominating Portuguese football:
The US watch this World Cup from afar. Still, at least they won’t have to qualify in 2026 (presumably). Dax McCarty says of the night they were officially eliminated from this tournament: “The main thought that goes through your head is shock. Being a part of it, you almost have a feeling of helplessness. You’re just hoping, praying, that something, anything goes your way.”
And here’s Tom Dart on another cohort of US residents, whose allegiance rests with Mexico:
My general opinion on sporting theme tunes is, if it wasn’t written by Keith Mansfield, I’m not interested.
While away a happy half-hour or so with World Cup Classic YouTube. Do you agree that this is “the greatest ever World Cup TV theme tune, hands down”?
It’s not uncommon for hosts of major sporting events to make significant improvements to national infrastructure in a bid to impress their guests. Russia, apparently, have been tarting up their prisons. This just in from AFP:
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said he had been freed on Thursday, the same day the World Cup kicks off in the country, after serving a month-long sentence for organising an illegal protest.
“I’m with you again after a 30-day business trip. I’m so happy to be free,” he wrote on Twitter.
The 42-year-old was sentenced a month ago after calling for the demonstrations ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s inauguration for a fourth Kremlin term.
Navalny’s lawyer and supporters called the trial politically motivated and the opposition activist said his rights had been violated.
Navalny, who has been imprisoned several times for his political activities, noted in a tongue-in-cheek Instagram post how jail conditions had improved ahead of the World Cup.
“It’s clear that authorities are not ruling out having to arrest drunk England fans for bad behaviour, and they don’t want to add insult to injury,” he wrote.
“There’s been a European-style make-over in all the cells. The bars have been painted. Instead of a hole in the ground - forgive me these details - they’ve installed toilets.
“In the courtyard they’ve put up goal posts and given out real footballs.”
A former goalkeeper writes:
On the day of the World Cup opening ceremony, it's always important to remember... HE HAD IT COVERED. #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/BzJJ3mIBib
— Rich Lee (@DickieLee) June 14, 2018
There are four hours and six minutes to go before live British TV coverage of the World Cup begins. You can fill a little bit of the downtime with this superlative quiz!
“I believe Mourinho is in the process of signing her up for next season,” says Stuart Morphet of the elephant. “Parking the elephant seems more effective than parking the bus. Especially if you use a real elephant.”
I’m loving this Christian Benteke selfie, mainly because it suggests the way he uses running machines is by lying on them:
Fixtures are out, London derby to start 👊🏾 Back to training, lost to the running machine today, more tomorrow 🏃🏾♂️ @CPFC #CPFC 🦅 pic.twitter.com/jge73MzgG9
— Christian Benteke (@chrisbenteke) June 14, 2018
Here’s a really good interview with the former Egypt striker Mido:
I was 150kg and I reached a point where I couldn’t walk 30 yards. If I did, I started to feel pain in my back, my joints and my knees. I remember I was getting off my boat in Egypt five months ago – this day is the turning point in my life – and I was walking off on to an island. I had three friends with me and it was 300 yards to the end of the island. The sand was a bit heavy and it was a bit sunny and I said to them: ‘I cannot walk.’ I had to sit for 30 minutes. I was only 34. That was the moment the switch flicked.
Two days later I saw the doctor. He asked me to do blood tests. When I had the results and the doctor started to talk to me, I knew I had to change. He told me that my cholesterol is 320 and that the top of the average is 200. He said I was on the edge of being diabetic. And, to be honest, the doctor told me that if I continue with my lifestyle, there is a more than an 80% chance that I’ll die before I am 40. He told me: ‘You will die.’”
Read more here:
We’re starting to receive pictures of England’s training session, which I believe is still happening as I type. They don’t appear to be playing football - so far they are all of people playing catch with this tiny-rugby-ball-with-a-tail contraption:
There are several questions that arise from this picture. Why is an elephant playing football? Who made her do this? What is humanity coming to? And hasn’t she just kicked the ball into the Germany goal? Is her 90% hit rate the result of park rangers fibbing?
Here’s the Press Association’s England update:
Marcus Rashford was again absent from England training as the World Cup opener against Tunisia edged closer.
The 20-year-old bolstered his chances of starting Monday’s Group G clash with a man-of-the-match display in the 2-0 friendly send-off win against Costa Rica last Thursday.
However, Rashford’s hopes of featuring against Tunisia appear to be diminishing after missing a second day of training in Russia with a knee complaint.
The Football Association indicates it is a precautionary measure and manager Gareth Southgate called it a “slight knock” upon England’s arrival.
Rashford also attempted to allay concerns about his fitness on Twitter on Wednesday evening.
“Thanks for the messages I’ve been getting,” he posted. “Picked up a slight niggle but nothing to worry about.”
It is just about acceptable to talk about the Premier League on the first day of the World Cup, but this is out of order.
Heads, shoulders, knees and toes... ⚽@louissaha08 shows off his skills on the #CarabaoCup tour of Vietnam. pic.twitter.com/IFH7bDp8Kj
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) June 14, 2018
News just in! Here’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a small Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
England injury news: Marcus Rashford is apparently going to miss training again today.
The refereeing team for today’s World Cup opener (and all World Cup matches) is enormous. Nestor Pitana will hold the whistle, with fellow Argentines Juan Pablo Bellati and Hernan Maidana running the lines and Sandro Ricci from Brazil the fourth official, while Emerson de Carvalho, also of Brazil, is the reserve assistant referee. Then Massimiliano Irrati of Italy is the VAR, Mauro Vigliano of Argentina the assistant VAR, Carlos Astroza of Chile the offside VAR and Italian Daniele Orsato the support VAR. Just two more officials and they’d have a full XI!
Here’s our story on the Premier League fixtures. I’ve always got a holiday booked in August, which is a significant gamble for any season-ticket holder. And it hasn’t worked out this year: my team’s at home in three of their first four games:
Bong! The Premier League fixtures are out!
📢 Announcing the 2018/19 Matchweek 1 #PLfixtures
— Premier League (@premierleague) June 14, 2018
Full list 👉 https://t.co/iQKSN9XtKw pic.twitter.com/N5BOj8oVN0
Here’s today’s transferrumourly digest:
There seems to have been some kind of opera-based alcohol-fuelled fun in Moscow last night. The picture wires are absolutely full of photographs of bibulous singers and assorted hangers-on. Placido Domingo was present.
“Never mind all this World Cup hullabaloo,” writes Jonny Mac, “did I hear that the Premier League 2018/19 fixtures are out in about half an hour?” You may have done. If you didn’t, you possess the gift of clairvoyance and should introduce yourself to Glenn Hoddle at once, for it is true.
Also from Saudi Arabia comes this snippet about the opening ceremony, which for some reason hasn’t been as widely advertised as the appearance of Robbie Williams. This is the Saudi Arabian Football Federation release:
Children of martyrs will be participating in the 2018 World Cup opening ceremony on Thursday, the day where Saudi Arabia will be playing against Russia the host country at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow at the initiative of the General Sports Authority with the support of the Chairman of the Board Mr Turki Al-Shaikh.
11 children of martyrs have arrived in Russia days ago, will enter with the Saudi national team players before the start of the awaited encounter which is a major media event worldwide.
This grand gesture is about appreciating the martyrs’ heroic exploits in defence of their religion, homeland, and leaders and have sacrificed their lives for martyrdom defending the properties of this consecrated land.
It’s good to see an unashamedly mother-lovin’ footballer. Here’s Saudi Arabia’s Ali Al-Bulaihi on the debt he owes to his mum. “She is the reason for my success and the reason why Ali Al-Bulaihi is the person he is right now.” She’s also the reason why he speaks of himself in the third person, which in general life is to be avoided at all costs but which I find amusing and endearing among sportsmen.
📹
— Saudi National Team (@SaudiNT_EN) June 14, 2018
“Behind every success in my life, stands my mother”
Ali Al-Bulaihi#OurFalcons 💚 pic.twitter.com/QQBkz6l5Qg
Hello world! It’s happening!
And with that, it’s time to hand over the reins to Simon in London, who will take you through to kick-off time in Moscow. Then you’ll have the pleasure of Barry Glendenning’s company for the game itself. From me though, it’s goodbye and thanks for your company.
Really, without meaning to bang on too much about kits (even though it’s probably too late), this graphical history of the 32 competing nations’ strips throughout the ages is very good. I’d forgotten about Belgium ‘82. In fact, ‘82 was a vintage year. Or maybe I’m just a sucker for the aesthetic of that time.
Oh look, here’s Thomas Hitzlsperger, veteran of 52 Germany caps, on his nation’s chances of adding a fifth gold star to their badge. In his first Guardian World Cup column, the former midfielder says recent displays suggest Joachim Löw’s team may have taken their eyes off the ball.
On the subject of kits, the World Cup is a poorer place for the absence of the likes of this Sideshow Bob-inspired affair from the A-League’s Mariners:
Such a shame @mike_hytner that the Central Coast Mariners are not, er, a country. #WorldCup
— Graham Russell (@G_J_Russell) June 14, 2018
Fashion’s first 11: which is the most stylish World Cup kit? https://t.co/MIdzmasM0x pic.twitter.com/pXeWy9tIbO
“I know it’s probably blasphemy to say so but I hated the England ‘82 kit when it first came out and haven’t changed my mind 36 years later,” writes lancaster43, who will now be ceremonially burned at the stake. I particularly enjoy the nod to the ‘82 kit in the current “pre-match” shirt (which I think used to be called a training top). Anyway, this from JD Sports’ website:
This men’s England Squad Pre-Match Shirt from Nike is the same shirt that’s worn by the team when readying up for a game. In a fresh white colourway, it’s built from innovative Dri-FIT fabric, which wicks away sweat to keep you feeling cool and dry - however tense the game gets. The lightweight jersey features a crew neckline and short sleeves. Finished with the signature Swoosh and legendary England crest to the chest.
“Colourway”? “Wicks away sweat”? Anyone?
It’s just past 9am in Moscow, and just after 7am in London, which means Simon Burnton should be awake and nearly be ready to take control of this liveblog. But before he does, and while he wends his way to the hotseat, have a look at this from him, on the making of that utterly brilliant BBC World Cup trailer. An incredible 600 (six hundred!) tapestries were made for it.
The Saudis are one of seven teams at thisWorld Cup from largely Muslim nations and their game tonight comes during the festival of Ramadan. Fasting during daylight hours is, of course, obligatory during Ramadan, which poses a few problems for the players. The Saudis’ situation has been further complicated by the fact they are based in Saint Petersburg, where summer days are lengthy – there is currently 18 hours of daylight to be precise. Paul MacInnes profiles the teams affected, and how they have found various ways of tackling the issue.
Achilles is putting his faith in Russia, but who would he have gone for had he been able to read our experts’ guide to tonight’s teams? Here, Gosha Chernov and Greg Wilcox, part of the Guardian’s international football network, provide a comprehensive lowdown on the two sides:
We’ve had Paul the Octopus, Fred the Ferret, Soothsayer Hog, Citta the Elephant, Flopsy the Kangaroo and Madame Shiva the Guinea Pig, to name but a few of the many psychic animals who specialise in predicating sporting results. Now we can add Achilles the Cat to the list. The feline, who resides in Saint Petersburg, is set to tread in some illustrious footsteps by making predictions for the tournament in Russia, although whether he can live up to the standards set by the ground-breaking Paul, who was famously accurate in his predictions at the 2010 World Cup, is yet to be seen. Achilles, who is deaf – allowing him to fully concentrate on his decision, apparently – has tucked into a bowl of food with the Russian flag on it, signalling a win for the host nation against Saudi Arabia tonight.
But if you prefer your predictions with a more human touch to them, here our very own soothsayers gaze into their crystal balls and deliver their verdicts:
If you’re a quick reader and have about nine minutes spare, this by Ken Bensinger, on how we ended up in Russia for the 2018 World Cup, is a must read.
We all have our favourites. Brazil ‘70, Holland ‘78, England ‘82, Denmark ‘86, to name a few of mine. But are there any classic kits in the making this time around? Peru’s is a definite contender, I feel.
Off the pitch and to be found wading knee deep in hair gel, Iran looked pretty dapper with their suited and booted, tieless look, but the Nigerians also impressed. I’m no fashion expert, but Morwenna Ferrier is, and she reckons the African nation are the real reason why we’re here.
In case you missed it (and because it’s a personal favourite)... what do you do when you’re a Spanish journalist wanting to ask Antoine Griezmann about his future at Atlético Madrid but the France team’s press officer will only allow questions in French (specifically to prevent anyone asking questions about Griezmann about his future at Atletico Madrid)? This:
⚽ Quan el teu francès no és prou bo per fer una pregunta, i fas ús del traductor automàtic del mòbil: https://t.co/gNtVbl0zjb pic.twitter.com/a17NNeNGcc
— Esport3 (@esport3) June 12, 2018
Fire alarm update: not sure if it was the smokers round the back of the bike sheds or something else, but there doesn’t seem to be a real fire. Still, that was about as fun as it was expected. Anyway, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, we can carry on, come what may. All of which leads us nicely to a coach who knows a thing or two about firefighting, Russia’s Stanislav Cherchesov. Stuart James profiles the man hoping to ramp up interest in the host nation after a string of recent poor performances. Includes the quote: “You would be hard pushed to get around the labyrinth of the Russian soul.” From a football coach. Impressive stuff.
Updated
And there goes the fire alarm at Guardian Towers in Sydney, with the impeccable timing of a late Bryan Robson run into the box!
“Hard to get super excited about Russia v Saudi Arabia but Football is Football and the World Cup is on,” writes Ozgooner85. Isn’t that why they’ve plumped for Robbie Williams? Although the irony of him singing Let Me Entertain You before kick-off will not be lost.
Still, there are players capable of lighting up the Luzhniki tonight. Mohammad al-Sahlawi being one, for example.
And what of yesterday’s decision to award hosting rights for the 2026 World Cup to the US, Canada and Mexico? “Hosting World Cups and Olympic Games is openly a politicians’ prestige-burnishing project now,” writes David Conn. More below.
On a day when nuclear tensions were perhaps eased in one part of the world, Sid Lowe writes astutely on how the fallout from Julen Lopetegui’s decision to become Real Madrid coach went nuclear in Russia so quickly, with the president of the Spanish Football Federation finding the move unforgivable – and acting decisively.
Meanwhile, we have reader interaction! “FOOTBALL!” writes Liam Cullen. Indeed it is, Liam. Or at least it will be once Russia and the Saudis take to the pitch later on.
Updated
OK, where to start? There has been a Russian oil billionaire’s worth of preview material published on these pages over the past few weeks, and you’d be forgiven for not having got through it all. But never fear! Over the next few hours, I’ll do my best to point readers in the right direction of some of the best articles, interviews, opinion pieces and interactives, some “editor’s picks” if you like.
And what better place to start than this: the most comprehensive guide to every single player at the tournament, a seething mass of information and insight from the Guardian’s global network of football journalists. Without wanting to blow the Guardian’s own trumpet, it really is a terrific piece of work.
Preamble
Move on, nothing to see here. Please disperse. Nothing to see here.
A ball hasn’t even been kicked yet but already the 2018 Fifa World Cup is going off like a fireworks factory blown up by a military grade ballistic missile. Four years of waiting and then on the day before Robbie Williams and the host nation kick off the tournament, this happens.
Shortly after that Spanish bombshell, and despite some unhelpful interventions from Donald Trump, this happened, much to the delight of the United peoples of North America. Then this, perhaps unsurprisingly. A finally, this, sadly. Oh and there was this too.
Ah, the World Cup, it’s nothing if not entertaining away from the pitch. But this is just the beginning. There are four weeks of this to look forward to now. Plus there’ll be a bit of football, I imagine.
Yes, actual football. There will definitely be some later today, when hosts Russia open their campaign against Saudi Arabia at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. Once the opening ceremony, featuring the aforementioned popster (who has been accused of selling his soul in agreeing to perform), is done and dusted, kick off is 6pm local, 4pm BST, 1am (Friday) AEST or 11am EDT.
Some housekeeping before we dive head first into it all: this daily blog will run until an hour before the first game of the day kicks off. Then, it’s over to the new, match-specific liveblog(s) to see the day through. And that’s how we’ll roll pretty much every day for the next four weeks. It’s a liveblogger’s dream/nightmare scenario, depending on how how deep into the tournament we are, one assumes.
Comments below the line are on, but if you wanted to get in touch on email you can do on mike.hytner@theguardian.com, or even Twitter @mike_hytner, if that’s your bag, until my colleague in London, Simon Burnton, takes over in about three hours’ time.
It’s a world event, so Google translate has been bookmarked and will be a good friend over the coming weeks. With that in mind, добро пожаловать! Пойдем!
