World Cup 2018: Russia welcomes the world

’ TANA AIYEJINA and IDRIS ADESINA

The anxious wait for the 2018 FIFA World Cup is finally over as the tournament

kicks off today at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow , Russia. The 32 teams for the

competition have all arrived and the first match of this year ’ s most - anticipated

tournament kicks off at 4 pm (Nigerian time) between hosts Russia and Saudi

Arabia .

The competition ends on July 15 .

Five countries from the Asian

Confederation , five from Africa ,

five from the South America ,

three from the North America

and 14 from Europe will contest

for the title in Russia.

When the Russians launched

their bid to host the World Cup

for the first time, they were on

a high after reaching the semi -

finals at the 2008 European

Championship . Fortunes have

changed for Russian football

and though not one of the

favourites , the world ’ s focus is

on the Eastern European country to deliver the best - ever football spectacle in the

next one month .

With 12 stadiums across 11 Russian cities to host the 64 matches , fans across the

world will witness one of the biggest tournaments in the history of the World Cup

as the 736 players do battle for the world ’ s most - coveted football honour .

The host cities are Moscow , Saint Petersburg, Kazan , Sochi , Kaliningrad, Nizhny

Novgorod, Volgograd, Rostov - on - Don , Samara , Ekaterinburg and Saransk .

Before Russia, European countries have hosted the most World Cup tournaments .

They have hosted the world 11 times while South America has hosted the

competition five times . Africa and Asia have only hosted once each , while North

American countries have hosted twice.

Of all the continents , most winners of previous editions of the World Cup have

come from Europe (11 ) , while countries from South America have won it nine

times . In all , eight countries have won the past 20 editions of the World Cup.

Record winners Brazil , who have won five tournaments , are seeking to further

extend their dominance on the world scene while defending champions Germany

are also in the race to add a fifth title to the four they already have . The German

Machines are seeking to equal the number of titles already won by Brazil – five .

Outside the two , other past winners like Uruguay and Argentina , who have won it

twice each , and France, Spain and England , who have won it once , would also be

hoping to add to their titles in Russia . But an interesting fact about the

competition is that every World Cup winning country has been coached by their

countrymen – no foreign coach has won the tournament for another country .

Apart from the past winners , Russia

2018 is witnessing the debut of two

countries – Iceland and Panama. The

tournament is also witnessing the

return to the tournament of long -

term absentees like Peru , Egypt,

Morocco and Senegal.

It the first time the football’ s

showpiece event is taking place in

Eastern Europe , as well as the first

time the Video Assistant Referee

would be used at a World Cup

following its trial , and controversial

acceptance by some of the world ’ s major football leagues .

At Russia 2018 , Egypt’ s 45 - year - old goalkeeper Essam El - Hadary will become the

oldest player to feature at the World Cup, if he plays in their opening match

against Uruguay on Friday . He takes over from Colombia’s Faryd Mondragon , who

played against Japan in their 4 - 1 win at the Brazil 2014 World Cup at 43 years.

Mexico ’ s Rafael Marquez is the oldest outfield player – he is 39 - years- old . The

youngest player at the tournament will be Australia ’ s Daniel Arzani. He is the only

player who was born in 1999 or later .

Nigeria will be parading the youngest team at the tournament with an average age

of 25 . 9 years. However , there are seven teenagers at the 2018 World Cup :

KylianMbappe , Trent Alexander - Arnold , AchrafHakimi , Francis Uzoho , Jose Luis

Rodriguez , MoussaWague and Arzani. The Panama and Costa Rican teams however

have the oldest players with an average age of 29 . 6 years.

England boast of the only home - based squad in Russia. The hosts are close to the

Three Lions as they have 21 of their 23 players who play club football in Russia,

while Saudi Arabia and Spain are not far behind . Nigeria, Belgium, Switzerland

and Iceland have just one player each playing in their domestic leagues while

Sweden and Senegal have no home - based players in their squads .

Football clubs from England account for 124 of the 736 players in Russia while

clubs from Spain have 81 . German clubs have 67 players at the World Cup while

58 of the players in Russia ply their trades in Italy and 49 do business in France.

The biggest surprise is the Saudi Arabian league , whose league boasts 30 players at

the competition .

However , none of the players from Costa Rica , Iran , Panama , Russia , Saudi Arabia

and Uruguay play league football in England.

Top stars

Every four years, the World Cup is always home to the game ’ s mega and

superstars; Russia isn ’ t different . In terms of financial rating , Brazilian Neymar is

the most expensive player at the 2018 World Cup. Clubs have paid a combined

€ 310 m ( U$366 m) to sign the PSG forward so far .

KylianMbappe ( France, $213 m) , Angel Di Maria (Argentina , $211 m) , Gonzalo

Higuain ( Argentina , $167 m) , James Rodriguez ( Colombia, $ 165 m ), RomeluLukaku

( Belgium, $ 163 m ), Philippe Coutinho ( Brazil , $ 161 m), OusmaneDembele (France,

$ 154 m ), Luis Suarez (Uruguay , $137 m) and Cristiano Ronaldo ( Portugal , $ 133 m)

complete the top 10 richest stars in Russia.

African teams

Making their sixth appearance in the 2018 tournament, some argue that Nigeria’ s

Super Eagles are arguably Africa ’ s best chance of winning a World Cup ouf of the

five sides presented by the continet — they come into the tournament as one the

toughest sides in it and can be considered the dark horses .

Led by experienced captain John Obi Mikel , the Eagles will be banking on their

seasoned players — who play their football abroad among the elite teams in

Europe to break their quarter - final jinx in five previous appearances . The Eagles

haven ’ t reached the last eight since their debut in 1994 .

The Egyptians are playing in the World Cup for the first time in 28 years and will

be buoyed by the fact that the mercurial Mohammed Salah will be fit to play , after

he suffered a shoulder injury in the 2018 Uefa Champions League Final in May .

The Pharaohs come into the tournament as the most successful African nation in

terms of continental titles, winning a record of seven African Cup of Nations

trophies .

Senegal ’ s Lions of Teranga are playing in the World Cup for only the second time,

but will forever be remembered for their 2002 heroics — when they eliminated

then - defending champions France and made it all the way to the quarter - finals .

This Senegalese team are an unpredictable side , spurred on by their Liverpool

talisman Sadio Mane .

For Morocco , it ’ s the fifth time the Lions of the Atlas have made the tournament

and will be led by two - time AFCON winning coach HervéRenard .

Tunisia ’ s Eagles of Carthage head into the 2018 World Cup as the highest - ranked

African side (41 ) after an impressive 2017 — and their momentum is likely to

continue into the tournament.

They are making their fifth appearance — but their first since 2006 . Coach Nabil

Maaloul , who is in his third spell as Tunisia coach , has built a solid, spirited team

worthy of going all the way .

Economic impact

The cost of hosting the FIFA World Cup in Russia will reportedly exceed $ 14

billion , making it the most expensive football competition in history .

It ’ s the first time Russia will host the World Cup, and the country ’ s former Deputy

Prime Minister ArkadyDvorkovich estimated that preparations for the

championship had contributed $ 14 bn , or around one per cent , to Russia’ s GDP

over the last five years .

Altogether , Russia will spend 883 bn rubles ( $14 .2 bn ) to host the World Cup,

several billion more than the official cost of 683 bn rubles ($ 11 bn ) , according to

calculations by the RBC business portal .

Transport infrastructure ($ 6 .11 bn ) , stadium construction ( $3 . 45 bn ) and

accommodation ( $ 680 m) are the biggest line items .

Over half of official World Cup- related costs fall on the federal budget . Since

Russia won the hosting bid in 2010 , the official budget for the tournament has

been amended 12 times .

Analysts surveyed by RBC forecast that any economic growth from the World Cup

would quickly dissipate, despite the influx of government spending .

“ We spent a lot of money and we need to make sure that all this infrastructure

works first and foremost for the development of sport , ” President Vladimir Putin

said at an annual call - in show on Thursday .

Tourism

Eleven cities, namely Moscow , St . Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Kazan ,

Nizhny Novgorod , Samara , Saransk, Rostov - on - Don , Yekaterinburg and Sochi , will

host the championship’ s matches , and the hosts are hoping that the 2018 FIFA

World Cup will have a long- term positive effect on Russia’ s tourism industry and

may even positively influence the Russian economy .

More than 1 . 5 million foreign tourists are expected to visit Russia during the

World Cup , the head of the Russian Federal Agency for Tourism, Oleg Safonov,

said .

“ We believe that about 1 . 5 million people will visit us . The figure may be even

revised upward , ” he said