By Tim Parsons-
The 2018 world cup kicks off today in Moscow, with 32 teams, competing in 64 games over 32 days. Germany are one of the favourites to win the cup this year in a series of games to be played in 12 stadiums, across 11 cities, over the one month duration of the most watched sporting occasion in the world.Germany have reached the semi finals in the last four tournaments, and remain the only team to win all their European qualifying games. Brazil should also be considered favourites, having qualified to every world cup but yet to win a cup since 2002.
England, winners in 1966, are the only team from the home nations to qualify and start against Tunisia on 18 June. The world cup consists of 8 groups, each containing four teams. England have a relatively easy group and will kick off their world cup campaign face World cup campaign against Panama in Nizhny Novgorod on 24 June before rounding off their Group G campaign in Kaliningrad against Belgium four days later (19:00 BST). England do not have a good track record of delivering in world cup tournaments. Their best success for the past three decades came in 1990 when England got to the semi finals and lost to world champions Germany in a penalty shoot out.
That was a memorable world cup for English football that saw England eliminate Belgium from the competition in the last minute of extra time in their quarter final match in Italy, when David Platt scored the winning goal. England went on to come from behind against Cameroon and beat them 3-2 in extra time. The opportunity to beat Germany was squandered on a few occasions in that game, but it was never to be for England. Subsequent world cups have produced nothing meaningful for England, and it will be pointless to hope for the improbable until it happens. The important thing is that each world cup is a fresh opportunity for every team to excel and even win the come. Germany and Brazil must be one of the favourites
Moscow have very tight security in place, with quality face recognition technology in operation right from the airports up the stadiums. The people of Russia are looking forward to the big sporting moment. Tourists have been told to be friendly, vigilant, and avoid hooligan groups in Russia where Russian police will be paying close attention to crime. Gays have been told not to announce themselves because of the homophobic climate in many parts of Russia. Many gays going to Russia will not be happy about this warning, but are aware that the security and safety must be considered above their disappointment with the ideologies in Russia.