Count down to the Russia 2018. One of the things to expect are as follows:
Given the host country’s huge landmass, Russia 2018 is technically the first World Cup to take place across two continents, Europe and Asia. While most of the 12 stadiums that will host the tournament’s games are in the west of the country, Central Stadium is located in Yekaterinburg, a city east of the Ural Mountains on the border of Europe and Asia.
Ticket disappointment
The process for buying tickets for the finals is already underway, but if you’re purchasing from outside of Russia, the challenge is enormous. Applications for tickets must be made through Fifa’s official website – that’s the easy part. What follows is a series of random draws to decide successful applicants, with four sales phases, four categories of tickets and a further four price categories. Even the most tenacious fan may have to accept that they have as much chance of making the World Cup finals as Arjen Robben – more of him below.
An African team winning the tournament
Nigeria and Egypt have become the first African countries to qualify for Russia 2018. While the Super Eagles can be expected to provide some opponents with a tough tie, only three African teams have ever reached the last eight at a World Cup tournament, Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010. Tunisia, Ivory Coast and Senegal remain in the hunt for the continent’s final three World Cup spots, but based on current form, a first World Cup triumph for Africa still seems some way off.