World Cup 2018: Group Fixtures, Live-Stream Schedule and Start Times
Years of anticipation is close to being over, as the 2018 FIFA World Cup will get under way on Thursday in Moscow.
Host nation Russia are the heavy favourites to triumph in the curtain-raiser against Saudi Arabia. The game will be the opener for a feast of football, including a showdown between rivals Spain and Portugal on Friday before four clashes are played back-to-back on Saturday.
Read on for the schedule for the opening days of the tournament and a preview of some of the standout early fixtures.
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2018 World Cup Fixtures
Thursday, June 14
Russia vs. Saudi Arabia, 4 p.m. BST/11 a.m. ET, ITV (UK)/Fox (U.S.)
Friday, June 15
Egypt vs. Uruguay, 1 p.m. BST/8 a.m. ET, BBC (UK)/FS1 (U.S.)
Morocco vs. Iran, 4 p.m. BST/11 a.m. ET, ITV (UK)/Fox (U.S.)
Portugal vs. Spain, 7 p.m. BST/2 p.m. ET, BBC (UK)/Fox (U.S.)
Saturday, June 16
France vs. Australia, 11 a.m. BST/6 a.m. ET, BBC (UK)/FS1 (U.S.)
Argentina vs. Iceland, 2 p.m. BST/9 a.m. ET, ITV (UK)/Fox (U.S.)
Denmark vs. Peru, 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET, BBC (UK)/FS1 (U.S.)
Croatia vs. Nigeria, 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET, ITV (UK)/FS1 (U.S.)
Sunday, June 17
Costa Rica vs. Serbia, 1 p.m. BST/8 a.m. ET, ITV (UK)/Fox (U.S.)
Germany vs. Mexico, 4 p.m. BST/11 a.m. ET, BBC (UK)/FS1 (U.S.)
Brazil vs. Switzerland, 7 p.m. BST/2 p.m. ET, ITV (UK)/FS1 (U.S.)
In the United Kingdom, the action will be streamed via BBC Sport website or ITV Hub.
In the United States, the action will be streamed via Fox Soccer 2GO.
Egypt vs. Uruguay
The second game of the tournament may not command the same amount of attention as the opener, but Egypt's meeting with Uruguay has the potential to be fascinating.
It's a matchup between a current Liverpool sensation and a former one, with Mohamed Salah set to lead the charge for Egypt and Luis Suarez the main man for Uruguay.
The former has come into the tournament after an extraordinary campaign with the Reds, and it was his last-gasp penalty that sent his nation to the finals in a 2-1 win over Congo.
The Egyptian talisman has made a huge impact:
However, Salah suffered a shoulder injury suffered in the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid, and there are doubts over if he will be fit enough to start for his nation in their opening match.
Suarez made a similarly huge impression at Anfield and has also left his mark on World Cups in the past, for both positive and negative reasons.
In 2010, he famously handled the ball on the line to deny Ghana a semi-final berth, and in 2014, he was banned for biting Giorgio Chiellini. In the latter tournament, he also turned in an inspired performance to help Uruguay past England.
Suarez has continued to set high standards for his club and country since then and remains a force of nature when he's at his best, as these numbers from Warriors of Uruguay show:
Of the two sides, Uruguay have the stronger squad and are definitely the favourites in this encounter. If they can contain Salah, which will not be straightforward, then the South Americans should have enough to get the job done.
Portugal vs. Spain
This meeting between these two Iberian rivals is potentially the best match of the group stages, as European champions Portugal look to capitalise on the dramatic buildup Spain have had.
At the UEFA European Championship, the Selecao shocked plenty with a run to the title, inspired by skipper Cristiano Ronaldo. They got past France without him in the final, and while Portugal may not have the depth to match up to the likes of Spain, they clearly have spirit in abundance.
Having Ronaldo counts for a lot, too, per Sky Sports Statto:
Spain dominated the international scene between 2008 and 2012, but at the last World Cup, it all unravelled for La Roja.
They were hammered 5-1 by the Netherlands in their opening game, and a loss to Chile saw them eliminated at the group stages. A disappointing performance at the Euros followed two years on, but it appeared they had found a steady hand under manager Julen Lopetegui, who was appointed after the 2016 tournament.
That was at least until he was axed as manager on the eve of the 2018 World Cup by Royal Spanish Football Federation President Luis Rubiales.
As we can see here courtesy of ESPN's Dermot Corrigan, he was unhappy at Lopetegui's's appointment as the next Real Madrid manager ahead of the competition:
For the 2010 champions, little is likely to change in the immediacy. Spain will look to get on the ball early and should have the majority of possession, with Portugal adept at playing on the counter-attack.
While Fernando Santos' side have the organisation and defensive tenacity to withstand pressure from the majority of teams in this competition, Spain have what it takes to pick their way through.
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