The biggest sporting event, and the most-watched television event of the year, is only a few weeks away as fans await with great excitement for the 2018 FIFA World Cup to begin.
Sportsbook Betfair have compiled the most-searched questions ahead of the World Cup: queries about dates and future tournaments are prominent but there are a few questions that may surprise you.
Prior to the tournament starting, the most commonly asked World Cup questions are as follows:
When is the World Cup?
The number one question that users have been asking over the past year is when the World Cup takes place. The simple answer is 2018. Or to be more specific, the opening game between Russia and Saudi Arabia takes place on Thursday, 14th June, with the final taking place at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Sunday, 15th July. The latest odds on the World Cup group stage have Russia as the comfortable favourites to win the tournament’s opening game.
When is the next World Cup?
The 2018 edition hasn’t even taken place yet and people are already wanting to know when the next World Cup is. Unless they didn’t realise the next tournament takes place this year! After Russia 2018 will be the 2022 World Cup which is being held in Qatar.
When does the World Cup start?
With the tournament rapidly approaching fans want to know then the big day is, when the 2018 World Cup starts. It’s been tradition since the 2006 tournament that the hosts kick off the tournament and this year’s tournament is no different as Russia will face Saudi Arabia on Thursday, 14th June at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
How often is the World Cup held?
The first question not specifically aimed at this summer’s tournament. There has been a four-year gap between every World Cup since its first two tournaments in 1930 and 1934, with the exception of the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions which were cancelled due to World War II. The tournament resumed in 1950 in Brazil. West Germany were actually banned from participating that year but when they returned four years later they won the whole thing for the first time.
Where is the World Cup 2018?
Search data shows that many people knew a World Cup was taking place in 2018 but they didn’t know which country was hosting it. Well, Russia controversially won the rights to host this summer’s tournament on 2nd December, 2010.
When was the last World Cup?
Perhaps this has been asked by people who have only got into football over the past couple of years, but some have searched when the last tournament took place. Brazil hosted the last World Cup in 2014 between June and July. It was the first time the World Cup had been staged in South America since Argentina were the hosts in 1978. It was also the second time that Brazil had hosted a World Cup following the 1950 tournament. Mexico, Italy, France and Germany have all hosted a World Cup on two separate occasions.
When did England win the World Cup?
Anyone searching this term must not be English or living in England. Who doesn’t know that England won the World Cup in 1966 on home soil? It’s something that the media like to bombard us with, perhaps as it’s the only major international football tournament that England have ever won…
Where is the next World Cup?
The next World Cup takes place in 2022 and, against tradition of announcing the hosts eight years in advanced, Qatar won the rights to host the competition on 2nd December, 2010. Again, this sparked a lot of controversy, particularly with reports that people in the country were celebrating their victory before it was even announced! Qatar 2022 will be the second World Cup in Asia after South Korea/Japan 2002.
Who won the last World Cup?
Those who were too young to remember the 2014 World Cup or simply weren’t football fans at the time have been looking at the current holders of the most popular sporting event in the world. Joachim Löw’s Germany won the competition with a 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina. It was the fourth occasion they have done so – only one less than record holders Brazil, who they humiliated 7-1 on home soil in the semi-finals.
Germany are the current favourites to win this year’s World Cup too and are very popular among the World Cup betting tips.
Who has qualified for the World Cup?
The 2018 World Cup will be the penultimate tournament having 32 nations participating as FIFA have announced that they will be expanding the number of teams to 48 in 2026. France 98 was the first time that 32 nations qualified – up from 24 at USA 94. The 32 teams who have qualified for the 2018 World Cup are as follows:
Argentina
Australia
Belgium
Brazil
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Denmark
Egypt
England
France
Germany
Iceland
Iran
Japan
Mexico
Morocco
Nigeria
Panama
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Tunisia
Uruguay