After all the negative talk in the lead-up, and the inescapable sense of unease that this opening match could turn up a humiliating experience for the host nation, it was tempting to wonder what all the fuss was about after Russia got the tournament started with an emphatic victory that was every bit as comfortable as the scoreline suggests.



The lowest-ranked team in the tournament – Saudi Arabia will…

Robbie Williams has been accused of selling his soul to the “dictator” Vladimir Putin after it emerged he will be performing in Russia for the football World Cup.



The singer will headline Thursday’s opening ceremony, which will be attended by the Russian president prior to the tournament’s first game, between Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Politicians and campaigners criticised the move…

England arrived at their World Cup training base in Russia with explicit instructions aimed at preventing them from being victims of online hacking.



Gareth Southgate and his players, along with the entire Football Association entourage, have been briefed by a team of experts from Government Communications Headquarters and warned they will be seen as soft targets unless they take…

England arrived at their World Cup training base in Russia with explicit instructions aimed at preventing them from being victims of online hacking.



Gareth Southgate and his players, along with the entire Football Association entourage, have been briefed by a team of experts from Government Communications Headquarters and warned they will be seen as soft targets unless they take…

Everyone remembers their first World Cup as their introduction to football,” Roberto Martínez says on an intriguing afternoon at Belgium’s training centre in Tubize. We’re just a short drive from Brussels but a long way from Sochi where Belgium, whom Martínez has managed since August 2016, play their first game as one of the tournament favourites against Panama on Monday.



“I…

After two decades carving out total dominance for the Premier League, Richard Scudamore was able to Howie Long Jersey announce his surprise resignation at a high point of his own choosing – a happy position not enjoyed by some who challenged that supremacy over the…

These are the moments when it is probably wise to remember – this being England, after all – that it is never sensible to overdose on optimism before the World Cup actually starts.



Yet there are at least grounds for positivity and increasingly there is a sense that Gareth Southgate’s players are high on confidence, capable of putting together some vibrant football and not showing any obvious signs of the…

Raheem Sterling has admitted he understands the frenzied reaction to the tattoo of a M16 assault rifle inked on his right calf but has not been affected by the furore, with the forward intent upon making his own mark at the summer’s World Cup finals.



The Manchester City forward will fulfil a lifetime ambition by wearing the England No 10 shirt in Russia – he even sports another tattoo…

This article is part of the Guardian’s 2018 World Cup Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 32 countries who have qualified for Russia. theguardian.com is running previews from two countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 14 June.



“My son is a warrior, I congratulate him and congratulate all those who have helped him,”…