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FIFA World Cup 2018 schedule: Match timings as IST, Group, Teams and Venue

By FnF Correspondent | PUBLISHED: 11, Jun 2018, 12:26 pm IST | UPDATED: 28, Jun 2018, 19:31 pm IST

FIFA World Cup 2018 schedule: Match timings as IST, Group, Teams and Venue New Delhi: A popular internet meme implies that being an Asian football fan means going sleepless at night to catch live the biggest matches international football has to offer. Past World Cups and club-level matches in Europe posed that big question to the people of this part of the globe: to watch or not to watch?

But no such dilemma in the Fifa World Cup 2018, which will give a football-crazy Indian fans a chance to catch the action during evening hours.

FIFA World Cup is one of the biggest sporting events in the world. The last edition of the tournament, in 2014 in Brazil, reached 3.2 billion people around the world. According to a report by FIFA, the Asian market observed a decline in audience reach due to the less favourable kick-off times which caused the global figure not to rise compared to 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

However, the 2014 edition enjoyed an increase in coverage across India. Audience reach for the whole event increased from 44.9 million in 2010 to 85.7 million in 2014. Russia, the first Eastern European country to host the competition, will offer kick-off timings more suited to the Asian audience and the football fans in India. With a series of high-profile international matches ready to see the light of the day in India (finally!) for the next one month, expect a surge in the viewership figure.

The earliest kick-off time for a game in the forthcoming tournament is 3:30 PM (IST) on June 16 when France will play Australia. The latest timing for kick-off in most matches is 11:30 PM (IST), with one exception -- Croatia vs Nigeria which will begin at 12:30 am on June 17. Broadcasting rights holder Sony Pictures Networks officials have said they are expecting viewership for this year's edition to cross 100 million viewers. Sony's video-on-demand service SonyLiv will live stream all the World Cup games.

The opening match will be between hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia on June 14, which will start at 8:30 PM (IST). Throughout the group stage, three to four matches will be played everyday. The final will be played on July 15 in Moscow at 8:30 PM (IST).

FIFA World Cup 2018 schedule:

THURSDAY, JUNE 14

Russia vs. Saudi Arabia

8:30 PM (IST)

Moscow

FRIDAY, JUNE 15

   

Egypt vs. Uruguay

5:30 PM (IST)

Yekaterinburg

Morocco vs. Iran

8:30 PM (IST)

Saint Petersburg

Portugal vs. Spain

11:30 PM (IST)

Sochi

SATURDAY, JUNE 16

France vs. Australia

3:30 PM (IST)

Kazan

Argentina vs. Iceland

6:30 PM (IST)

Moscow

Peru vs. Denmark

9:30 PM (IST)

Saransk

SUNDAY, JUNE 17

Croatia vs. Nigeria

12:30 AM (IST)

Kaliningrad

Costa Rica vs. Serbia

5:30 PM (IST)

Samara

Germany vs. Mexico

8:30 PM (IST)

Moscow

Brazil vs. Switzerland

11:30 PM (IST)

Rostov

MONDAY, JUNE 18

Sweden vs. South Korea

5:30 PM (IST)

Nizhny Novgorod

Belgium vs. Panama

8:30 PM (IST)

Sochi

Tunisia vs. England

11:30 PM (IST)

Volgograd

TUESDAY, JUNE 19

Poland vs. Senegal

5:30 PM (IST)

Moscow

Colombia vs. Japan

8:30 PM (IST)

Saransk

Russia vs. Egypt

11:30 PM (IST)

Saint Petersburg

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20

Portugal vs. Morocco

5:30 PM (IST)

Moscow

Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia

8:30 PM (IST)

Rostov

Iran vs. Spain

11:30 PM (IST)

Kazan

THURSDAY, JUNE 21

France vs. Peru

5:30 PM (IST)

Yekaterinburg

Denmark vs. Australia

8:30 PM (IST)

Samara

Argentina vs. Croatia

11:30 PM (IST)

Nizhny Novgorod

FRIDAY, JUNE 22

Brazil vs. Costa Rica

5:30 PM (IST)

Saint Petersburg

Nigeria vs. Iceland

8:30 PM (IST)

Volgograd

Serbia vs. Switzerland

11:30 PM (IST)

Kaliningrad

SATURDAY, JUNE 23

Belgium vs. Tunisia

5:30 PM (IST)

Moscow

Germany vs. Sweden

8:30 PM (IST)

Sochi

South Korea vs. Mexico

11:30 PM (IST)

Rostov

SUNDAY, JUNE 24

England vs. Panama

5:30 PM (IST)

Nizhny Novgorod

Japan vs. Senegal

8:30 PM (IST)

Yekaterinburg

Poland vs. Colombia

11:30 PM (IST)

Kazan

MONDAY, JUNE 25

Saudi Arabia vs. Egypt

7:30 PM (IST)

Volgograd

Uruguay vs. Russia

7:30 PM (IST)

Samara

Iran vs. Portugal

11:30 PM (IST)

Saransk

Spain vs. Morocco

11:30 PM (IST)

Kaliningrad

TUESDAY, JUNE 26

Australia vs. Peru

7:30 PM (IST)

Sochi

Denmark vs. France

7:30 PM (IST)

Moscow

Iceland vs. Croatia

11:30 PM (IST)

Rostov

Nigeria vs. Argentina

11:30 PM (IST)

Saint Petersburg

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27

South Korea vs. Germany

7:30 PM (IST)

Kazan

Mexico vs. Sweden

7:30 PM (IST)

Yekaterinburg

Switzerland vs. Costa Rica

11:30 PM (IST)

Nizhny Novgorod

Serbia vs. Brazil

11:30 PM (IST)

Saint Petersburg

THURSDAY, JUNE 28

Japan vs. Poland

7:30 PM (IST)

Volgograd

Senegal vs. Colombia

7:30 PM (IST)

Samara

England vs. Belgium

11:30 PM (IST)

Kaliningrad

Panama vs. Tunisia

11:30 PM (IST)

Saransk

SATURDAY, JUNE 30

Round of 16: Match 50: Group C winner vs. Group D runner-up

7:30 PM (IST)

Kazan

Round of 16: Match 49: Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up

11:30 PM (IST)

Sochi

SUNDAY, JULY 1

Round of 16: Match 51: Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up

7:30 PM (IST)

Moscow

Round of 16: Match 52: Group D winner vs. Group C runner-up

11:30 PM (IST)

Nizhny Novgorod

MONDAY, JULY 2

Round of 16: Match 53: Group E winner vs. Group F runner-up

7:30 PM (IST)

Samara

Round of 16: Match 54: Group G winner vs. Group H runner-up

11:30 PM (IST)

Rostov

TUESDAY, JULY 3

Round of 16: Match 55: Group F winner vs. Group E runner-up

7:30 PM (IST)

Saint Petersburg

Round of 16: Match 56 : Group H winner vs. Group G runner-up

11:30 PM (IST)

Rostov

FRIDAY, JULY 6

Quarterfinal: Match 57 : Match 49 winner vs. Match 50 winner

7:30 PM (IST)

Nizhny Novgorod

Quarterfinal: Match 58 : Match 53 winner vs. Match 54 winner

11:30 PM (IST)

Kazan

SATURDAY, JULY 7

Quarterfinal: Match 60 (Match 55 winner vs. Match 66 winner)

7:30 PM (IST)

Samara

Quarterfinal: Match 59 (Match 51 winner vs. Match 52 winner)

11:30 PM (IST)

Sochi

TUESDAY, JULY 10

Semifinal: Match 61 (Match 57 winner vs. Match 58 winner)

11:30 PM (IST)

Saint Petersburg

WEDNESDAY, JULY 11

Semifinal: Match 62 (Match 59 winner vs. Match 60 winner)

11:30 PM (IST)

Moscow

SATURDAY, JULY 14

Third-place match: Match 63 (Match 61 loser vs. Match 62 loser)

7:30 PM (IST)

Saint Petersburg

SUNDAY, JULY 15

Final: Match 64 (Match 61 winner vs. Match 62 winner)

8:30 PM (IST)

Moscow