The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st edition of the men's FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international association football championship contested by the national teams of the member associations of FIFA. It took place between 14 June and 15 July 2018 in Russia. This was the first World Cup to be held in Eastern Europe, and the 11th time it had been held in Europe. The finals were scheduled to take place from 14 June to 15 July 2018, with the semi-finals being held on 10 and 11 July and the final on 15 July. The tournament was won by France, who defeated Croatia 4–2 in the final. The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the most widely viewed and followed sporting event in the world, with a global audience of over 3. 572 billion people, according to FIFA's official statistics. It was also the most watched World Cup edition ever in terms of TV viewership, with a total of 1. 12 billion viewers, according to Nielsen ratings. The tournament featured 32 national teams, including the host team, Russia, which automatically qualified for the tournament. The other teams qualified through various qualifying matches played over the three years prior to the tournament.

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