The 2018 FIFA World Cup, the 21st edition of the tournament, was held in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018. It marked the first time that Russia—or any Eastern European nation—hosted the competition. A total of 32 national teams competed across 11 host cities, with matches staged in 12 stadiums.
This was also the first World Cup in Europe since 2006. To keep travel times manageable, all but one of the venues were located in European Russia, west of the Ural Mountains. In total, 64 matches were played throughout the tournament.
