The waiting is over! Russia 2018 is finally upon us, so buckle in for a month of pure football fever. It may not exactly be the stuff of fantasy football, but it all kicks off with Russia vs Saudi Arabia today, and before that the opening ceremony – and we can tell you the best way to live stream the whole thing for free wherever you are.
As far as curtain raisers go, it's unlikely to be a classic. In fact, these are probably two of the worst teams in the tournament by the judgement of many pundits. But if you've been waiting patiently for the start of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, you probably don't even care. You just want football. All the football.
Before we get to the game, there's the glitz. The opening ceremony will immediately precede Russia vs Saudia Arabia, where such confirmed treats include performances by Robbie Williams(!) and celebrated and Russian soprano Aida Garifullina. It's due to start at around 4.30pm local time or 2.30pm BST.
Even if you're somewhere that doesn't have free World Cup coverage, or you just want to get a UK broadcast, then stick with us as we'll tell you the best way to live stream Russia vs Saudi Arabia and the opening ceremony from absolutely anywhere.
Live stream the Russia vs Saudi Arabia game in the UK
How to watch Russia vs Saudi Arabia for free from anywhere else in the world
What's the host World Cup broadcaster where I live?
FIFA has put together a very handy list of which broadcasters are showing the World Cup in countries around the world. You can head here to see the document.
ITV and BBC have divided up the matches equally in the UK, while cable channels Fox and CTV are showing it in the US and Canada respectively.
If your country of residence isn't included in the list, or if you discover that you have to live stream the World Cup 2018 via a paid-for subscription service, you could always consider going down the VPN path instead.
Lead image credit: fifa.com/worldcup
