2018 FIFA World Cup Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
2018 FIFA World Cup
Чемпионат мира по футболу FIFA 2018 Chempionat mira po futbolu FIFA 2018
France with the World Cup trophy.
Tournament details
Host country	Russia
Dates	14 June – 15 July
Teams	32 (from 5 confederations)
Venue(s)	12 (in 11 host cities)
Final positions
Champions	France (2nd title)
Runners-up	Croatia
Third place	Belgium
Fourth place	England
Tournament statistics
Matches played	64
Goals scored	169 (2.64 per match)
Attendance	78,011 (1,219 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Harry Kane (6 goals)
Best player	Luka Modrić
Best young player	Kylian Mbappé
Best goalkeeper	Thibaut Courtois
Fair play award	Spain
← 2014 2022 → All statistics correct as of 3 July 2018.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup was a huge international soccer tournament. It's held every four years for men's national teams. FIFA organizes this exciting event.

In 2018, the World Cup took place in Russia. It ran from June 14 to July 15. Russia was chosen to host the tournament back in 2010. This was a special World Cup because it was the first one ever held in Eastern Europe.

Germany was the champion from the previous World Cup. But France won the 2018 tournament. They beat Croatia with a score of 4–2 in the final match. This was France's second World Cup title!

About the FIFA World Cup
Host Country: Russia
Teams and Matches
The Final Match
Top Players and Awards
Images for kids
See also

About the FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest soccer competition in the world. National teams from all over the globe compete. They first have to play in qualifying matches. This helps decide which teams are good enough to play in the main tournament.

The World Cup happens every four years. It's a chance for countries to show off their best soccer players. Winning the World Cup is one of the highest honors in sports.

Host Country: Russia

Russia was chosen to host the 2018 World Cup. This was a big moment for the country. It was the first time Russia had ever hosted this major event.

The tournament was held in 11 different cities across Russia. There were 12 stadiums used for all the matches. Many of these stadiums were specially built or updated for the World Cup.

Teams and Matches

A total of 32 teams from different countries played in the 2018 World Cup. These teams were divided into groups. They played against each other in the group stage first.

After the group stage, the best teams moved on to the knockout rounds. In these rounds, if a team lost, they were out of the tournament. This continued until only two teams were left for the final match.

In total, 64 matches were played during the World Cup. Fans from all over the world came to watch. There were many exciting games and surprising results.

The Final Match

The final game of the 2018 World Cup was played on July 15, 2018. It was between France and Croatia. The match was held in Moscow, Russia.

France played very well and scored four goals. Croatia also played bravely and scored two goals. In the end, France won the match 4–2. This made them the champions of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Top Players and Awards

Several players stood out during the tournament:

Golden Boot: This award goes to the player who scores the most goals. Harry Kane from England won it with 6 goals.
Golden Ball: This award is for the best player of the tournament. Luka Modrić from Croatia won this prize.
Golden Glove: This award is for the best goalkeeper. Thibaut Courtois from Belgium received it.
Best Young Player: This award goes to the best player who is 21 years old or younger. Kylian Mbappé from France won this award.

Images for kids

Russian people celebrating when Russia was chosen to host the 2018 World Cup.
President Vladimir Putin holding the FIFA World Cup Trophy in Moscow.
A special 100-ruble banknote made for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, featuring goalkeeper Lev Yashin.
Map showing which countries qualified for the World Cup.
Italian World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro at the World Cup draw in Moscow.
The Yekaterinburg Central Stadium being rebuilt in January 2017.
The outside of Otkrytie Arena in Moscow.
A small model of the Volgograd Arena, which started being built in 2015.
Volunteer flag bearers on the field before a match between Belgium and Tunisia.
A countdown clock in Moscow, 1,000 days before the World Cup.
Soprano Aida Garifullina and pop singer Robbie Williams singing at the opening ceremony.
The ceremony before the first game, Russia versus Saudi Arabia.
A match between Iran and Portugal.
Australia playing against Peru.
Iceland playing against Croatia.
Brazil playing against Costa Rica.
Germany playing against Mexico.
Belgium playing against Tunisia.
Japan playing against Poland.
Russia playing against Croatia.
Luka Modrić getting the Golden Ball award from Vladimir Putin.
Kylian Mbappé receiving the Best Young Player award.
Croatia players after the final match, with Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and Vladimir Putin.
Zabivaka, the wolf mascot for the tournament.
The "Telstar 18" match ball.
The "Telstar Mechta" match ball used in the knockout stage.

2018 FIFA World Cup facts for kids

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