THE moment is finally upon us.
Russia 2018 gets underway this afternoon when hosts Russia take on Group A rivals Saudi Arabia in a World Cup curtain-raiser that didn’t take long to be dubbed ‘El Gasico’.
While it may not exactly be an opening fixture to get the pulses racing, what is to come over the next month is sure to deliver the thrills and spills millions of football fans tune in for every four years.
Read more: Russia 2018: El Gasico raises curtain on football's greatest show
Once the opening day fanfare is over, there will be an onslaught of live action for the next two weeks as 32 teams battle out for knockout places in the group stage.
With three or four matches taking place every day from Friday onwards, it is important to keep on top of what is happening when. Allow Herald Sport to take you through it…
THURSDAY 14 JUNE
Russia v Saudi Arabia (4pm, Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, ITV)
FRIDAY 15 JUNE
Egypt v Uruguay (1pm, Central Stadium, Yekaterinburg, BBC)
Morocco v Iran (4pm, Krestovsky Stadium, St Petersburg, ITV)
Portugal v Spain (7pm, Fisht Stadium, Sochi, BBC)
SATURDAY 16 JUNE
France v Australia (11am, Kazak Arena, Kazan, BBC)
Argentina v Iceland (2pm, Otkrytie Arena, Moscow, ITV)
Peru v Denmark (5pm, Mordovia Arena, Saransk, BBC)
Croatia v Nigeria (8pm, Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad, ITV)
SUNDAY 17 JUNE
Costa Rica v Serbia (1pm, Samara Arena, Samara, ITV)
Germany v Mexico (4pm, Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, BBC)
Brazil v Switzerland (7pm, Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don, ITV)
MONDAY 18 JUNE
Sweden v South Korea (1pm, Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, ITV)
Belgium v Panama (4pm, Fisht Stadium, Sochi, BBC)
Tunisia v England (7pm, Volgograd Arena, Volgograd, BBC)
TUESDAY 19 JUNE
Colombia v Japan (1pm, Mordovia Arena, Saransk, BBC)
Poland v Senegal (4pm, Otkrytie Arena, Moscow, ITV)
Russia v Egypt (Krestovsky Stadium, St Petersburg, BBC)
WEDNESDAY 20 JUNE
Portugal v Morocco (1pm, Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, BBC)
Uruguay v Saudi Arabia (4pm, Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don, BBC)
Iran v Spain (7pm, Kazak Arena, Kazan, ITV)
THURSDAY 21 JUNE
Denmark v Australia (1pm, Samara Arena, Samara, ITV)
France v Peru (4pm, Central Stadium, Yekaterinburg, ITV)
Argentina v Croatia (7pm, Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, BBC)
FRIDAY 22 JUNE
Brazil v Costa Rica (1pm, Krestovsky Stadium, St Petersburg, ITV)
Nigeria v Iceland (4pm, Volgograd Arena, Volgograd, BBC)
Serbia v Switzerland (7pm, Kaliningrard Stadium, Kaliningrad, BBC)
SATURDAY 23 JUNE
Belgium v Tunisia (1pm, Otkrytie Arena, Moscow, BBC)
South Korea v Mexico (4pm, Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don, ITV)
Germany v Sweden (7pm, Fisht Stadium, Sochi, ITV)
SUNDAY 24 JUNE
England v Panama (1pm, Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, BBC)
Japan v Senegal (4pm, Central Stadium, Yekaterinburg, BBC)
Poland v Colombia (7pm, Kazan Arena, Kazan, ITV)
MONDAY 25 JUNE
Saudi Arabia v Egypt (3pm, Volgograd Arena, Volgograd, ITV)
Uruguay v Russia (3pm, Samara Arena, Samara, ITV)
Iran v Portugal (7pm, Mordovia Arena, Saransk, BBC)
Spain v Morocco (7pm, Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad, BBC)
TUESDAY 26 JUNE
Australia v Peru (3pm, Fisht Stadium, Sochi, ITV)
Denmark v France (3pm, Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, ITV)
Iceland v Croatia (7pm, Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don, BBC)
Nigeria v Argentina (7pm, Krestovsky Stadium, St Petersburg, BBC)
WEDNESDAY 27 JUNE
South Korea v Germany (3pm, Kazak Arena, Kazan, BBC)
Mexico v Sweden (3pm, Central Stadium, Yekaterinburg, BBC)
Serbia v Brazil (7pm, Otkrytie Arena, Moscow, ITV)
Switzerland v Costa (7pm, Nizhny Novgorod Arena, Nizhny Novgorod, ITV)
THURSDAY 28 JUNE
Japan v Poland (3pm, Volgograd Arena, Volgograd, BBC)
Senegal v Colombia (3pm, Samara Arena, Samara, BBC)
England v Belgium (7pm, Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad, ITV)
Panama v Tunisia (7pm, Mordovia Arena, Saransk, ITV)
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