 "A light installation showing the official logotype of the 2018 FIFA World Cup")
A popular internet meme implies that being an Asian football fan means going sleepless at night to catch live the biggest matches international football has to offer. Past World Cups and club-level matches in Europe posed that big question to the people of this part of the globe: to watch or not to watch?
But no such dilemma in the Fifa World Cup 2018, which will give a football-crazy Indian fans a chance to catch the action during evening hours.
FIFA World Cup is one of the biggest sporting events in the world. The last edition of the tournament, in 2014 in Brazil, reached 3.2 billion people around the world. According to a report by FIFA, the Asian market observed a decline in audience reach due to the less favourable kick-off times which caused the global figure not to rise compared to 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
However, the 2014 edition enjoyed an increase in coverage across India. Audience reach for the whole event increased from 44.9 million in 2010 to 85.7 million in 2014. Russia, the first Eastern European country to host the competition, will offer kick-off timings more suited to the Asian audience and the football fans in India. With a series of high-profile international matches ready to see the light of the day in India (finally!) for the next one month, expect a surge in the viewership figure.
The earliest kick-off time for a game in the forthcoming tournament is 3:30 PM (IST) on June 16 when France will play Australia. The latest timing for kick-off in most matches is 11:30 PM (IST), with one exception -- Croatia vs Nigeria which will begin at 12:30 am on June 17. Broadcasting rights holder Sony Pictures Networks officials have said they are expecting viewership for this year's edition to cross 100 million viewers. Sony's video-on-demand service SonyLiv will live stream all the World Cup games.
The opening match will be between hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia on June 14, which will start at 8:30 PM (IST). Throughout the group stage, three to four matches will be played everyday. The final will be played on July 15 in Moscow at 8:30 PM (IST).
Following is the FIFA World Cup 2018 schedule:
| THURSDAY, JUNE 14 | ||
| Russia vs. Saudi Arabia | 8:30 PM (IST) | Moscow |
| FRIDAY, JUNE 15 | ||
| Egypt vs. Uruguay | 5:30 PM (IST) | Yekaterinburg |
| Morocco vs. Iran | 8:30 PM (IST) | Saint Petersburg |
| Portugal vs. Spain | 11:30 PM (IST) | Sochi |
| SATURDAY, JUNE 16 | ||
| France vs. Australia | 3:30 PM (IST) | Kazan |
| Argentina vs. Iceland | 6:30 PM (IST) | Moscow |
| Peru vs. Denmark | 9:30 PM (IST) | Saransk |
| SUNDAY, JUNE 17 | ||
| Croatia vs. Nigeria | 12:30 AM (IST) | Kaliningrad |
| Costa Rica vs. Serbia | 5:30 PM (IST) | Samara |
| Germany vs. Mexico | 8:30 PM (IST) | Moscow |
| Brazil vs. Switzerland | 11:30 PM (IST) | Rostov |
| MONDAY, JUNE 18 | ||
| Sweden vs. South Korea | 5:30 PM (IST) | Nizhny Novgorod |
| Belgium vs. Panama | 8:30 PM (IST) | Sochi |
| Tunisia vs. England | 11:30 PM (IST) | Volgograd |
| TUESDAY, JUNE 19 | ||
| Poland vs. Senegal | 5:30 PM (IST) | Moscow |
| Colombia vs. Japan | 8:30 PM (IST) | Saransk |
| Russia vs. Egypt | 11:30 PM (IST) | Saint Petersburg |
| WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20 | ||
| Portugal vs. Morocco | 5:30 PM (IST) | Moscow |
| Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia | 8:30 PM (IST) | Rostov |
| Iran vs. Spain | 11:30 PM (IST) | Kazan |
| THURSDAY, JUNE 21 | ||
| France vs. Peru | 5:30 PM (IST) | Yekaterinburg |
| Denmark vs. Australia | 8:30 PM (IST) | Samara |
| Argentina vs. Croatia | 11:30 PM (IST) | Nizhny Novgorod |
| FRIDAY, JUNE 22 | ||
| Brazil vs. Costa Rica | 5:30 PM (IST) | Saint Petersburg |
| Nigeria vs. Iceland | 8:30 PM (IST) | Volgograd |
| Serbia vs. Switzerland | 11:30 PM (IST) | Kaliningrad |
| SATURDAY, JUNE 23 | ||
| Belgium vs. Tunisia | 5:30 PM (IST) | Moscow |
| Germany vs. Sweden | 8:30 PM (IST) | Sochi |
| South Korea vs. Mexico | 11:30 PM (IST) | Rostov |
| SUNDAY, JUNE 24 | ||
| England vs. Panama | 5:30 PM (IST) | Nizhny Novgorod |
| Japan vs. Senegal | 8:30 PM (IST) | Yekaterinburg |
| Poland vs. Colombia | 11:30 PM (IST) | Kazan |
| MONDAY, JUNE 25 | ||
| Saudi Arabia vs. Egypt | 7:30 PM (IST) | Volgograd |
| Uruguay vs. Russia | 7:30 PM (IST) | Samara |
| Iran vs. Portugal | 11:30 PM (IST) | Saransk |
| Spain vs. Morocco | 11:30 PM (IST) | Kaliningrad |
| TUESDAY, JUNE 26 | ||
| Australia vs. Peru | 7:30 PM (IST) | Sochi |
| Denmark vs. France | 7:30 PM (IST) | Moscow |
| Iceland vs. Croatia | 11:30 PM (IST) | Rostov |
| Nigeria vs. Argentina | 11:30 PM (IST) | Saint Petersburg |
| WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27 | ||
| South Korea vs. Germany | 7:30 PM (IST) | Kazan |
| Mexico vs. Sweden | 7:30 PM (IST) | Yekaterinburg |
| Switzerland vs. Costa Rica | 11:30 PM (IST) | Nizhny Novgorod |
| Serbia vs. Brazil | 11:30 PM (IST) | Saint Petersburg |
| THURSDAY, JUNE 28 | ||
| Japan vs. Poland | 7:30 PM (IST) | Volgograd |
| Senegal vs. Colombia | 7:30 PM (IST) | Samara |
| England vs. Belgium | 11:30 PM (IST) | Kaliningrad |
| Panama vs. Tunisia | 11:30 PM (IST) | Saransk |
| SATURDAY, JUNE 30 | ||
| Round of 16: Match 50: Group C winner vs. Group D runner-upRound of 16: Match 50: Group C winner vs. Group D runner-up | 7:30 PM (IST) | Kazan |
| Round of 16: Match 49: Group A winner vs. Group B runner-upRound of 16: Match 49: Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up | 11:30 PM (IST) | Sochi |
| SUNDAY, JULY 1 | ||
| Round of 16: Match 51: Group B winner vs. Group A runner-upRound of 16: Match 51: Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up | 7:30 PM (IST) | Moscow |
| Round of 16: Match 52: Group D winner vs. Group C runner-upRound of 16: Match 52: Group D winner vs. Group C runner-up | 11:30 PM (IST) | Nizhny Novgorod |
| MONDAY, JULY 2 | ||
| Round of 16: Match 53: Group E winner vs. Group F runner-upRound of 16: Match 53: Group E winner vs. Group F runner-up | 7:30 PM (IST) | Samara |
| Round of 16: Match 54: Group G winner vs. Group H runner-upRound of 16: Match 54: Group G winner vs. Group H runner-up | 11:30 PM (IST) | Rostov |
| TUESDAY, JULY 3 | ||
| Round of 16: Match 55 (Group F winner vs. Group E runner-up)Round of 16: Match 55 (Group F winner vs. Group E runner-up) | 7:30 PM (IST) | Saint Petersburg |
| Round of 16: Match 56 (Group H winner vs. Group G runner-up)Round of 16: Match 56 (Group H winner vs. Group G runner-up) | 11:30 PM (IST) | Rostov |
| FRIDAY, JULY 6 | ||
| Quarterfinal: Match 57 (Match 49 winner vs. Match 50 winner)Quarterfinal: Match 57 (Match 49 winner vs. Match 50 winner) | 7:30 PM (IST) | Nizhny Novgorod |
| Quarterfinal: Match 58 (Match 53 winner vs. Match 54 winner)Quarterfinal: Match 58 (Match 53 winner vs. Match 54 winner) | 11:30 PM (IST) | Kazan |
| SATURDAY, JULY 7 | ||
| Quarterfinal: Match 60 (Match 55 winner vs. Match 66 winner)Quarterfinal: Match 60 (Match 55 winner vs. Match 66 winner) | 7:30 PM (IST) | Samara |
| Quarterfinal: Match 59 (Match 51 winner vs. Match 52 winner) | 11:30 PM (IST) | Sochi |
| TUESDAY, JULY 10 | ||
| Semifinal: Match 61 (Match 57 winner vs. Match 58 winner) | 11:30 PM (IST) | Saint Petersburg |
| WEDNESDAY, JULY 11 | ||
| Semifinal: Match 62 (Match 59 winner vs. Match 60 winner) | 11:30 PM (IST) | Moscow |
| SATURDAY, JULY 14 | ||
| Third-place match: Match 63 (Match 61 loser vs. Match 62 loser) | 7:30 PM (IST) | Saint Petersburg |
| SUNDAY, JULY 15 | ||
| Final: Match 64 (Match 61 winner vs. Match 62 winner) | 8:30 PM (IST) | Moscow |
