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The 2018 FIFA World Cup was an international football tournament contested by men's national teams and took place between 14 June and 15 July 2018 in Russia. It was the 21st FIFA World Cup, a worldwide football tournament held once every four years. It was the eleventh time the championships had been held in Europe, and the first time they were held in Eastern Europe. At an estimated cost of over $14.2 billion, it was the most expensive World Cup to date.
The finals involved 32 teams, of which 31 came through qualifying competitions, while as the host nation Russia qualified automatically. Of the 32, 20 had also appeared in the 2014 event, while both Iceland and Panama made their first appearances at the World Cup. 64 matches were played in 12 venues across 11 cities. Germany, the defending champions, were eliminated in the group stage. Host nation Russia was eliminated in the quarter-finals. In the final, France played Croatia on 15 July at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. France won the match 4–2 to claim their second World Cup.
The event featured a number of accolades. Croatian player Luka Modrić was voted the tournament's best player winning the Golden Ball. England's Harry Kane scored the most goals during the tournament with six. Thibaut Courtois won the Golden Glove awarded to the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets. The event was praised for the quality of football but criticised for being a distraction from doping allegations and public relations within Russia. It has been estimated that more than three million people attended games during the tournament.

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