FIFA World Cup 2018: Football fever runs wild around the world

The FIFA World Cup 2018 fever is finally taking hold in Russia, where wild enthusiasm in provincial centres such as chilly Kazan is filtering through to Moscow ahead of Thursday's opening match in the capital. While curious locals have clamoured to see the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar, it has proved a slow build-up to the June 14-July 15 showpiece, which is being held in Russia for the first time. The tournament opener featuring Russia and Saudi Arabia at the imposing 80,000-capacity Luzhniki stadium has so far failed to capture the imagination of Muscovites, although they have warmly welcomed foreign fans.

Updated on: Jun 13, 2018 6:50 PM IST

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A mural of footballers in action to advertise the upcoming the FIFA World Cup 2018 on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia. (AP)

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Members of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) hold giants portraits representing imprisoned Russian journalists. (AP)

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Artists prepare a clay model of FIFA World Cup trophy in Kolkata. (PTI)

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Colombian fan Jose Florentino poses for photos ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Moscow. (AP)

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Kite-maker Jagmohan Kanojia shows a kite with photos of football players and teams participating in FIFA World Cup 2018 in Amritsar. (PTI)

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Football fans paint the flags of Portugal and Brazil on the wall of a low-income neighbourhood in Karachi, Pakistan. (REUTERS)

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Anna Solnechnaya shows her creation of one of the pebble mosaics depicting Argentina's Lionel Messi in Kazan. (AP)

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A fan with a flag bearing the image of Akhmad Kadyrov, a president of Chechnya who was assassinated in 2004, in Grozny, Russia. (NYT)

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A football fan sports a hair tattoo showing the portrait of Argentinian star Lionel Messi at a hair salon in Novi Sad, Serbia. (AFP)