The Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup is a week away – the excitement and anticipation is building, especially for players who will be making their first ever World Cup appearance, and fans who want to see their country go head-on with top football nations of the world for a chance at the victor’s prize; the 2018 FIFA World Cup Trophy. For Nigeria, the dream to come out on top at the World’s is as old as the game itself and this year more than ever the nation is hopeful that the calibre of players in the Super Eagles team will be just what we need to claim the FIFA trophy.

 2018 FIFA World CupGroups

Group A: Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Uruguay Group B: Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Iran Group C: France, Australia, Peru, Denmark Group D: Argentina, Iceland, Croatia, Nigeria Group E: Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia Group F: Germany, Mexico, Sweden, South Korea Group G: Belgium, Panama, Tunisia, England Group H: Poland, Senegal, Colombia, Japan  

Schedule

Group Stage

Thursday 14 June Russia vs Saudi Arabia (Group A) – Moscow (Luzhniki)  (4:00pm) Friday 15 June Egypt vs Uruguay (Group A) – Ekaterinburg (1:00pm) Morocco vs Iran (Group B) – St Petersburg (4:00pm) Portugal vs Spain (Group B) – Sochi (7:00pm) Saturday 16 June France vs Australia (Group C) – Kazan (11:00am) Argentina vs Iceland (Group D) – Moscow (Spartak) (2:00pm) Peru vs Denmark (Group C) – Saransk (5:00pm) Croatia vs Nigeria (Group D) – Kaliningrad (8:00pm) Sunday 17 June Costa Rica vs Serbia (Group E) – Samara (1:00pm) Germany vs Mexico (Group F) – Moscow (Luzhniki) (4:00pm) Brazil vs Switzerland (Group E) – Rostov-on-Don (7:00pm) Monday 18 June Sweden vs South Korea (Group F) – Nizhny Novgorod (1:00pm) Belgium vs Panama (Group G) – Sochi (4:00pm) Tunisia vs England (Group G) – Volgograd (7:00pm) Tuesday 19 June Colombia vs Japan (Group H) – Saransk (1:00pm) Poland vs Senegal (Group H) – Moscow (Spartak) (4:00pm) Russia vs Egypt (Group A) – St Petersburg (7:00pm) Wednesday 20 June Portugal vs Morocco (Group B) – Moscow (Luzhniki)  (1:00pm) Uruguay vs Saudi Arabia (Group A) – Rostov-on-Don (4:00pm) Iran vs Spain (Group B) – Kazan (7:00pm) Thursday 21 June Denmark vs Australia (Group C) – Samara (1:00pm) France vs Peru (Group C) – Ekaterinburg (4:00pm) Argentina vs Croatia (Group D) – Nizhny Novgorod  (7:00pm) Friday 22 June Brazil vs Costa Rica (Group E) – St Petersburg – 1pm – ITV Nigeria vs Iceland (Group D) – Volgograd (4:00pm) Serbia vs Switzerland (Group E) – Kaliningrad (7:00pm) Saturday 23 June Belgium vs Tunisia (Group G) – Moscow (Spartak) (1:00pm) South Korea vs Mexico (Group F) – Rostov-on-Don (4:00pm) Germany v Sweden (Group F) – Sochi (7:00pm) Sunday 24 June England vs Panama (Group G) – Nizhny Novgorod (1:00pm) Japan vs Senegal (Group H) – Ekaterinburg (4:00pm) Poland vs Colombia (Group H) – Kazan (7:00pm) Monday 25 June Uruguay vs Russia (Group A) – Samara (3:00pm) Saudi Arabia vs Egypt (Group A) – Volgograd (3:00pm) Spain vs Morocco (Group B) – Kaliningrad (7:00pm) Iran vs Portugal (Group B) – Saransk (7:00pm) Tuesday 26 June Denmark vs France (Group C) – Moscow (Luzhniki) (3:00pm) Australia vs Peru (Group C) – Sochi (3:00pm) Nigeria vs Argentina (Group D) – St Petersburg (7:00pm) Iceland vs Croatia (Group D) – Rostov-on-Don (7:00pm) Wednesday 27 June South Korea vs Germany (Group F) – Kazan (3:00pm) Mexico vs Sweden (Group F) – Ekaterinburg (3:00pm) Serbia vs Brazil (Group E) – Moscow (Spartak) (7:00pm) Switzerland vs Costa Rica (Group E) – Nizhny Novgorod (7:00pm) Thursday 28 June Japan vs Poland (Group H) – Volgograd (3:00pm) Senegal vs Colombia (Group H) – Samara (3:00pm) England vs Belgium (Group G) – Kaliningrad (7:00pm) Panama vs Tunisia (Group G) – Saransk (7:00pm)  

Round of 16

(Matches in bold are potential Nigeria fixtures) Saturday 30 June Group A winner vs Group B runner-up- Sochi, (7:00pm) (Match 49) Group C winner vs Group D runner-up – Kazan, 3:00pm (Match 50) Sunday 1 July Group B winner vs Group A runner-up- Moscow (Luzhniki) (3:00pm) (Match 51) Group D winner vs Group C runner-up – Nizhny Novgorod (7:00pm) (Match 52) Monday 2 July Group E winner vs Group F runner-up – Samara, (3:00pm) (Match 53) Group G winner vs Group H runner-up – Rostov-on-Don (7:00pm) (Match 54) Tuesday 3 July Group F winner vs Group E runner-up – St Petersburg (3:00pm) (Match 55) Group H winner vs Group G runner-up – Moscow (Spartak) (7:00pm) (Match 56)  

Quarter-finals

Friday 6 July Winner match 49 vs Winner match 50 – Nizhny Novgorod (3:00pm) (Match 57) Winner match 53 vs Winner match 54 – Kazan, (7:00pm) (Match 58) Saturday 7 July Winner match 55 vs Winner match 56 – Samara (3:00pm) (Match 60) Winner match 51 vs Winner match 52 – Sochi (7:00pm) (Match 59)  

Semi-finals

Tuesday 10 July Winner match 57 vs Winner match 58 – St Petersburg (7:00pm) (Match 61) Wednesday 11 July Winner match 59 vs Winner match 60 – Moscow (Luzhniki) (7:00pm) (Match 62)  

Third place play-off

Saturday 14 July Loser match 61 vs Loser match 62 – St Petersburg (3:00pm)

Final

Sunday 15 July Moscow (Luzhniki) (4:00pm)