1. Opening Ceremony
Cause who doesn’t want to see people dressed as soccer balls and foliage. The costumes are so riveting and look super uncomfortable to wear. These ceremonies beat the Olympics in a heartbeat.
Bring back these guys hah pic.twitter.com/hPWyfYawt7
— Khaled Abdallah (@khaled74) February 19, 2018
2. The instant Alexi Lalas hate on Twitter
It’s sad to see but this will happen the second the pre-game show turns on for the opening match. People just don’t seem to like Alexi Lalas. Good thing he is a good sport about it.
People hate me? https://t.co/LLDrPPCbqy
— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) January 10, 2018
3. The several times FOX will mention the USA didn’t qualify
Well, they have to. The United States fully deserves this criticism from not qualifying for the World Cup. Landon Donovan won’t want to hear it but we will hear it. A lot.
4. Vladimir Putin’s entrance into Luznikhi Stadium for the opening game
I don’t expect anything too dramatic but it will be interesting to see how many games he attends, considering how bad Russia will be. Putin’s juggling act in the countdown video might be good enough to put him on the field for the opening game.
5. The surprising entertainment of the Russia-Saudi Arabia game
The two lowest ranked teams are opening this tournament. My first thought was how bad this game is gonna be. I think we could be in for a 5-4 thriller. These games always turn out to be the opposite of what we expect.
6. Mo Salah vs. Luis Suarez
The past of Liverpool against the present and future of Liverpool. Reds fans will either cry or sing to the heavens at the Egypt vs. Uruguay match on June 15th.
7. Sepp Blatter saying how wonderful of a job Russia is doing as host
He is already saying Morocco should host in 2026. Also, how does he still have 2.5 million Twitter followers? Sepp, learn how to @ an account.
World Cup 2026: Co-Hosting rejected by FIFA after 2002 (also applied in 2010 and 2018). And now: Morocco would be the logical host! And it is time for Africa again! #Fifa #CAF #@FIFAWorldCup
— Joseph S Blatter (@SeppBlatter) February 22, 2018
8. The World Cup is fixed argument starting again
The V.A.R. or the refs will make a stupid call and people will start to bring this up. The argument that the World Cup is fixed has been going around for a while. It’s ridiculous but not completely insane every tournament (See 2002 World Cup).
9. The Morocco-Iran game
0-0 draws are the best! The return of Morocco to the World Cup is something I am excited about. The Strait of Gibraltar Derby will take place on June 15th as the third game of the tournament.
10. The National Geographic pieces about Russia
FOX has teamed up with National Geographic to bring some time-filler pieces exploring Russia into the coverage of the tournament. They will explore the nation’s history, culture, cuisine, and more. Expect a lot of Nat Geo pieces with no USA team in Russia.