All the updates from World Cup 2018 Day 1

Check out this awesome goal that Denis Cheryshev scored in Russia’s stunning 5-0 walloping of Saudi Arabia in the opening game of the World Cup.

Think that was a nice goal? Here’s an even better one that Cheryshev scored at the end of the second half.

It was a common refrain during the opening match of the 2018 World Cup, which Russia won 5-0: Their opponent Saudi Arabia wasn’t very good, and can you imagine what the World Cup will be like when they expand to 48 teams, as FIFA plans to do in 2026 (and possible in 2022)?

The games will blow! They’ll be awful! It’ll be little squat dinguses flailing around on the field, kicking it into their own faces, for 90 straight minutes, every day for a month!

The blare of the vuvuzela was the soundtrack of the 2010 World Cup, buzzing over the pitch and through television speakers to make games across South Africa sound like they were being broadcast live from an angry beehive. With Russia’s “Spoons of Victory,” games at the 2018 World Cup will sound more like they’re coming live from a folksy Kaliningrad kitchen.

Get ready for the percussive sounds of “lozhkas,” a pair of wooden Russian spoons traditionally placed back-to-back and hit with a third to create a rhythmic beat. Fans at the matches across Russia this summer could bring their own spoons or purchase a starter kit at the venue. In that case, it will likely be an easier-to-use plastic set of spoons connected at the stems.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia will kick off Thursday, which means a month-long schedule of non-stop soccer featuring the best teams and (most of) the best players from around the globe.

Before the first game kicks off, an opening ceremony will be held at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. The event features the Fresh Prince himself, Will Smith, performing the 2018 World Cup’s official anthem “Live It Up” with Nicky Jam and Era Istrefi. English singer Robbie Williams and Russian soprano Aida Garifullina will also perform.

Global excitement for the 2018 World Cup is palpable, but mostly for everything that comes after the opening match. The tournament kicks off on Thursday with Saudi Arabia — FIFA’s lowest-ranked team in the competition — taking on the hosts, Russia. The Russians probably stink.

It’s important to use a qualifier like “probably” because there really isn’t enough information available to say so definitively. Unlike the rest of the field, Russia did not have to prove itself in competitive matches to get here. Knowing that its friendly matches didn’t matter probably affected the team’s mindset. And none of their matches leading into this tournament were preceded by a three-week training camp, which could make a big difference in Russia’s play.