[custom_adv] From December 2014 until May 2018, the national football team remained the highest-ranked team in Asia, representing the longest continuous period of time a team has been top of the continent in the rankings. [custom_adv] It is one of the most successful national teams in Asia with three Asian Cup championships (1968, 1972, and 1976). It is best performance at the Olympics was reaching the quarterfinals in the 1976 Montreal Games. [custom_adv] The 2018 FIFA World Cup is the 21st FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament contested by the men's national teams of the member associations of FIFA. [custom_adv] It is currently ongoing in Russia starting from 14 June and will end with the final match on 15 July 2018. Russia was awarded the hosting rights on 2 December 2010. [custom_adv] This is the first World Cup to be held in Eastern Europe, and the eleventh time that it has been held in Europe. For the first time the tournament takes place on two continents – Europe and Asia. [custom_adv] All but one of the stadium venues are in European Russia in order to keep travel time manageable. At an estimated cost of over $14.2 billion, it is the most expensive World Cup ever. [custom_adv] The final tournament involves 32 national teams, which include 31 teams determined through qualifying competitions and the automatically qualified host team. [custom_adv] A total of 64 matches will be played in 12 venues located in 11 cities. The final will take place on 15 July at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. [custom_adv] Defending champions Germany were knocked out in the group stage on 27 June, the fourth time in the last five World Cups that the holders had been eliminated in the opening stage of the tournament after France, Italy and Spain. [custom_adv] The bidding procedure to host the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup tournaments began in January 2009, and national associations had until 2 February 2009 to register their interest.
