While many sports fans indulge in watching their favorite athletes or teams volley for championship titles once a year, sports enthusiasts who eagerly follow sports on an international level have to wait four years for tournament excitement to return. As 2018 rolls around, the sports world is rapidly working itself into a fever pitch in anticipation of two of the largest events held in modern times: the Winter Olympics and the FIFA World Cup.
Every four years, the Winter Olympics arrive to transform a chosen locale into a snowy, athlete-filled wonderland. In 2018, the lucky host city is Pyeongchang, South Korea, which received the honor of hosting the games thanks to a majority vote by the International Olympic Committee in 2011. All in all, the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang is set to feature an estimated 2,800 athletes from 87 countries (plus Russia, which is only allowed to send athletes under a neutral IOC designation) competing in 102 events spread over 15 disciplines.
American favorites who will give it their all in hopes of a gold for the United States span several events:
Since being awarded the Winter Games, officials in Pyeongchang have been tirelessly working to adapt old venues and construct new outdoor courses in preparation for the main events taking place February 9-25, and the Paralympic Winter Games that follow in March. The Alpensia Sports Park will be home to the opening and closing ceremonies at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium, while other venues in the park, such as the Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre, Alpensia Cross-Country Centre and Yongpyong Alpine Centre, will host the following events:
The games will also see stand-alone venues Bokwang Snow Park and Jeongseon Alpine Center as the sites for freestyle skiing, snowboarding and several types of alpine skiing. Out at the so-called “coastal cluster” in the city of Gangneung, a set of four grouped venues will showcase some of the games’ most popular events: ice hockey, curling, speed skating and figure skating.
The main gateway to South Korea for those traveling to the Olympics by air is Incheon International Airport in Seoul. From there, visitors can travel to the games’ venues using the newly opened high-speed rail line Korail, by car or by bus.
Another event on a four-year rotation, the FIFA World Cup is an international soccer (or football, as most of the world calls the feet-only sport) competition that changes host country and venue each time it’s held. In the months and years leading up to the tournament, 32 teams from around the world vie for the right to visit that year’s host nation and play for the title. Part of that qualification process includes the World Cup Draw, a highly anticipated event during which the names of all 32 teams are placed into one of four pots, depending on their FIFA world rankings, and then divided into eight four-team groups with one group member drawn from each pot.
The following match-ups between classic champions of the sport would create the most exciting quarter-final duels:
Soccer supporters wishing to partake in the festivities can head to Events 365 for tickets to the FIFA World Cup Soccer Games, taking place Thursday, June 14 – July 15, 2018.
From Seoul to Moscow, don’t let your clients miss out on some of the most glamorous sporting events of the year.
Thursday, June 14 | Time | Location |
Russia vs. Saudi Arabia | 10 a.m. ET | Moscow |
Friday, June 15 | Time | Location |
Egypt vs. Uruguay | 7 a.m. ET | Yekaterinburg |
Morocco vs. Iran | 10 a.m. ET | Saint Petersburg |
Portugal vs. Spain | 1 p.m. ET | Sochi |
Saturday, June 16 | Time | Location |
France vs. Australia | 5 a.m. ET | Kazan |
Argentina vs. Iceland | 8 a.m. ET | Moscow |
Peru vs. Denmark | 11 a.m. ET | Saransk |
Croatia vs. Nigeria | 2 p.m. ET | Kaliningrad |
Sunday, June 17 | Time | Location |
Costa Rica vs. Serbia | 7 a.m. ET | Samara |
Germany vs. Mexico | 10 a.m. ET | Moscow |
Brazil vs. Switzerland | 1 p.m. ET | Rostov |
Monday, June 18 | Time | Location |
Sweden vs. South Korea | 7 a.m. ET | Nizhny Novgorod |
Belgium vs. Panama | 10 a.m. ET | Sochi |
Tunisia vs. England | 1 p.m. ET | Volgograd |
Tuesday, June 19 | Time | Location |
Poland vs. Senegal | 7 a.m. ET | Moscow |
Colombia vs. Japan | 10 a.m. ET | Saransk |
Russia vs. Egypt | 1 p.m. ET | Saint Petersburg |
Wednesday 20 June | Time | Location |
Portugal vs. Morocco | 7 a.m. ET | Moscow |
Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia | 10 a.m. ET | Rostov |
Iran vs. Spain | 1 p.m. ET | Kazan |
Thursday, June 21 | Time | Location |
France vs. Peru | 7 a.m. ET | Yekaterinburg |
Denmark vs. Australia | 10 a.m. ET | Samara |
Argentina vs. Croatia | 1 p.m. ET | Nizhny Novgorod |
Friday, June 22 | Time | Location |
Brazil vs. Costa Rica | 7 a.m. ET | Saint Petersburg |
Nigeria vs. Iceland | 10 a.m. ET | Volgograd |
Serbia vs. Switzerland | 1 p.m. ET | Kaliningrad |
Saturday, June 23 | Time | Location |
Belgium vs. Tunisia | 7 a.m. ET | Moscow |
Germany vs. Sweden | 10 a.m. ET | Sochi |
South Korea vs. Mexico | 1 p.m. ET | Rostov |
Sunday, June 24 | Time | Location |
England vs. Panama | 7 a.m. ET | Nizhny Novgorod |
Japan vs. Senegal | 10 a.m. ET | Yekaterinburg |
Poland vs. Colombia | 1 p.m. ET | Kazan |
Monday, June 25 | Time | Location |
Saudi Arabia vs. Egypt | 9 a.m. ET | Volgograd |
Uruguay vs. Russia | 9 a.m. ET | Samara |
Iran vs. Portugal | 1 p.m. ET | Saransk |
Spain vs. Morocco | 1 p.m. ET | Kaliningrad |
Tuesday, June 26 | Time | Location |
Australia vs. Peru | 9 a.m. ET | Sochi |
Denmark vs. France | 9 a.m. ET | Moscow |
Iceland vs. Croatia | 1 p.m. ET | Rostov |
Nigeria vs. Argentina | 1 p.m. ET | Saint Petersburg |
Wednesday, June 27 | Time | Location |
South Korea vs. Germany | 9 a.m. ET | Kazan |
Mexico vs. Sweden | 9 a.m. ET | Yekaterinburg |
Switzerland vs. Costa Rica | 1 p.m. ET | Nizhny Novgorod |
Serbia vs. Brazil | 1 p.m. ET | Saint Petersburg |
Thursday, June 28 | Time | Location |
Japan vs. Poland | 9 a.m. ET | Volgograd |
Senegal vs. Colombia | 9 a.m. ET | Samara |
England vs. Belgium | 1 p.m. ET | Kaliningrad |
Panama vs. Tunisia | 1 p.m. ET | Saransk |
Saturday, June 30 | Time | Location |
Match 50: Group C winner vs. Group D runner-up | 9 a.m. ET | Kazan |
Match 49: Group A winner vs. Group B runner-up | 1 p.m. ET | Sochi |
Sunday 1 July | Time | Location |
Match 51: Group B winner vs. Group A runner-up | 9 a.m. ET | Moscow |
Match 52: Group D winner vs. Group C runner-up | 1 p.m. ET | Nizhny Novgorod |
Monday, July 2 | Time Location | Location |
Match 53: Group E winner vs. Group F runner-up | 9 a.m. ET | Samara |
Match 54: Group G winner vs. Group H runner-up | 1 p.m. ET | Rostov |
Tuesday, July 3 | Time | Location |
Match 55: Group F winner vs. Group E runner-up | 9 a.m. ET | Saint Petersburg |
Match 56: Group H winner vs. Group G runner-up | 1 p.m. ET | Rostov |
Friday, July 6 | Time | Location |
Match 57: Match 49 winner vs. Match 50 winner | 9 a.m. ET | Nizhny Novgorod |
Match 58: Match 53 winner vs. Match 54 winner | 1 p.m. ET | Kazan |
Saturday, July 7 | Time | Location |
Match 60: Match 55 winner vs. Match 66 winner | 9 a.m. ET | Samara |
Match 59: Match 51 winner vs. Match 52 winner | 1 p.m. ET | Sochi |
Tuesday, July 10 | Time | Location |
Match 61: Match 57 winner vs. Match 58 winner | 1 p.m. ET | Saint Petersburg |
Wednesday 11 July | Time | Location |
Match 62: Match 59 winner vs. Match 60 winner | 1 p.m. ET | Moscow |
Saturday, July 14 | Time | Location |
Match 63: Match 61 loser vs. Match 62 loser | 9 a.m. ET | Saint Petersburg |
Sunday, July 15 | Time | Location |
Match 64: Match 61 winner vs. Match 62 winner | 10 a.m. ET | Moscow |
Written in collaboration with contributing author: AlanaLuna.
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