The hosts will be hoping to draw inspiration from the likes of South Korea and Sweden who in the past exceeded expectations when welcoming the world.
Many will feel, though, that the 2018 FIFA World Cup organizers will be lucky to escape the group stages as they aim to avoid the fate suffered by South Africa when they welcomed the world in 2010.
Igor Akinfeev and Yuri Zhirkov are among the final crop of players that reached the final four of the 2008 UEFA European Championships, with the World Cup on home soil coming a decade or so late for the likes of Sergei Ignashevich, Andrey Arshavin, Sergei Semak and Roman Pavlyuchenko.
In Roman Neustädter, Aleksandr Golovin and Artem Dzyuba, head coach Stanislav Cherchesov has a number of notable and talented players to call upon, but they will need to up their game if they are to appease their home fans - especially following a group stage exit in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Russia suffered first round exits in all three of their previous appearances at the World Cup (1994, 2002 & 2014) - they qualified for seven further global showpieces as the Soviet Union, finishing in fourth place at England 1966.
Cherchesov will be hopeful that 3-3 draws against Belgium and Spain in recent times will serve as some sort of morale boost for his troops, as Russia prepare to welcome the world.
epa06872776 Players of Russia react during the penalty shootout of the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Russia and Croatia in Sochi, Russia, 07 July 2018. Croatia won 4-3 on penalties.
epa06872747 Luka Modric (2-R) of Croatia in action against Yury Gazinsky (R) of Russia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Russia and Croatia in Sochi, Russia, 07 July 2018.
epa06872550 Mario Mandzukic (L) of Croatia in action against Roman Zobnin (R) of Russia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Russia and Croatia in Sochi, Russia, 07 July 2018.
epa06872625 Dejan Lovren (L) of Croatia in action against Fedor Smolov (R) of Russia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Russia and Croatia in Sochi, Russia, 07 July 2018.
epa06872638 Luka Modric (R) of Croatia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Russia and Croatia in Sochi, Russia, 07 July 2018.
epa06872491 Roman Zobnin of Russia (R) and Luka Modric of Croatia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Russia and Croatia in Sochi, Russia, 07 July 2018.
epa06872442 Mario Mandzukic (R) of Croatia and Roman Zobnin of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Russia and Croatia in Sochi, Russia, 07 July 2018.
epa06872477 Daler Kuzyaev (R) of Russia and Marcelo Brozovic of Croatia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Russia and Croatia in Sochi, Russia, 07 July 2018.
epa06855443 Dani Carvajal (L) of Spain in action against Fedor Kudryashov (R) of Russia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Spain and Russia in Moscow, Russia, 01 July 2018.
epa06855545 Roman Zobnin of Russia (R) and Andres Iniesta of Spain in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Spain and Russia in Moscow, Russia, 01 July 2018.
epa06855546 Dani Carvajal (R) of Spain in action against Fedor Kudryashov (L) of Russia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Spain and Russia in Moscow, Russia, 01 July 2018.
epa06855439 Dani Carvajal (L) of Spain in action against Fedor Smolov (R) of Russia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Spain and Russia in Moscow, Russia, 01 July 2018.
epa06855096 Roman Zobnin of Russia (R) and Jordi Alba of Spain in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Spain and Russia in Moscow, Russia, 01 July 2018.
epa06855063 Daler Kuzyaev (L) of Russia in action against Isco (R) of Spain during the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Spain and Russia in Moscow, Russia, 01 July 2018.
epa06855084 Sergio Ramos (R) of Spain and Artem Dzyuba of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Spain and Russia in Moscow, Russia, 01 July 2018.
epa06855092 The ball hits the arm of Gerard Pique of Spain which results in a penalty during the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Spain and Russia in Moscow, Russia, 01 July 2018.
epa06855057 Daler Kuzyaev (L) of Russia in action against Isco (R) of Spain during the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Spain and Russia in Moscow, Russia, 01 July 2018.
epa06839092 Aleksey Miranchuk (C) of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Russia in Samara, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06839075 Rodrigo Bentancur (L) of Uruguay and Artem Dzyuba of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Russia in Samara, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06839079 Fedor Kudryashov (L) of Russia and Nahitan Nandez of Uruguay in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Russia in Samara, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06838948 Nahitan Nandez (L) of Uruguay and Denis Cheryshev of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Russia in Samara, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06839052 Luis Suarez of Uruguay (R) and Sergei Ignashevich of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Russia in Samara, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06839073 Igor Smolnikov of Russia (R) fouls Diego Laxalt of Uruguay during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Russia in Samara, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06838864 Matias Vecino of Uruguay (RL) and Aleksandr Samedov of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Russia in Samara, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06838890 Luis Suarez of Uruguay (R) and Ilya Kutepov of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Russia in Samara, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06838833 Matias Vecino of Uruguay (R) and Artem Dzyuba of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Russia in Samara, Russia, 25 June 2018.
Amr Warda (L) of Egypt and Yury Gazinsky of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Egypt in St.Petersburg, Russia, 19 June 2018.
epa06822684 Roman Zobnin of Russia and Mohamed Salah (R) of Egypt in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Egypt in St.Petersburg, Russia, 19 June 2018.
epa06822749 Artem Dzyuba (C) of Russia celebrates with teammates after scoring the 3-0 lead during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Egypt in St.Petersburg, Russia, 19 June 2018.
epa06822843 Mohamed Salah (R) of Egypt and Yuri Zhirkov of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Egypt in St.Petersburg, Russia, 19 June 2018.
Aleksandr Samedov (L) of Russia and Tarek Hamed of Egypt in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Egypt in St.Petersburg, Russia, 19 June 2018.
epa06822504 Marwan Mohsen of Egypt (C) tries to score during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Egypt in St.Petersburg, Russia, 19 June 2018.
epa06822499 Artem Dzyuba of Russia (L) and Ahmed Hegazy of Egypt in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Egypt in St.Petersburg, Russia, 19 June 2018.
epa06822488 Artem Dzyuba (L) of Russia and Ahmed Hegazy of Egypt in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Egypt in St.Petersburg, Russia, 19 June 2018.
epa06822451 Mario Fernandes (L) of Russia and Mohamed Abdelshafy of Egypt in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Egypt in St.Petersburg, Russia, 19 June 2018.
epa06822461 Denis Cheryshev (L) of Russia and Marwan Mohsen of Egypt in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Egypt in St.Petersburg, Russia, 19 June 2018.
epa06822419 Yuri Zhirkov of Russia (R) and Mohamed Salah of Egypt in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Egypt in St.Petersburg, Russia, 19 June 2018.
epa06822402 Marwan Mohsen (L) of Egypt and Denis Cheryshev of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Egypt in St.Petersburg, Russia, 19 June 2018.
epa06807391 Mohammed Alburayk (L) of Saudi Arabia in action against Aleksandr Golovin of Russia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Saudi Arabia in Moscow, Russia, 14 June 2018.
epa06807471 Mohammed Alburayk (L) of Saudi Arabia and Yuri Zhirkov of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Saudi Arabia in Moscow, Russia, 14 June 2018.
epa06807548 Aleksandr Golovin (L) of Russia in action against Osama Hawsawi (R) of Saudi Arabia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Saudi Arabia in Moscow, Russia, 14 June 2018.
epa06807372 Yury Gazinsky (L) of Russia celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Saudi Arabia in Moscow, Russia, 14 June 2018.
epa06807307 Yury Gazinsky (L) of Russia celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Saudi Arabia in Moscow, Russia, 14 June 2018.
epa06807262 Mario Fernandes of Russia (L) and Salem Al-Dawsari of Saudi Arabia (R) in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Saudi Arabia in Moscow, Russia, 14 June 2018.
epa06807316 Mohammad Al-Sahlawi of Saudi Arabia and Sergei Ignashevich of Russia (L) in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Saudi Arabia in Moscow, Russia, 14 June 2018.
epa06807327 Mario Fernandes (R) of Russia in action against Yasir Al-Shahrani (L) of Saudi Arabia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Saudi Arabia in Moscow, Russia, 14 June 2018.
epa06807337 Mohammad Al-Sahlawi of Saudi Arabia (R) and Ilya Kutepov of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Saudi Arabia in Moscow, Russia, 14 June 2018.
epa06807347 Alan Dzagoev of Russia (L) and Yasir Al-Shahrani of Saudi Arabia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Russia and Saudi Arabia in Moscow, Russia, 14 June 2018.
Russia
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