The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ is getting closer – 47 days to go!

In less than two months' time – on 14 June, to be precise – the 21st FIFA World Cup™ kicks off at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, as the hosts take on Saudi Arabia.​

That leaves us plenty of time to enjoy a countdown. Between now and the start of the World Cup, we will take a closer look at a different statistic from the history of the tournament each day.​​

47 Born in 1947, FIFA World Cup™ legend Oscar Washington Tabarez will be, at the age of 71, the oldest of the 32 coaches at Russia 2018.

The Uruguay boss will be making his fourth world finals appearance this year, the first having come at Italy 1990, where he took charge of a side containing Enzo Francescoli, Ruben Sosa, Antonio Alzamendi and other leading lights of South American football. That team reached the last 16, where they lost to the hosts.

Tabarez returned to the Celeste job on 8 March 2006 and promptly revolutionised the national team’s fortunes. Over the last 12 years he has worked diligently to return Uruguay to their rightful place in the global elite. The veteran coach steered them to fourth place at South Africa 2010, where they reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1970, and at Brazil 2014 they advanced from the group phase at the expense of Italy and England before falling in the Round of 16. In the meantime, he steered Uruguay to the Copa America title in Argentina in 2011.

Tabarez has presided over 15 World Cup matches to date, ten short of the all-time record for the tournament, set by former West Germany coach Helmut Schoen between 1966 and 1978.