The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ is getting closer - 97 days to go!

In less than four months – 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.

97 The number of goals scored from inside the penalty area during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, equivalent to around 57 per cent of the total number scored (171) during the tournament. Incidentally, the most stunning goal of the World Cup was scored from outside the penalty box. James Rodriguez, winner of the 2014 adidas Golden Boot, struck a remarkable volley in Colombia’s Round of 16 match tie against Uruguay that came out on top in a survey on FIFA.com – with more than four million fans casting their votes.