Monday 01 January 2018, 08:29

World football's dates for your diary in 2018

  • We round up the key footballing dates for 2018

  • FIFA World Cup on the horizon in June and July

  • Two women’s football tournaments later in the year

Happy New Year! 2018 is upon us and is set to feature fantastic football aplenty. To make sure that you do not miss any of the must-see events in store, FIFA.com has rounded up the highlights on the horizon. So, what are you waiting for? Grab your brand new diary and note down the following key dates.

2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ Undoubtedly the main footballing event already marked in the calendar of most football fans around the world is the global showpiece at Russia 2018. On Thursday 14 June, the first of 64 games will kick-off with the hosts against Saudi Arabia at the Luzhniki Stadium, with the 2018 World Cup Final taking place at the same venue on Sunday 15 July.

FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup France 2018 Less than a month after the final whistle is blown in Moscow at Russia 2018, focus shifts to the women’s game. With the picturesque region of Brittany set to host this year’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, the tournament will begin in Vannes on Sunday 5 August, with the final to be played at the same venue on Friday 24 August.

Fans keen to learn the fate of the qualified teams will also need to note down Thursday 8 March, the date on which the draw will be held to split the 16 teams into four groups.

FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Uruguay 2018 South America has not hosted a global women’s youth finals for a decade, since Chile played host to the U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2008, and so fans of women’s football across the world will be turning a keen eye to Uruguay later in the year. The tournament will begin on Tuesday 13 November, and conclude on Saturday 1 December.

When all the teams are known, the draw will take place in Zurich on Wednesday 30 May.

FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018 It seems a little hasty to already be thinking ahead to the next edition, after Real Madrid retained the trophy just a few weeks ago, but it is always worth keeping ahead of the game. UAE 2018 will begin on Wednesday 12 December, with the final set to be played on Saturday 22 December.

Planet football will also see other huge events, such as the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow on 12-13 June and the 2018 edition of The Best FIFA Football Awards™, with a venue and date for the latter to be confirmed later in the year.

Of course, we cannot forget the steady supply of club football all year round, from leagues to domestic cups and continental competitions, which you can keep track of as they happen with our Live Scores section.

Too much information to take in all at once? Fear not, simply stay tuned to FIFA.com or the FIFA App and follow our accounts on FacebookTwitter and Instagram to keep on top of everything during what promises to be another fantastic year in football.