The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ is getting closer – 75 days to go!

In less than three 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.

75 minutes by plane separates Moscow and Saint Petersburg, the two largest cities in Russia and the destinations for the most important matches at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Twelve fixtures are going ahead in the Moscow stadiums, including the Opening Match, one semi-final and the Final itself. In Russia’s Northern Capital, as Saint Petersburg is otherwise known, there will be seven games, including the other semi-final and the third-place play-off.

Russia is famed for its seemingly endless distances. For example, to get from the westernmost World Cup Host City, Kaliningrad, to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in the Far East takes over ten hours by plane. However, guests at Russia 2018 do not have to undertake such long journeys, since all the Host Cities are located in a fairly compact area of the country west of the Urals. From Moscow to the easternmost Host City, Ekaterinburg, takes two and a half hours.