Perhaps the most prestigious and sought-after championship in the world of sports, the FIFA World Cup, is off and running in Russia. Football fans from all over the world have been patiently waiting to watch and follow their team throughout the tournament. At the whalegaming.com headquarters in London we will be hosting a series of events for our members, so if you are interested in betting on the games, apply for membership here and join us.

When and Where to Watch the World Cup 2018

From June the 14th to July the 15th the FIFA World Cup will include 32 national teams, competing in 8 groups of 4 in 11 host cities.

If you find yourself in the UK looking to experience some of this year’s action, ITV and BBC will provide TV coverage for the matches. Live streaming will also be available through the BBC website and the ITV Hub. If in the United States, look for channels FOX and FS1 for the best viewing experiences. All 64 games will also be available on DirecTV Now, Hulu Live, PlayStation Vue, and Sling TV. For the fan looking for the ultimate World Cup experience without stepping foot into Russia, Telemundo and Fox sports are both streaming the matches on live VR (virtual reality) through the Fox Sports VR application, and the Deportes VR application for the Spanish speaking fans.

The First Whale Event of the World Cup

Whalegaming.com kicked off the World Cup with exciting fashion. Our first but most definitely not last event of the World Cup was held on Friday the 15th of July. Our whale members and friends were welcomed to an upbeat atmosphere with a plethora of drinks and a special whale gaming food menu at The Cavendish in Marylebone. All through the day, the three games were shown: Egypt v Uruguay, Morocco v Iran, and Portugal v Spain with music and entertainment provided at half times and breaks. The high scoring match between Portugal and Spain created a lively environment for all the guests and all bets were on. To see more of the events hosted follow our Instagram @whalelifestyle and to be part of our hospitality benefits apply for membership here

Recap of Week 1

For those who missed the action of this weekend, Whale lifestyle is happy to bring to you a recap.

Russia vs Saudi Arabia : 5 – 0
The host team, Russia, fired the tournament off in exciting fashion, downing Saudi Arabia 5-0. Expect Russia’s offensive showcase to startle the rest of group A (Uruguay, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia). The victory marked the second biggest deficit by the hosting national team on the opening match of any World Cup.

Egypt vs Uruguay: 0 – 1
Without the help of Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, the Egyptians found themselves down 0-1 after their first match against Uruguay. This marked Uruguay’s first opening match win at the World Cup since 1970.

Portugal vs Spain: 3 – 3
The biggest game of the week was a tie between Portugal and Spain (3-3). The impressive Spanish team led by Diego Costa (24’, 55’) could not pull away from Cristiano Ronaldo who delivered a hat-trick for Portugal and tied the match at the 88 minute.

France vs Australia: 2 – 1
In group C, France took a 2-1 victory over Australia. The French gained their win after an Aziz Behich own goal in the 80th minute.

Brazil vs Switzerland: 1 – 1
The powerhouse of Brazil was stunned by Switzerland after a 1-1 tie in Group E. Early in the second half Switzerland put the equalizer goal in the back of the net, coming from Steven Zuber (50’).

Germany vs Mexico: 0 – 1
Finally, perhaps the most exciting match was the first group F match between Germany and Mexico. The defending World Cup champions were stunned after a lone Hirving Lozano goal in the 35 minute and stellar defence by the Mexicans to keep Germany off the board. After the first weekend of World Cup play this tournament is set for excitement and many more thrilling matches.

In other games, the scores were: In group B, Iran vs Morocco: 0-1. In group C Denmark vs Peru 1-0 win. In group D, Iceland vs Argentina 1-1 and Croatia vs Nigeria 2-0. Group E, Serbia over Costa Rica 1-0.

Whalegaming.com Predicted Upsets Moving Forward

Leading past champions include Brazil with 5 championships, Germany and Italy with 4, Argentina and Uruguay with 2, and France, England, and Spain each with a single title. This year’s world cup includes Brazil, Spain, Germany, France, England and Belgium as the favourites to take home the all gold FIFA World Cup trophy.

Pulling off an upset on the world’s biggest stage is extremely difficult, but rewards the highest of praise. Here are the teams that may be able to advance farther than expected. First off the list is Poland, who begins in group H along with Colombia, Senegal, and Japan. Colombia is predicted as the favourite in this group. Expect Poland’s best scorer, Robert Lewandowski to perform well after scoring an impressive 16 goals in qualifying. After not qualifying for the cup since 2006, many Poles are expected to travel heavily over to Russia in support. Poland’s biggest competition will be the Colombian squad, led by Lewandowski’s Bayern Munich teammate, James Rodriguez. Another sleeper to watch for includes England. As a group G member along with Panama, Tunisia, and Belgium, England could be seen as a favourite, but recent poor performances in the 2014 World Cup and losing to Iceland in Euro 2016 leads many to lose faith in the English playing on an international stage. Nevertheless, the English are young, fast, and versatile. The Tottenham Hotspur, Harry Kane has drawn the spotlight after scoring 13 goals in 24 games for England, which shows signs of success for the young England team in this year’s FIFA World Cup. Also expect a great performance coming from Danny Welbeck, the Arsenal winger and forward who is the squad’s leading scorer (16) under Gareth Southgate’s English national team. Despite being in a more competitive bracket, expect England to excel in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. If you are interested in placing any bets and being part of the action contact us here.