Russia at the FIFA World Cup
Introduction Russia has participated in 4 FIFA World Cups since its independence in December 1991.The Russian Federation played their first international match against Mexico on 16 August 1992, winning 2–0.Their first participation in a World Cup was in the United States in 1994 where they achieved 18th place.In 1946, the Soviet Union was accepted by FIFA and entered their first World Cup in Sweden 1958.The Soviet Union national football team played in 7 World Cups. Their best performance was reaching fourth place in England 1966.The USSR was dissolved in 1991 when Belarus, Russia and Ukraine declared independence under the Belavezha Accords, along with Georgia. The CIS national football team (Commonwealth of Independent States) was formed with other independent nations in 1992 for the purpose of competing in UEFA Euro 1992.Russia was recognized as the official successor of the Soviet Union by FIFA and inherited the records of the Soviet Union.Russia most recently qualified for the 2018 edition as hosts. They were banned from the 2022 edition during qualification. The last time Russia failed to qualify after a full qualification round was in 2010.
Overview ===History=== '''Champions'''   '''Runners-up'''   Third place   Fourth place  FIFA World Cup recordQualification recordYearRoundPosition*Campaign as  as  1930''Not a FIFA member''''Not a FIFA member''— 19341934 19381938 1950''Did not enter''''Did not enter''1950 19541954 1958Quarter-finals6th52125654011831958 19626th42119744001131962 1966'''Fourth place''''''4th''''''6''''''4''''''0''''''2''''''10''''''6'''65011961966 1970Quarter-finals5th 4211624310811970 1974''Did not qualify''6312541974 19784202531978 1982Second group stage7th52217486202021982 1986Round of 1610th421112584221381986 1990Group stage17th31024484311141990 as  as  1994Group stage18th31027685211541994 1998''Did not qualify''85211951998  2002Group stage22nd310244107211852002 2006''Did not qualify''1265123122006 2010107121962010 2014Group stage24th302123107122052014 2018Quarter-finals8th5221117''Qualified as hosts''2018 2022''Banned during qualification''107121962022   2026''To be determined''''To be determined''2026   20302030 20342034TotalFourth place11/2545191016775412580242124681Total:''*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out''Russia's World Cup recordFirst Match '''Soviet Union''' 2–2  (8 June 1958; Gothenburg, Sweden)Biggest Win '''Soviet Union''' 6–0  (2 June 1986; Irapuato, Mexico)Biggest Defeat 3–0  (25 June 2018; Samara, Russia)Best ResultFourth place in 1966Worst ResultGroup stage in 1990, 1994, 2002 and 2014===Record vs=======As Soviet Union====FIFA World Cup matches (by team)AgainstWinsDrawsLossesTotalGSGAGD 001102–2 100120+2 201385+3 002214–3 100140+4 100120+2 1012330 0101440 100120+2 110232+1 0101110 200281+7 100110+1 0101000 100130+3 100130+3 0101000 001112–1 001102–2 0101220 001102–2 1012220 001112–1 100120+2 '''TOTAL''''''15''''''6''''''10''''''31''''''55''''''34''''''+19'''====As Russia====FIFA World Cup matches (By team)AgainstWinsDrawsLossesTotalGSGAGD 0101110 002224–2 001102–2 100161+5 0101220 100131+2 001110+1 100150+5 0101110 0101110 001113–2 100120+2 001103–3 '''TOTAL''''''4''''''4''''''6''''''14''''''25''''''22''''''+3'''''Last update 8 July 2018''
Soviet Union in Sweden 1958 TeamPldWDLGFGAGAvPts321050∞'''5'''3111441.00'''3'''3030441.00'''3'''3012270.28'''1'''----------------===Group play-off===----===Quarter-final===
Soviet Union in Chile 1962 TeamPldWDLGFGAGAvPts3210851.60'''5'''3201832.67'''4'''3102460.67'''2'''30125110.45'''1'''------------===Quarter-final===
Soviet Union in England 1966 TeamPldWDLGFGAGAvPts3300616.00'''6'''3111240.50'''3'''3102221.00'''2'''3012250.40'''1'''------------===Quarter-final===----===Semi-final===----===Bronze Final===
Soviet Union in Mexico 1970 TeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts321061+5'''5'''321050+5'''5'''310245–1'''2'''300309–9'''0'''------------===Quarter-final===
Soviet Union in Spain 1982 TeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts3300102+8'''6'''311164+2'''3'''3111880'''3'''3003212–10'''0'''------------===Second round Group A===TeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts211030+3'''3'''211010+1'''3'''200204–4'''0'''----
Soviet Union in Mexico 1986 TeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts321091+8'''5'''321051+4'''5'''310229–7'''2'''300305–5'''0'''------------===Round of 16===
Soviet Union in Italy 1990 TeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts320135–2'''4'''311143+1'''3'''311132+1'''3'''3102440'''2'''--------
Russia in USA 1994 TeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts321061+5'''7'''312064+2'''5'''310276+1'''3'''3012311–8'''1'''--------
Russia in South Korea/Japan 2002 LegendGroup winners and runners-up advance to the round of 16TeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts321052+3'''7'''312065+1'''5'''3102440'''3'''301215–4'''1'''--------
Russia in Brazil 2014 LegendGroup winners and runners-up advance to the round of 16===Russia vs South Korea===This was the first time the two countries have played each other in the FIFA World Cup, though they did play a friendly in 2013, which Russia won 2–1.The match ended in a 1–1 draw, with both goals being in the second half. GK '''1''' Igor AkinfeevRB '''22'''Andrey YeshchenkoCB '''4''' Sergei IgnashevichCB '''14'''Vasili Berezutski (c)LB '''23'''Dmitri KombarovDM '''8''' Denis Glushakov   CM '''20'''Viktor FayzulinCM '''18'''Yuri Zhirkov   RW '''19'''Aleksandr SamedovLW '''17'''Oleg Shatov    CF '''9''' Aleksandr Kokorin'''Substitutions:'''MF '''10'''Alan Dzagoev   FW '''11'''Aleksandr Kerzhakov   MF '''7''' Igor Denisov   '''Manager:''' Fabio Capello300px GK '''1''' Jung Sung-ryongRB '''12'''Lee YongCB '''5''' Kim Young-gwonCB '''20'''Hong Jeong-ho   LB '''3''' Yun Suk-youngRM '''17'''Lee Chung-yongCM '''14'''Han Kook-youngCM '''16'''Ki Sung-yueng  LM '''9''' Son Heung-min    CF '''10'''Park Chu-young   CF '''13'''Koo Ja-cheol (c) '''Substitutions:'''FW '''11'''Lee Keun-ho   DF '''6''' Hwang Seok-ho   MF '''7''' Kim Bo-kyung   '''Manager:'''Hong Myung-bo'''Man of the Match:'''Son Heung-min (South Korea)'''Assistant referees:'''Hernán Maidana (Argentina)Juan Pablo Belatti (Argentina)'''Fourth official:'''Roberto Moreno (Panama)'''Fifth official:'''Eric Boria (United States)===Belgium vs Russia=== GK '''1''' Thibaut CourtoisRB '''2''' Toby Alderweireld  CB '''15'''Daniel Van BuytenCB '''4''' Vincent Kompany (c)LB '''3''' Thomas Vermaelen   CM '''6''' Axel Witsel  CM '''8''' Marouane FellainiRW '''14'''Dries Mertens   AM '''7''' Kevin De BruyneLW '''10'''Eden HazardCF '''9''' Romelu Lukaku   '''Substitutions:'''DF '''5''' Jan Vertonghen   FW '''17'''Divock Origi   DF '''11'''Kevin Mirallas   '''Manager:'''Marc Wilmots 300px GK '''1''' Igor AkinfeevRB '''2''' Aleksei Kozlov   CB '''14'''Vasili Berezutski (c)CB '''4''' Sergei IgnashevichLB '''23'''Dmitri KombarovDM '''8''' Denis Glushakov  CM '''20'''Viktor FayzulinRW '''19'''Aleksandr Samedov   AM '''6'''Maksim KanunnikovLW '''17'''Oleg Shatov   CF '''9''' Aleksandr Kokorin'''Substitutions:'''DF '''22'''Andrey Yeshchenko   MF '''10'''Alan Dzagoev   FW '''11'''Aleksandr Kerzhakov   '''Manager:''' Fabio Capello'''Man of the Match:'''Eden Hazard (Belgium)'''Assistant referees:'''Mark Borsch (Germany)Stefan Lupp (Germany)'''Fourth official:'''Carlos Vera (Ecuador)'''Fifth official:'''Byron Romero (Ecuador)===Algeria vs Russia=== GK '''23'''Raïs M'BolhiRB '''20'''Aïssa MandiCB '''4''' Essaïd BelkalemCB '''5''' Rafik Halliche (c)LB '''6''' Djamel Mesbah  CM '''12'''Carl MedjaniCM '''14'''Nabil BentalebRW '''10'''Sofiane FeghouliAM '''11'''Yacine Brahimi   LW '''18'''Abdelmoumene Djabou   CF '''13'''Islam Slimani   '''Substitutions:'''MF '''7''' Hassan Yebda   FW '''9''' Nabil Ghilas    FW '''15'''El Arbi Hillel Soudani   DF '''17'''Liassine Cadamuro  '''Manager:''' Vahid Halilhodžić300px GK '''1''' Igor AkinfeevRB '''2''' Aleksei Kozlov  CB '''14'''Vasili Berezutski (c)CB '''4''' Sergei IgnashevichLB '''23'''Dmitri Kombarov  CM '''8''' Denis Glushakov   CM '''20'''Viktor FayzulinRW '''19'''Aleksandr SamedovAM '''9''' Aleksandr KokorinLW '''17'''Oleg Shatov   CF '''11'''Aleksandr Kerzhakov   '''Substitutions:'''MF '''7''' Igor Denisov   MF '''10'''Alan Dzagoev   FW '''6''' Maksim Kanunnikov   '''Manager:''' Fabio Capello'''Man of the Match:'''Islam Slimani (Algeria)'''Assistant referees:'''Bahattin Duran (Turkey)Tarık Ongun (Turkey)'''Fourth official:'''Joel Aguilar (El Salvador)'''Fifth official:'''Juan Zumba (El Salvador)
Russia in Russia 2018 LegendGroup winners and runners-up advance to the round of 16------------=== Knockout stage ===;Round of sixteen----;Quarter-finals
Record players Russia's record World Cup player is Dynamo Moscow legend Lev Yashin. The 1958 FIFA World Cup in particular, which was the first one to be widely broadcast on television, had a major part in introducing Yashin's active and demanding goalkeeping style to the world at large. FIFA have established him as the best goalkeeper of the 20th century by repeatedly naming him in all-star teams like the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2002.Goalkeeper Lev Yashin (here in 1966) participated in three World Cups. He is still Russia's record World Cup player.RankPlayerMatchesWorld Cups1Lev Yashin131958, 1962 and 19662Volodymyr Bezsonov101982, 1986 and 19903Valentin Ivanov91958 and 1962Valery Voronin91962 and 1966Albert Shesternyov91966 and 1970Rinat Dasayev91982, 1986 and 1990Anatoliy Demyanenko91982, 1986 and 1990Oleh Kuznetsov91986 and 19909Igor Akinfeev82014 and 2018Sergei Ignashevich82014 and 2018Aleksandr Samedov82014 and 2018
Top goalscorers Russia's top goalscorers at the FIFA World Cup, Valentin Ivanov and Oleg Salenko, have won a Golden Boot award each. Salenko is the only player who has ever scored five goals in a single World Cup match, and the only player to win the Golden Boot even though his team was eliminated in the group stage.Oleg Salenko scored all of his six international goals at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, five of them in a single match against Cameroon.RankPlayerGoalsWorld Cups1Oleg Salenko619942Valentin Ivanov51958 (1) and 1962 (4)3Igor Chislenko41962 (2) and 1966 (2)Valeriy Porkuyan41966Anatoliy Byshovets41970Igor Belanov41986Denis Cheryshev420188Eduard Malofeyev31966Artem Dzyuba3201810Aleksandr Ivanov21958Viktor Ponedelnik21962Oleh Blokhin21982 and 1986Oleksandr Zavarov21986 and 1990
See also *Russia at the FIFA Confederations Cup*Russia at the UEFA European Championship
References *  Article in ''EU-Football''