( CNN ) -- The World Cup is upon us , and for the next month , there will be a significant uptick in the number of folks skipping work , watching games in the break room and wildly mispronouncing Eastern European surnames . Want to get in on the fun surrounding this quadrennial event that stokes the intensest of passions while doing considerable damage to some countries ' gross domestic products for the month ? Here are some fun facts to get you started : . Let the games begin . The host country , Brazil , will kick off the action against Croatia at 4 p.m . ET Thursday in Sao Paulo . The Brazilian squad is a heavy favorite , but Croatia is no slouch , boasting several stars who play in Europe 's top leagues . Keep an eye on one of them just before kickoff : forward Eduardo da Silva . Born in the slums outside Rio de Janeiro , he now plays for the Croatian national team , and his mother reportedly says he intends to sing both countries ' national anthems . 64 games , like March Madness , but not . There is only one game on the first day of the Cup , but between Thursday and June 26 , all 32 teams who qualified will play three games each in what is known as the group stage . Garnering three points for every win and a point for every tie , the teams will be whittled down to the best 16 -- two from each of the eight groups . They will then face off in a do-or-die knockout round beginning June 28 . Your March Madness bracket ? Yeah , it will look like that , but with a quarter of the teams . The final is July 13 . Only world war can stop it . The World Cup has been held every four years since 1930 with the exception of 1942 and 1946 , when it was canceled because of World War II . This will be the 20th World Cup . It 's the eighth time it 's been held in South or North America and the second time in Brazil , the first one being 64 years ago . Only South American teams have won World Cups held in the New World , and the last South American World Cup was won by Argentina on home soil in 1978 . Speaking of winners . There is n't much parity to the World Cup . In fact , only eight teams have won it . England , France and defending champion Spain have won it once each . Argentina and Uruguay have won it twice . West Germany has held the trophy aloft three times , Italy has claimed victory four times and Brazil has won it five times . Hmm . Why on Earth do the Brazilians need home-field advantage again ? It 's not all fun and games . Allegations of corruption within world soccer 's governing body , FIFA , and class warfare within the host nation are casting a pall over the Cup , though do n't expect it to dampen fans ' fervor once the teams take the pitch . Specifically , a key sponsor , Sony , is demanding an investigation into the controversial award of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar , and in Brazil , protesters are asking why an emerging nation is spending billions on hosting a football tournament rather than using it to alleviate poverty .
Croatia 's Brazilian-born Eduardo da Silva reportedly will sing both national anthems . Group stage whittles teams down to 16 , which then enter March Madness-style bracket . Since 1930 , World Cup has been held every four years except in 1942 and 1946 . Only eight teams have won Cup ; Brazil has won five and now has home-field advantage .