2018 Fifa World Cup: How to follow on BBC television, radio, online & social media

The 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia starts on Thursday, 14 June and you can follow all the drama, tension and excitement throughout the tournament on the BBC.

The BBC is your destination for coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week - we will have 33 matches televised live and also live commentary on all the games on BBC Radio 5 live.

England's first two World Cup matches will be shown exclusively live on BBC television, starting with the game against Tunisia on Monday, 18 June, and then the game versus Panama on Sunday, 24 June.

A host of big names will feature in the BBC's first televised games including Uruguay's Luis Suarez (versus Egypt at 13:00 BST on 15 June), Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (versus Spain at 19:00 BST on 15 June) and France's Antoine Griezmann (versus Australia at 11:00 BST on 16 June).

Reigning champions Germany's first World Cup game in 2018 will also be broadcast live on the BBC (against Mexico at 16:00 BST on 17 June) as will England's World Cup Group G rivals Belgium (against Panama at 16:00 BST on 18 June), before Gareth Southgate's side play Tunisia at 19:00 BST on 18 June.

• 2018 World Cup group stage and schedule

• Which players are going to Russia - all the confirmed squads

• Who's who at the World Cup

Before the tournament starts, a World Cup preview show will be broadcast on BBC One at 22:45 BST on Wednesday, 13 June.

On the eve of England's opening match, audiences can tune into BBC Two on Sunday, 17 June at 21:00 BST for Managing England: The Impossible Job and hear from England managers and decision makers who explain the unique role of being the manager - the pressures, prestige, glory and heartache that comes with having the hopes of the nation resting on their shoulders.

There will also be a 'World Cup Rewind' on the BBC Sport website on Wednesday, 13 June at 12:00 BST as we revisit Brazil's home humiliation against Germany in 2014 when they were beaten 7-1 in Belo Horizonte at the semi-final stage. Watch the game again in full and follow an as-live text commentary, including how the Match of the Day pundits reacted as the game unfolded.

Other online and social media activities to look out for include a day of #myfirstworldcup memories on Monday, 11 June and a 'World Cup of Kits' on Tuesday, 12 June.

• Full TV and radio listings

Television

Alan Shearer played for England 63 times, Frank Lampard 106 times and Rio Ferdinand 81 times

Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker leads the BBC coverage throughout the tournament, with Alan Shearer, Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand joining Lineker in the Red Square studio for England's first two matches.

Germany's 1990 World Cup winner Jurgen Klinsmann, Ivory Coast's all-time leading scorer Didier Drogba, and Pablo Zabaleta, who played for beaten finalists Argentina in 2014, will add an international perspective to the Match of the Day studio in Moscow.

Five other former England internationals - Phil Neville, Jermaine Jenas, Danny Murphy, Martin Keown and England women's Alex Scott - will also be among the BBC pundits in Russia.

BBC Sport regulars Kevin Kilbane and Mark Lawrenson can be heard on TV co-commentary duties alongside Guy Mowbray, Steve Wilson, Jonathan Pearce, Steve Bower, Simon Brotherton and Vicki Sparks, who becomes the first woman to commentate on a World Cup game for British TV.

Gabby Logan will report from the England camp near St Petersburg, while Scott, England women's second-most capped player, will appear on match coverage and across digital and social platforms.

Dan Walker will be reporting and presenting from Russia, as well as hosting a series of special editions of Football Focus on BBC World. Match of the Day 2's Mark Chapman and Final Score's Jason Mohammad will also be at the tournament as part of the BBC presentation team.

A total of 33 games will be shown live on the BBC, on BBC One, BBC Two or BBC Four, as well as the BBC Sport website and app, and iPlayer, with 23 group matches and 10 knockout ties being screened, including the final.

Both of England's first two group games - against Tunisia on 18 June and Panama on 24 June - will be on the BBC with all three of the group matches involving Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal, the reigning European champions, also shown live.

Germany, World Cup winners in 2014, will be shown twice live in the group stages, as will Lionel Messi's Argentina, Luis Suarez's Uruguay and 2010 winners Spain.

Highlights of our non-live games will be available on BBC One and selected games will be replayed on BBC Two throughout the tournament.

A highlights show of the day's play is available most evenings on BBC One.

Football Focus Special will be presented by Dan Walker and Alex Scott to show the fun and excitement of the competition, with a mixture of match analysis and fan reaction, as well as player and team profiles.

Ultra HD/Virtual reality

Fans will be able to watch every match broadcast by the BBC from the corporation's virtual reality sofa

Fans will be able to watch this summer's competition in Ultra HD and virtual reality as BBC Sport trials cutting-edge technology.

Users will be transported to a fully immersive stadium experience, through headsets, as if they were sitting in their own hospitality box.

All 33 matches broadcast by the BBC will be available for free on BBC Sport's VR 2018 World Cup app.

And the 29 matches on BBC One will also be available in Ultra HD.

Ultra HD TV can be accessed through a high-speed internet connection and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The HD stream will be available from the BBC iPlayer home screen as soon as programme coverage begins but the number of users granted access will be limited to "tens of thousands of people".

Matthew Postgate, BBC chief technology & product officer, said: "From the very first tournament on TV in 1954 and England's finest hour in 1966, to the first colour World Cup in 1970 and then full HD in 2006, the BBC has brought major live broadcasting breakthroughs to UK audiences throughout the history of the World Cup.

"Now, with these trials we're giving audiences yet another taste of the future."

News and global news

A team of correspondents, led by BBC sports editor Dan Roan, will be following England every step of the way, as well as bringing the whole tournament to tens of millions of viewers and listeners via BBC News' domestic and international programmes, and Olly Foster will present sport bulletins for the News Channel and BBC World News.

Sport Today will be on location in Russia bringing audiences a wealth of coverage, including live reporting, capturing the latest news, results, interviews and analysis with pundits and former players offering a range of global perspectives. Sport Today will air on BBC World News at 19:30 GMT Monday to Thursday, at 11:15, 13:15 and 18:15 GMT on Saturdays and 13:15 and 18:15 GMT on Sundays.

World Sportsday will have a fresh look and will be a longer show during the World Cup, going into more depth on stories with a range of guests, more features and a look at the way social media is covering the competition. World Sportsday will air on BBC World News at 18:30 GMT on Fridays.

Germany, who beat Argentina in the 2014 final, are in Group F alongside Mexico, Sweden and South Korea

Radio

Mark Chapman and Kelly Cates will lead BBC Radio 5 live's coverage from Russia, while Robbie Savage will host a daily World Cup breakfast show from 08:30 BST with a special guest each weekday of the tournament.

Former internationals Chris Waddle, Terry Butcher, Dion Dublin, Pat Nevin and Chris Sutton will be adding their expert opinions, with John Murray, Ian Dennis, Conor McNamara, Alistair Bruce-Ball and Vicki Sparks our commentators.

There will be regular 606 phone-ins throughout the competition, giving the fans the chance to have their say on all the action.

Fans can listen to all of 5 live's coverage of the World Cup at bbc.co.uk/5live or via the BBC iPlayer Radio app.

There will also be a World Cup Daily podcast, exclusive content accessible on smart speakers and the best commentary clips, analysis and debate on the station's 'In Short' and social media platforms.

Rachel Burden will be the voice of the World Cup for 5 live Breakfast, with Ben Mundy following England for Radio 1 Newsbeat.

Our World Service football reporters Steve Crossman and John Bennett will be in Russia, with Mani Djazmi presenting five editions of World Football from locations across Russia. Lee James also hosts Sportsworld over the opening two weekends of the tournament from our broadcast position in the heart of Moscow.

Seven World Service language services are in Russia for the tournament - BBC Arabic, BBC Persian, BBC Africa (English), BBC Brasil, BBC Hausa, BBC Afrique and BBC Russian.

Online

The UK's biggest sports service, BBC Sport online, will stream all of the BBC's World Cup matches on desktops, tablets, mobiles and connected TVs. On-demand video clips, live text commentary and tactical analysis will also feature online.

Other online highlights include:

• World Cup 2018 Player Rater: The new Player Rater lets you rate all players out of 10. You can share your ratings with friends and see what the rest of the world thinks. Do you agree with the BBC pundits?

• World-class live coverage: BBC matches streamed live in HD with alternative commentary and camera options; live text coverage with instant in-game video highlights; and audio commentary from Radio 5 live.

• Watch every goal: Video highlights for every game and goal scored at World Cup 2018 available at the final whistle.

• Personalise your World Cup 2018: Tailor your World Cup 2018 digital experience to receive all the latest news, results and video highlights from your favourite teams through the My Sport service bbc.co.uk/mysport - available online and mobile devices.

Team Selector: Have a go at picking your England starting XI.

Lev Yashin and the mystique of Russian football: Our in-depth special tells the story of Yashin's career and how he is the only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or.

MOTD analyst Alan Shearer scored England's opening goal in the 1998 World Cup win against Tunisia

Social media

BBC Sport's social media channels will keep more than 30 million fans in touch with breaking news, action and funnier moments from Russia.

Throughout the tournament, in-match updates and breaking news will be available on Twitter, highlights from every BBC game on YouTube, daily World Cup stories available on Snapchat, a mixture of news and video action on Facebook, plus former England star and Arsenal player Alex Scott will host a series of Instagram stories ensuring audiences never miss a moment of what's happening both on and off the pitch.

Barbara Slater, director, BBC Sport, said: "The BBC prides itself on being the home of big sporting events and we are committed to delivering the best all-round coverage across TV, radio and digital of the World Cup 2018. This event deserves expert comment, analysis and insight and our unrivalled line-up of presenters, pundits and commentators are sure to engage viewers and listeners as excitement builds throughout the tournament.

"The opening set of fixtures on the BBC brings an impressive cast of world talent as we head towards England's first game. History will be made at this summer's World Cup and the BBC is there every step of the way to make sure audiences don't miss a thing."

2018 Fifa World Cup group-stage matches on BBC television

All times in BST:

15 June: Egypt v Uruguay (13:00), Portugal v Spain (19:00)

16 June:France v Australia(11:00), Peru v Denmark (17:00)

17 June: Germany v Mexico (16:00)

18 June: Belgium v Panama (16:00), Tunisia v England(19:00)

19 June: Colombia v Japan (13:00), Russia v Egypt (19:00)

20 June: Portugal v Morocco (13:00), Uruguay v Saudi Arabia (16:00)

21 June:Argentina v Croatia (19:00)

22 June:Nigeria v Iceland (16:00), Serbia v Switzerland (19:00)

23 June: Belgium v Tunisia (13:00)

24 June: England v Panama (13:00), Japan v Senegal (16:00)

25 June: Spain v Morocco(19:00), Iran v Portugal (19:00)

26 June: Iceland v Croatia (19:00), Argentina v Nigeria (19:00)

27 June: South Korea v Germany (15:00), Mexico v Sweden (15:00)