The first day of the 2018 World Cup "went off almost without a hitch" for Russia, with a "barnstorming victory after a brief but polished opening ceremony which even a rude gesture" by musician Robbie Williams "could not derail," according to Martha Kelner of the London GUARDIAN. The biggest worldwide event held in President Vladimir Putin’s Russia began with a contest between "the two worst teams in the competition on paper." But Russia, which was without a victory in seven games, "exceeded expectations" as it dismantled Saudi Arabia to win 5-0. Eight years and about £11B ($14.6B) has been spent preparing for football's showpiece and inside the Luzhniki Stadium it felt as if organizers "had struck the right note, with enthusiastic fans and well-drilled stewards." Given the "enormous budget of this World Cup, the opening ceremony was a relatively low-key affair," with Williams a "surprise headline act." He had almost finished performing "Rock DJ" when he raised his middle finger to a TV camera, "provoking widespread outrage." It was not obvious what the 44-year-old meant by the gesture "but he is known to be a campaigner for LGBT rights" and was heavily criticized for "accepting the invitation to perform in a country known for its outdated stance on gay people" (GUARDIAN, 6/14).
In London, Giles Smith wrote "short and sweet" was the prediction from ITV's Mark Pougatch, and he was not "kidding." The World Cup's opening ceremony in Moscow lasted just 10 minutes, and three of those were Williams doing "Let Me Entertain You" in a red leopard-print suit. After that, things briefly became more recognizable, "with a Russian opera singer borne into the stadium, wailing, aboard a gigantic eagle." But almost immediately, Williams was back, "and it was a time for a medley" including "Angels." Somewhere in the middle of this, "people dressed as nursery toys carried in the flags of the competing nations, but not really to the point where you noticed," and somebody in a red dress arrived with a football, "which is always going to be handy at a World Cup." Pageantry? Symbolism? Mime artists on wires and local schoolchildren in bright anoraks standing in circles? If "memory serves, there was more fuss and fireworks before last season's Carabao Cup final" (LONDON TIMES, 6/14).
LOW-KEY AFFAIR: In London, Tom Peck reported former Brazilian striker Ronaldo, "distinguishable if not in name then certainly in silhouette from his Portuguese namesake," brought on the match ball with Russian model Victoria Lopyreva. The ball went to the Int'l Space Station a few months ago, but the ceremonial "first kick" was a low-key affair, as it has been since '94, when Diana Ross "notoriously blasted it wide from the penalty spot." The crowd "wisely cheered" the arrival of Putin, which will do nothing if not set the organizers' minds "at rest" (INDEPENDENT, 6/14).
'WELCOME TO RUSSIA': The BBC reported Putin addressed the crowd and the worldwide TV audience in a lengthy speech, "calling football a uniting force." Putin: "Whatever traditions we hold, football brings us together in one single team and we are united by our affection for this spectacular and vibrant game. I wish all the teams success and an unforgettable experience to fans. Welcome to Russia." After Putin, FIFA President Gianni Infantino "also gave a speech in Russian, English and Arabic." He said, "As of today, for one month, football will conquer Russia and from Russia, football will conquer the whole world -- enjoy the biggest celebration on earth" (BBC, 6/14).
KEEPING THEIR DISTANCE: REUTERS' Alastair Macdonald reported while Western countries "chose not to send senior representatives to the opening ceremony," there are no sporting boycotts "like the one that marred the 1980 Moscow Olympics" or doping bans of the kind that excluded many Russians from the last two Olympics. Russian Deputy PM Vitaly Mutko said, "Attempts at a boycott were doomed from the start. It shows how foreign politicians are sometimes cut off from real life." The biggest event Russia has hosted since Soviet times, when the U.S. and others boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics "over the invasion of Afghanistan," puts a spotlight on how Russia has, "since the chaotic collapse of Communism, resurrected its economy and a tight social order under former KGB agent Putin." Western leaders "are staying away, though some are likely to attend later matches if their teams progress," and protests and criticism -- of conflict with Ukraine or human rights abuses in Russia -- "have been largely confined to foreign soil" (REUTERS, 6/14).
PROVING A POINT: In N.Y., Rory Smith wrote the long wait for the 2018 World Cup "was never really about the sport." For Russia, or, rather, for the Russian government, "it has been about flexing the nation’s muscles," proving to its people as much as to its rivals that it "can deliver the world’s most-watched sporting spectacle just as well as any of its detractors and foes could." There have been times, "not long past, when it has felt so improbable -- and, in some ways, inappropriate -- that the world would descend on Russia for this party" that it has been "hard to conceive of this World Cup as a sporting event at all, rather than a test of a nation's strength and an international community's resolve" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/14).
