France's players lift the Fifa World Cup trophy after the Russia 2018 World Cup final football match between France and Croatia at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on July 15, 2018.
The build-up to the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia was overshadowed by intense global scrutiny. From rampant racism in domestic football and human rights abuses by authorities to strict state-sponsored anti-homosexual propaganda laws, controversy followed the tournament at every turn.
The use of migrant labour to build the stadiums was also a contentious issue, with Fifa president Gianni Infantino admitting there had been human rights abuses of North Korean workers involved in the construction of Saint Petersburg's Zenit Arena.
Human costs and security fears further heightened tensions ahead of the tournament. By June 2017, at least 17 workers had died on World Cup construction sites, while a direct threat from the Islamic State (IS) forced Russian counter-terrorism units into a massive security clampdown to safeguard the event.
Ultimately, the World Cup went off without any major incidents with a highly entertaining tournament defined by tactical discipline, dramatic penalty shootouts, and with the host nation — who were the lowest ranked team at the competition - enjoying a dream run through to the quarter finals, having eliminated 2010 champions Spain in Round 16.
