Opening ceremony start time: 7pm
After four years of excitement and anticipation – and plenty of unrest among Brazilian nationals, too – the World Cup is upon us.
Brazil will face Croatia in the tournament’s curtain-raiser on Thursday evening (9pm), but not before the host nation have delivered a glittering slice of their history in the opening ceremony at a sold out Arena de Sao Paulo.
Bound to capture the samba spirit, the parade will be packed full of energy as dancers, singers and gymnasts combine to welcome the World Cup to Brazil for the first time since 1950.
From the sublime to the ridiculous, the performance will centre around Brazil’s rich history, as well as giant-sized bongo drums, as the showpiece kick-starts with a vibrant show of colour.
Despite initially pulling out of the ceremony, Jennifer Lopez will join with Cuban rapper Pitbull to perform the official World Cup song titled We Are One (Ole Ola), with a bit of national spice added from Claudia Leitte.
ITV’s coverage of the opening game will start at 7pm, but your best chance to watch uninterrupted coverage of the samba spectacular is on the FIFA website.
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