Russia gets ready: Fans (and security) descend on Moscow for World Cup opener

Football fans from across the globe have started to arrive in Moscow with the World Cup just days away.

Thousands of supporters showed their national colours in the Russian capital ahead of the opening fixture on Thursday.

Hosts Russia take on Saudi Arabia in the World Cup opener – and there were clear signs already of the huge security operation which will greet fans.

A visible police presence was on show at major metro stations, along with military outside the city’s Luzhniki Stadium, which will host the opener and the final.

All eyes are on Russia for the biggest football show on the planet, though fans did not seemed concerned about the country’s recent diplomatic record.

Supporters from Peru, Iran, Egypt and Argentina, among others, were proudly displaying their teams’ colours in Moscow’s Red Square three days before the big kick off.

England, meanwhile, start their World Cup 560 miles south in Volgograd, against Tunisia on Monday June 18.

Gareth Southgate’s 23-man squad will fly out to Russia on Tuesday from Birmingham.

The Three Lions will be hoping to better recent World Cup performances, having disappointed in Brazil 2014 and South Africa 2010.

Southgate, managing England in his first major international tournament, insists he’s ‘pleased’ with how preparations have gone.

Robbie Williams has been announced as one of the performers for the showcase, which dignitaries from the teams usually attend.

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But following the diplomatic row between the UK and Russia over the poisoning of aRussian ex-spy in Salisbury in March, the UK Government has said no officials or members of the royal family will attend.

Teams of people worked in the shadow of the stadium, which will also host the final on July 15, constructing fan shops, interactive zones and sponsor areas.

One Australia fan, Samir Alhafith, 44, said Moscow was beginning to be gripped by football fever.

He said: ‘It’s amazing. I was in Moscow 28 years ago and it’s nothing like I remember it.

‘The first three days I was here, not that much atmosphere, but with two or three days to go it’s starting to get a bit more buzzing.’

SLIDESHOW: The 32 star players for every World Cup nation (Click image below)

England will make their way from St George’s Park to Birmingham Airport on Tuesday afternoon, when they will fly to St Petersburg and go to their forRestMix Club base in nearby Repino.

Southgate’s men competed their preparations on home soil on Monday when they played an internal game at St George’s Park.

Players switched between the teams that wore England’s white and black training tops, allowing Southgate to look at different combinations as all the squad members received some involvement.

Coming on the back of the 2-1 win against Nigeria and 2-0 victory over Costa Rica, Southgate had always planned to then have an internal game away from the public gaze – and overzealous challenges.

‘We didn’t want a third game,’ the former defender said last month.

‘When there’s been a third competitive game, there comes a point when the players are just trying to avoid injury really. You’ve got your minutes.’

SLIDESHOW: The stadiums of the Russian World Cup (Click image below)