Jun 11, 2026 - 06:24 pm As millions of fans around the world prepare to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico, The Moscow Times is looking back at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The 2018 competition was held in the shadow of the simmering conflict in eastern Ukraine and marred by allegations of corruption in the bidding process and sportswashing concerns voiced by Western critics.