HOW TO THINK ABOUT IT

Safe mode. Teams and fans traveling to Russia for the Cup have been warned they are potential hacking targets for the Russian government and criminals. England’s national team got instructions by a team of tech experts on measures to improve their online security; players’ personal devices even had extra security software installed. Meanwhile, fears about hooligans have seen all 32 countries send police officers to help control potential racist violence, while more than 1,200 English fans have been forced by the U.K. Home Office to surrender their passports to keep them away from the competition.

Africa rising? Will this be the year that Africa finally captures World Cup glory? Africa has largely underperformed in recent tournaments, with only Ghana (2010), Senegal (2002) and Cameroon (1990) advancing to the quarterfinals. No African nation has ever made it through to the Cup’s final weekend. This year, Tunisia is the top-ranked of five African clubs. In group play, they’ll look to upset England or Belgium in order to advance. Morocco, Nigeria, Egypt and Senegal are also competing.

Cleat the competition. Days before Iran’s opening match against Morocco, Nike informed the team it couldn’t provide footwear due to economic sanctions by the U.S. “Players get used to their sports equipment, and it’s not right to change them a week before such important matches,” said Iran’s coach, Carlos Queiroz. It’s unlikely Iranian players who prefer the swoosh will be left wearing Adidas though — players can still get their preferred footwear from friends or buy them at stores. Meanwhile, cleats haven’t been the only political trouble to bleed into the tournament for Iran: A warm-up match with Greece was canceled after haggling over the location turned ugly, and now Iran’s suspended relations with the Greek soccer federation and is seeking restitution for money spent on the friendly.

A betting game. Both in terms of viewers and money spent, the World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world. Needless to say, it’s the biggest betting event in the world too. So who are fans betting on? According to BetOnline, the favorite, Brazil, is receiving 30 percent of dollars wagered to win the World Cup. Germany, the 2014 champion, is drawing 13 percent of wagers, while Uruguay (28 to 1 odds) is the most popular long shot, luring 2 percent of the money. Belgium (10 to 1) is another popular dark horse at 5 percent. England (1.2 to 1), Croatia (2.2 to 1), Denmark (4.5 to 1), Egypt (5.1 to 1) and Peru (9 to 1) are enticing picks to win their first-round groups. But as the tournament progresses, expect many of the World Cup favorites to still be standing. Our advice? Choose one underdog per round and root your heart out.

WHAT TO READ

The New Hooligans of Russia, by Sam Borden in ESPN
"While part of the concern from Russian authorities has to do with the country’s global reputation, much of it also has to do with the inherent unpredictability of hooligans and their whims."

Part Giant Squid, Part Supernova, This World Cup Will See Politics and Football Mix Like Never Before, by Jonathan Liew at The Independent
"Now Putin stood, solemn and unsmiling, in front of a Kremlin backdrop. Apart from a cursory greeting at the end, the entire speech was given in Russian. The message was clear: We’re in charge now."

WHAT TO WATCH