FIFA WORLD CUP RUSSIA 2018: Moscow, Russia – Opening ceremony and Russia’s flying start – in pictures

Fans stream past the statue of Lenin as they make their way into Luzhniki stadium.

Rigobert Youmbi from Cameroon is pretty excited about the tournament.

Lots of expectant eyes focus on the pitch as the ceremony prepares to get under way.

Performers take to the pitch.

Artists perform in the centre circle.

Artists wear the colours of Russia and Saudi Arabia, the two teams who will compete in the opening match.

Acrobats entertain the crowd as they fly through the air.

And a juggler proves to be a crowd pleaser too.

Robbie Williams takes to the pitch to belt out his famous hit Let Me Entertain You, which Fifa hopes this tournament will do.

Dancers enjoy themselves.

A close up detail shot of the jacket of one of Robbie Williams’s backing dancers.

Russian soprano Aida Garifullina enters the field on a giant bird and joins in.

Williams and Garifullina finish their performance with a duet of Williams’s big hit Angels.

Garifullina is joined by the 2018 World Cup mascot, Zabivaka, and legendary Brazilian footballer Ronaldo.

Williams greets mascots following his performance in the opening ceremony.

Meanwhile, Russia and Saudi Arabia fans seem to be getting quite excited.

Fans cheer as the game – and tournament – gets underway.

It’s not long before the Russian fans are cheering again after Yuri Gazinskiy heads the hosts into the lead.

Russia’s Andrei Semyonov, left, and Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed al-Breik tussle for the ball.

The Saudi fans in Riyadh cheer on their team.

Saudi Arabia’s goalkeeper Abdullah al-Mayouf makes a save.

With half-time approaching Al-Mayouf isn’t helped by some shoddy Saudi defending which results in Denis Cheryshev doubling Russia’s lead.

At half-time there’s no sign of a pie or a mug of Bovril as Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and other guests have a bite to eat.

Russia’s dominance continues in the second half and in the 71st minute a totally unmarked Artem Dzyuba heads in Aleksandr Golovin’s cross.

Dzyuba celebrates his goal.

The Russia supporters go wild in the fan zone. They’re enjoying this.

As the game goes into injury time a glorious strike from Cheryshev gives him his second – and Russia their fourth.

But the hosts aren’t finished there as in the final minute of injury time Golovin bends a free-kick over a ramshackle wall …

… and into the net. The rout is complete.

The host nation’s fans could hardly have dreamt of a better start.

The celebrations continue across Moscow as a Russia fan climbs a streetlight a in Nikolskaya Street