1. This will be the 21st World Cup. 2. The first qualifier was played on March 12, 2015 between Timor-Leste (the national team of East Timor) and Mongolia. Timor-Leste won 5-1 on aggregate but the games were later awarded to Mongolia after it was revealed that Timor-Leste had fielded ineligible players. However, the decision took so long that Timor-Leste had already progressed, so Mongolia were not reinstated. Perhaps it was an omen… 3. This will be the penultimate World Cup with 32 nations. From 2026 onwards there will be 48 teams. 4. Iceland and Panama have qualified for their first ever World Cup. 5. One hit wonders. The list of teams to play one World Cup makes for great reading. It’s a long one, but here are some of the nations not often heard of in world sport, let alone on its biggest stage: Wales, Jamaica, Cuba, Kuwait, Iraq, Indonesia, Haiti and Canada. 6. The distance between the easternmost (Kaliningrad) and westernmost (Ekaterinburg) host cities in Russia is about the same as the distance between Moscow and London (2,424 kilometers, 1,500 miles). 7. Brazil are the only nation to have played in every World Cup and have won the most titles (5). Number six could follow in Russia. 8. Germany…