Good morning sports fans. The US Open starts today, as does England's first Test of the summer against Sri Lanka. Am I forgetting something else? Ah, yes, the greatest show on earth...

The 2014 World Cup starts TONIGHT, as hosts and pre-tournament favourites Brazil take on a talented Croatia outfit in what should be an opening game worthy of the occasion and grandeur.

Throughout the day, and the duration of the competition, Sports Mole will keep you updated with the latest news, opinions and gossip from the England camp, and across Brazil.

Here's a look at some of the overnight World Cup headlines:

Modric expecting a "titanic tussle"

Luiz Felipe Scolari vows to win World Cup

Landon Donovan: 'US must believe they can win World Cup'

Diego Godin unsure of Luis Suarez fitness

Andrea Pirlo: 'We know how to defeat England'

Wayne Rooney hails 'best' England squad

Let's take a closer look at a couple of those stories. Landon Donovan was a startling omission from the US World Cup squad, but he has given his full backing to Jurgen Klinsmann's side.

The former Everton loanee has stressed that his compatriots must believe that they can win the tournament in Brazil. That would be a huge shock, of course, but his optimistic view on things has got me thinking who could be the tournament's surprise package. Who do you think? Tweet @SportsMole.

Quickly-improving Belgium are a popular pick, but at fifth favourites for the tournament with some bookmakers, it would perhaps be slightly harsh on them to describe them as dark horses.

Croatia, with the likes of Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Mario Mandzukic in their ranks, could also be ones to keep an eye on. How well they fare with Brazil in the opening game tonight could give us a good indication of how far the semi-finalists of the 1998 tournament could go this time.

Others are tipping Ivory Coast, who have a bunch of Premier League stars at their disposal, to improve on disappointing showings at the two previous World Cups and reach the latter stages. They have a great chance of progressing from an open group which includes Colombia, Greece and South Korea.

After Brazil and Croatia start things off in style this evening, the World Cup gets into three matches a day mode from tomorrow, with Chile versus Australia among the Friday entertainment on offer.

This tweet from BBC Sport journalist Phil McNulty shows that both sets of fans are raring to go after touching down at Rio de Janeiro airport. You can follow the match with SM from 10pm.

Mexico vs. Cameroon and a rematch of the 2010 final between Spain and Netherlands are the other two games for us to feast on tomorrow. You can read SM's previews on all World Cup games here.

Remember, it was Andreas Iniesta's goal in the dying stages of extra time that dramatically earned Spain the trophy for the first time in South Africa four years ago. They have won three major tournaments in a row, and will attempt to be the first side since Brazil in 1962 to defend a World Cup. The Selecao may have something to say about that, though, with Scolari promising that this is their time.

"There are seven steps," FIFA.com quotes Scolari as saying. "We have to go up those seven steps but to start we have to think of the first step.

"We can't jump the seven steps. The first step is tomorrow against Croatia. After that we have six steps that we want to go up if we want to win the World Cup."

With kickoff in Sao Paulo less than eight hours away now, it is time for Sports Mole to dive into the World Cup annals to look back at the most recent opening games of the tournament.

2010: South Africa 1-1 Mexico Siphiwe Tshabalala's 55th-minute rocket sent the home nation into raptures, before a smart finish from Rafael Marquez in the latter stages earned Mexico a point.

2006: Germany 4-2 Costa Rica Philipp Lahm's sixth-minute goal appeared as if it would put hosts Germany on course for a routine victory over Costa Rica, but former Derby County striker Paolo Wanchope has a history of giant killing and he scored twice to ensure that the Germans would have to work hard for their opening day win. A brace from World Cup specialist Miroslav Klose and a belter from Torsten Frings eventually saw the three-time winners over the line in Munich.

Andrea Pirlo is dominating the build-up to England versus Italy. Napoli manager Rafael Benitez, former boss at Chelsea and Liverpool of course, is the latest man to chip in to the debate, and he is not sure that any man-marking plan England have to stifle the midfielder is guaranteed to work.

"Even if somebody like Danny Welbeck is sent on to the pitch with the job of stopping Pirlo - chasing and chasing, closing him down - the Italian will still have the ability to find space and put in the pass that can change everything," Benitez told The Independent.

2002: France 0-1 Senegal France were football's biggest force in the early part of the 2000s, having won the 1998 World Cup on home soil and then the European Championships two years later. They were expected to easily dispatch of World Cup debutants Senegal in the first game of the tournament which was being hosted by South Korea and Japan, but Papa Bouba Diop's 30th-minute goal earned the African minnows a famous win which earned many of their players Premier League moves.

While a Croatia win tonight would perhaps not rank as a Senegal-size shock, they are underdogs against Brazil, but manager Niko Kovac has insisted that will not stop them from playing positively.

Along with Pirlo, the Manaus conditions have been the subject of much chatter ahead of England's big kickoff on Saturday, and Phil Jagielka has insisted that Italy's experience in the humid climate from their 2013 Confederations Cup campaign will not give them any advantage over England.

1998: Brazil 2-1 Scotland Scotland nearly caused a stir at their last World Cup appearance, 16 years ago. John Collins notched from the penalty spot on 38 minutes to cancel out Casar Sampaio's early strike, and the Scots hung on to their parity until an own goal from Tom Boyd on 73 minutes. Holders Brazil would go on to reach the final, where they were comprehensively beaten by France.

Michael Owen has lent his support to former teammate Wayne Rooney in his latest blog by insisting that dropping England's forward for the World Cup opener against Italy is "not an option."

1994: USA 1-1 Switzerland Both American and Switzerland found themselves to be a tad more accurate than Diana Ross the day prior as they played out a 1-1 draw on the opening day of the 1994 tournament. At a packed Pontiac Silverdome, Switzerland took the lead on 39 minutes through Georges Bregy, but the US were level before the break courtesy of Eric Wynalda's strike in Michigan.

That's it from me. Callum Mulvihill will take you through the next few hours as kickoff draws nearer.

Hello everyone. Yes, the opening World Cup game is under six hours away now. The atmosphere will be incredible, that much is certain but who will be the hero tonight? Will Neymar make the perfect start with an impressive display for the hosts? According to the bookmakers, Croatia have little chance of surprising Brazil, with some offering odds of 10/1 for Niko Kovac's side to record a victory.

Neymar has been tipped by many to be the star man of the tournament in front of his own supporters, but he has admitted that he is feeling anxious ahead of tonight's opening match.

Worrying signs in Sao Paulo with reports in the past couple of hours confirming that police have broken up an apparently peaceful protest with flash-bang grenades and tear gas. I'll bring you more as soon as more details emerge.

On a more positive note, let's begin to consider the candidates to be named top goalscorer in Brazil this year. There are so many players in the mix to join a list of great names. Will it be someone we expect to find the net in every match, or could there be a shock?

Cristiano Ronaldo is the star of a Portugal side who have not been tipped by many to enjoy great success in Brazil, but with the Real Madrid forward in their side, we are sure to be entertained. If they can reach the latter stages of the tournament, do not be surprised if Ronaldo runs away with the top goalscorer award.

Lionel Messi has been a great rival to Ronaldo at club level, and he'll be eager to impress at the World Cup to silence some of the doubters that somehow still remain about his status on the world stage. Being the main man in an Argentina side filled with attacking talent surely means he is among the candidates for the golden boot.

A quick move away from the list of candidates to win the top goalscorer award to remind you of a story from earlier in the day. The protest over the money spent on the World Cup are continuing, and sadly the reports emerging are getting even worse ahead of the opening game. Despite one protest group being broken up, the stand offs between the police and the locals are continuing.

Fred may not have been strongly tipped to top the scoring charts, but he will certainly have a chance if he is selected to lead the line for the favourites. Brazil rely heavily on the goals of Neymar, but Fred's experience could be key throughout the campaign. Who else could find the net regularly? Romelu Lukaku? Robin van Persie? Or could Wayne Rooney finally deliver on the big stage? The list seems to be endless.

Raul has had his say on Spain's current group of forwards. The Real Madrid legend believes that Vicente del Bosque could be temped to play Cesc Fabregas in a withdrawn forward role, rather than put his faith in Diego Costa, David Villa or Fernando Torres.

"David Villa and Fernando Torres were not inspiring for their clubs. We might see Del Bosque switching to 4-6-0 again," Raul told reporters.

Brazil vs. Croatia is just over four hours away now. Enjoy it while it lasts, this great competition always seems to finish too quickly. Remember, you can read our preview of the opening match before kickoff.

Ahead of the Group D clash between England and Italy on Saturday night, Joe Hart has claimed that he is always under pressure for a spot in the team.

"I've got to be at my best, I've got to be working hard and you've got to stay level-headed otherwise it can go wrong," the Manchester City goalkeeper told reporters.

Before the first match of the tournament kicks off tonight, the opening ceremony will first take place. Jennifer Lopez will perform, despite pulling out just a few days ago. Are we in for a surprise? Perhaps a rendition of 'Jenny from the Block' while she takes on Pele in a one-on-one grudge match. We can only hope.

Ahead of tonight's meeting between Brazil and Croatia, a quick look at the statistics certainly send out a warning to the European side. Brazil head into the match in top form having won their previous nine games and only conceding two goals in that time. However, Croatia are unbeaten since Niko Kovac took charge in October.

Brazil and Croatia have met each other just once previously in the World Cup, with this stunning effort from Kaka securing a 1-0 win in 2006.

Pepe Reina has played down the controversy which surrounded Diego Costa's decision to play for Spain, rather than Brazil.

"They are going to respect him because he's a spectacular player. He is prepared for everything he could face and we are all going to support him," the goalkeeper told reporters.

Ahead of the mouth-watering match between Spain and the Netherlands tomorrow, Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijer has spoken of the importance of being a leader for his side.

"I'm not a captain, but still a leader," Sneijder told reporters. "The team spirit is good, much better than two years ago."

It's almost here! Our live coverage of Brazil vs. Croatia is already underway, and you can join Matt Law as he brings you updates from the opening ceremony before turning his attention to the action later on in the evening.

That's all from me today. Replacing me on the blog is Barney Corkhill, who will be bringing you the latest from Brazil vs. Croatia as the World Cup gets underway in just two hours.

Thanks Callum! Evening all, we are indeed just two hours away from the big kickoff! The excitement is reaching fever pitch as four years of waiting enters the final straight. We do, of course, begin with Brazil vs. Croatia tonight as the hosts look to open the tournament in style. We will have team news, half-time reports and full-time reports from that game for you tonight, as well as an accompanying live commentary.

In charge of our live coverage of the match tonight is Matt Law, and you can join him here as he takes you through the opening ceremony and the match itself. Our coverage is already underway, so check it out for all of the build-up to the greatest spectacle in football!

Moving away from this evening's match for a moment, there has been growing concern about the state of the pitch in Manaus, where England and Italy are due to meet for their Group D opener on Saturday. England have sent a representative to inspect the pitch, while Italy Football Federation vice-president Demetrio Albertini has also expressed concern over the playing surface.

The World Cup opening ceremony is underway now as we edge ever closer to the first ball being kicked. You can follow events as they happen with our live coverage as the Brazilians look to get the spectacle of a World Cup off to a dazzling start.

The stadium is slowing filling up in Sao Paulo as the opening ceremony gets into full swing. You can be sure that it will be a full house by the time the hosts begin proceedings in just under 90 minutes.

Meanwhile, there is some good news from over in the Germany camp as manager Joachim Low has confirmed that goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is "good to go" against Portugal on Monday. There had been concerns over a shoulder injury for the Bayern Munich stopper, but he has made a full recovery. He may well be Germany's most important player, so that really is a boost.

That clock keeps on ticking as we approach kick off for the opening match of the 2014 World Cup. Team news for Brazil vs. Croatia should begin filtering through in around 10 minutes, and we will bring you news of that as soon as we hear it.

How will the Brazilians cope with being the host nation this year? They have only hosted the tournament once before, losing in the final to Uruguay way back in 1950. That match has gone down as one of the worst moments in the country's sporting history, and anything less than a victorious campaign this time around will be another major disappointment. Much of the pressure lies on the shoulders of their 'Golden Boy' Neymar, and Brazil's chances could well hinge on how he copes with that.

ONE HOUR TO GO: That's right folks, just one more hour until the 2014 World Cup gets underway! Team news is just about starting to trickle in, so we'll have that for you shortly. Remember, you can follow our live coverage of the build-up and the match itself by clicking here.

BRAZIL STARTING XI: Cesar; D Alves, T Silva, D Luiz, Marcelo; Paulinho, L Gustavo; Hulk, Oscar, Neymar; Fred

CROATIA STARTING XI: Pletikosa; Srna, Corluka, Lovren, Vrsaljko; Modric, Rakitic, Perisic, Brozovic; Olic, Jelavic

You can have more of an in-depth look at both teams by checking out our team news article for the match, while over on our dedicated live commentary we are going through the selections in even greater detail.

There are plenty of mouth-watering games coming up throughout the group stages, including plenty of buzz around the repeat of the 2010 final, Spain vs. Netherlands, tomorrow. However, perhaps the match drawing must of the pre-game anticipation is England vs. Italy, thanks largely to questions over the conditions and state of the pitch. England's Gary Cahill has admitted that he doesn't know what to expect when playing in Manaus, while his counterpart Andrea Barzagli has played down concerns over the humidity.

Speaking of England, the goalkeeping corps seem to be having a good time having just landed in Manaus. They, like the rest of us, are looking forward to Brazil vs. Croatia, which gets underway in less than 40 minutes.

There has, apparently, been a change to the Croatian starting lineup for tonight's match, with Mateo Kovacic replacing Marcelo Brozovic. Whether that is due to an injury in the warm-up or not remains to be seen, but the young midfielder will now get his chance on the biggest stage in football.

Just over 10 minutes to go until kickoff now - can you feel the excitement yet? Why not spend the final 10 minutes reading our preview for tonight's match? It should whet your appetite even more before this tournament finally begins.

The pre-match niceties have been done and dusted and we're just about ready to go in Sao Paulo. This is your last call to join our live commentary of the match as we edge to within one minute of the start of the World Cup!

KICKOFF! Here we go then! Croatia are the first side to kick a ball at the 2014 World Cup as they get the match underway in Sao Paulo. The atmosphere is electric inside the stadium as the home fans urge their team on to what they hope will be an impressive showing in the curtain-raiser.

If you can drag yourself away from the game for a moment, there is some encouraging news for fans of a French persuasion. Laurent Koscielny and Olivier Giroud both missed training yesterday, but team doctor Franck Le Gall has played down concerns over their fitness. The Arsenal duo should be fit to start against Honduras on Sunday.

GOAL! It is a nightmare for Brazil as they go behind after just 11 minutes of the opening match of their own tournament. A low ball came in from the left and both Jelavic and Luiz missed it, but Marcelo wasn't so lucky as he turned the ball into his own net.

GOAL! The golden boy has done it! Neymar levels this up for Brazil as he lets fly from 25 yards, placing his effort in off the post. It isn't the sweetest of strikes from the Barcelona man, but it was placed absolutely perfectly. Remember, you can follow in-depth live commentary of the game here. It could turn out to be a cracker!

That, by the way, is Neymar's 32nd goal in his 50th cap for Brazil. What an incredible record that is, and he is well on course to break Pele's all-time record of 77 goals for Brazil. There is a reason he is so highly thought of in his own country.

Our half-time report is already up and ready to read as Brazil and Croatia go into the break all square in the opening match of the 2014 World Cup. The visitors took the lead through a Marcelo own goal, but Neymar restored parity just before the half-hour mark. It has been an entertaining opening match so far.

While Brazil are bidding to become six-time champions this year, the reigning holders Spain are currently gearing up for the defence of their crown against Netherlands tomorrow night. That is a repeat of the 2010 World Cup final, and Iker Casillas has earmarked Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben as the main threat to his side tomorrow.

We're back underway in Sao Paulo as Brazil look to complete the turnaround and start their World Cup campaign off with a win. Remember, none of the World Cup hosts have ever lost the opening match at the tournament, so that is a record these Brazilians will be desperate not to break.

The Manaus pitch saga continues to rumble on, and the latest reports suggest that the solution at the moment is to spray paint the brown areas green. It is quickly turning into a farce at the Arena Amazonia, where England are due to take on Italy on Saturday.

Meanwhile, we are into the final 30 minutes of the opening match of the World Cup, and the scores are still locked at 1-1. It is so finely poised in Sao Paulo at the moment, and you can follow it all with our live commentary here. I get the feeling it will be worth checking out - there is surely a goal left in this match!

PENALTY TO BRAZIL! What did I just say? Brazil have a penalty and a glorious chance to take the lead! It was a very, very soft one, but Neymar is standing over the ball...

Neymar holds his nerve, but only just! It is a stuttering run-up and Pletikosa gets two strong hands to it, but he still can't keep it out as it sneaks inside the post. Brazil have the lead, but the keeper will feel that he should have saved that one.

This referee has not endeared himself to Croatia tonight. The visitors have just had a goal disallowed for what appeared to be a foul on Julio Cesar, although it was another soft decision from the ref. Croatia are certainly not out of this one just yet!

There is the game for Brazil! They put the three points beyond doubt with a third goal through Oscar, who pokes the ball into the corner from some way out. Again, the keeper should have done better.

That is indeed the game as Brazil get their World Cup campaign off to a winning start. It was an entertaining opening match to the tournament, so let's hope the rest of the competition follows in a similar vein! You can see our match report of tonight's game here, and be sure to stick around for reaction and analysis, which will be on the site shortly.

Right, that is all from me tonight! I will leave you in the able hands of Alex Meyers, who will take you through to 2am. Plenty to talk about after that controversial opening game!

Hello everyone! Well, that wasn't quite vintage Brazil, but they have started their World Cup campaign with a much-needed victory. Here's our match report, with analysis set to follow shortly.

Spain manager Vicente del Bosque has dismissed claims that Cesc Fabregas's move to Chelsea will have an impact on his team selection for their opening World Cup match against the Netherlands.

"No transfer will affect the selection...everyone is very focused," he told reporters.

Undoubtedly the star player of today's match was Neymar, who took his tally for Brazil to an incredible 33 goals in just 50 games. He is now level with Jairzinho and Ronaldinho in the all-time top scorers list and his next strike will see him equal Rivaldo's tally of 34 goals.

Mexico's manager Miguel Herrera has claimed that his side are capable of winning the World Cup. They will open their tournament with a clash against Cameroon tomorrow, with matches against Brazil and Croatia to follow.

Italy have been dealt a blow in their World Cup preparations, as Mattia De Sciglio has been ruled out of their opening clash against England. There were initial fears he would be sent home, but following tests he is expected to return for their second match against Costa Rica.

As well as bringing you live coverage of every single World Cup match, we will also be bringing you analysis of the key moments from tournament.

Here my colleague Matt Law has dissected the action that took place during Brazil's 3-1 victory this evening.

Neymar has been tipped by many as being one of the stars of the tournament and the 22-year-old has spoken of his unmeasurable joy at scoring twice on his World Cup debut.

We are moving into the second day of the tournament, where we may see arguably the game of the group stages as Spain take on the Netherlands. The last time they met was of course in the final four years ago, when Andres Iniesta's extra-time winner won the tournament for the Spanish. Remember that you can follow live text coverage of the clash here at Sports Mole from 7pm.

Croatia manager Niko Kovac has claimed that side were shown a lack of respect during this evening's match. He felt that Dejan Lovren's foul on Fred did not warrant a penalty and says that his side should "give it up now and go home".

Uruguay have been boosted by the news that striker Diego Forlan is expected to be available for his country's World Cup opener against Costa Rica. He had missed training with an upset stomach earlier in the week, but was able to train with his teammates on Thursday.

Argentina defender Ezequiel Garay has said that his side will not make the same mistakes that saw them knocked out of the World Cup four years ago. The South Americans were hammered 4-0 by Germany in the quarter-finals, but Garay is confident they have improved defensively.

We've already seen Brazil and Croatia go head to head in Group A, but later today is the turn of Mexico and Cameroon. The African side lost all of their games in 2010 and went out at the first hurdle, but Mexico managed to get through to the last 16, where they were eventually beaten by Argentina. Javier Hernandez was one of his country's stand-out players and he found the back of the net during their only win of the finals in South Africa against France.

It looks like Mario Balotelli was happy with the result of Brazil's opening match. He has taken to his Instagram page to post this photo of himself and Neymar. It would be special to see these two players sharing the same pitch and their nations could meet in the knockout rounds later on in the tournament.

Cameroon midfielder Eyong Enoh has said that Samuel Eto'o can inspire Cameroon to victory in their opening match against Mexico later today. The Chelsea striker will be playing in his third World Cup finals, having made his first appearance aged just 17 in 1998.

Julio Cesar has admitted that it was vital Brazil got their World Cup off to a winning start.

"The first match is always very important, as if you win then it gives you confidence going into the second," he said following the match. "If we had lost, the pressure would've been enormous and it all would have become much more difficult."

We've heard what Niko Kovac through about the penalty that was given against his side, but Brazil manager Luiz Felipe Scolari understandably has a different opinion.

"Thousands didn't see the penalty? The referee saw it and he is the one that decides. We also think it was a penalty," he told reporters. "I watched it 10 times and, for me, it was a penalty."

Gianluca Vialli has claimed that Mario Balotelli has earned the right to start for Italy in their World Cup opener against England. There have been calls for the 23-year-old to be dropped in place of Ciro Immobile, but Vialli says that his displays at Euro 2012 and last year's Confederations Cup shows that he can have a positive impact.

From 11am tomorrow we will back for another busy day of football, with live commentaries from all of the matches. Here's a quick look at the games that will be taking place.

5pm: Mexico vs. Cameroon

8pm: Spain vs. Netherlands

11pm: Chile vs. Australia

That's all we've got time for from today's coverage. It has been great to see the tournament get underway, in what should a fantastic month of football in Brazil. I'll leave you with this image of Neymar celebrating his second goal for Brazil against Croatia. Goodnight!