The World Cup has come to Russia and Muscovites embraced the riot of colour on the streets

Russia’s World Cup has finally begun, to the cheers and quiet relief of a nation curious to see what an estimated $14bn (£10.5bn) and years of planning have bought. It was carnival come to Moscow, led by the Latin Americans in a riot of colour remarkable for a city where the weather and demeanour tend toward grey.

There were Colombians in floppy clown hats in the metro, Argentinians downing beers in the park at 11 in the morning, and face-painted Brazilians juggling footballs near Moscow State University to kill the hours. And there were thousands upon thousands of Peruvians.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Peruvian fans in Moscow. Photograph: Sergei Konkov/Tass

“We took all the planes. The whole country is here now,” said Roberto, 26, who flew via Paris, as he danced with hundreds of his countrymen in the street.

For the hosts, Thursday brought a chance to size up a national team that’s been called one of the worst in the country’s history, and a national project that seemed always to loom far in the distant future until somehow, incredibly, it started.

As Robbie Williams belted out Angels at Luzhniki stadium, Evgeniya Frolova, 23, bopped her head and waved a Russian flag over her head. She was standing in a fan zone in southern Moscow under the shadow of one of the city’s Seven Sisters skyscrapers.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A Russian football fan Cossack dances at the official Fifa Fan Fest at Moscow State University on Thursday. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty

“It still feels like a dream,” she said with a sense of awe. “It barely feels like Moscow right now. There are so many people smiling, everyone is talking to one another.” So have the hosts pulled it off? “Look around you. There’s food, there’s beer. What else could people want?”

It was a day made for odd encounters. On stage before the match, a Russian MC worked up the crowd: “Who’s from Australia? Put your hands up! What about Asian people? Asian people get your hands in the air!” A Cossack choir in wool papakhas sang to confused Mexicans and Iranians. At times, the entertainment in the fan zone felt ready-made for a Russian political rally in the regions, but with a crowd bussed in from South America.

Andreas Calvo, 32, an IT expert from Buenos Aires, had already learned the words “dva Heinekens” or “two Heinekens” before Thursday’s opening match, and he put them to good use, making regular trips between a food cart and the bench where he and a few friends had parked themselves for most of the day.

“The Russians? They’re a little …” and then made an exaggerated frown before bursting into laughter. “But we’re cheering them up!”

“Write that we’re loving it,” he added.

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Even the Russian team came through, scoring two goals before half-time and three more in the second half, Putin barely able to conceal his joy from beside Mohammed bin Salman in the VIP box.

“I’m starting to believe we can make it out of the group and that’s dangerous,” said Mikhail Komarov, 35. “It’s a good start. Today was good.”

Thousands of fans came from Saudi Arabia to watch the game dubbed “El Gasico”, a showdown between energy exporters Russia and Saudi Arabia said to be the worst opening match of all time.

Khalid, 50, of the Saudi city of Dammam, said he knew that he had to attend this World Cup when Saudi Arabia surprised everyone by qualifying last September. “It was history,” he said, flashing a toothy smile. The dentist grabbed his two sons, Ibrahim and Jawad, and flew via Istanbul for Saudi Arabia’s match against Russia.

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On Thursday he stood under a railway bridge near Luzhniki stadium, enveloped in the emerald-green flag of the Saudi kingdom, slinking his arm over the shoulder of an Argentina supporter he had just met, then trying to chat up some young women headed for the stadium.

“I did not know what to think before coming here,” he said. “But I have been very surprised by this city. Very surprised. It looks good. Russian people stop us to take photos with us, they even invite us to lunch.”

“It has been really a surprise,” he said.