The teams have arrived. The players are ready. The eyes of the world have turned to Brazil to watch the world's most popular sports tournament. On Thursday, the fans will enter Arena Corinthians in Sao Paolo, Brazil, to watch Brazil and Croatia take the first shots in a month-long clash of nations -- four years in the making.
But before the World Cup kick-off on Thursday, you need to get caught up with all of the drama -- so we've compiled our extensive coverage to date in one handy guide to get you primed for the most-watched sports tournament in the world.
Get to know the gripping storylines, the incredibly talented players to watch, the team drama that could explode under the pressure of the eyes of the world, the joy at the cost of looming heartbreak -- all of which is about to unfold over the next four sport-filled weeks.
Getting to know the group stage
In the first round of the tournament, eight groups of four teams compete to move onto the single-elimination bracket. Each team in a group plays each other once, and the teams with the two best records advance into the round of 16.
A large part of the early excitement comes from the sweeps and upsets in the group stage. So we exhaustively analyzed the eight groups and the teams going head to head so you know what to watch for in the first few weeks of tournament play.
Coverage Highlights:
The Definitive World Cup Preview (in Haiku Form)
World Cup Preview: Group A Is Brazil's to Lose
World Cup Preview: Spain, Netherlands Square Off (Again) in Group B
World Cup Preview: Colombian Knee the Key to Group C
World Cup Preview: Can England Survive Deadly Group D?
World Cup Preview: Can France Dodge Dysfunction to Win Group E?
World Cup Preview: Group F Is All Argentina's
World Cup Preview: Payback Time for the USA in Group G
World Cup Preview: Will Belgium Prove Itself For Real in Group H?
The talent on the pitch
Throughout the tournament, these are the names you'll hear repeated over and over again -- usually in the form of chants after unbelievable displays of skill. We've identified the electrifying players to watch, including venerated players like Lionel Messi of Argentina and young powerhouses like Neymar of Brazil.
And if tour de force talent is not enough to get you excited, we bring you the best, most dramatic storylines to follow throughout the tournament -- Can Messi finally clinch a World Cup title, and truly become "greatest player in his generation"? Or will Brazil win its record sixth title on home turf?
Coverage Highlights:
World Cup Stars: 20 Electrifying Players You Need to Know
32 Outstanding World Cup Names (and How to Pronounce Them)
Your Guide to Brazil's World Cup Roster
7 Dramatic Storylines to Make Anyone a World Cup Soccer Fan
The drama of the U.S. Men's National Team
If being in the "Group of Death" wasn't enough for the U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT) to think about, the drama surrounding Landon Donovan's absence when the final roster was selected was.
We sat down with Donovan before World Cup training camp began and continued to follow the storyline after he was cut from the team, talking to the USMNT's star player Clint Dempsey and the team's surprise about Donovan's omission from the final roster.
After the team's shaky performance against Azerbaijan in a friendly match on May 28, whether or not the USMNT is ready to face the "Group of Death" head-on and make it through to the round of 16 remains to be seen.
Coverage Highlights:
Landon Donovan Talks World Cup Dreams and That Legendary Goal
For USA World Cup Team, the Road to Brazil Starts at Stanford
23 Americans Are Going to the World Cup and Not One Is Landon Donovan
Oh, Drama: USA Coach Blasts Son's Derisive Landon Donovan Tweet
Dempsey: 'We Were Surprised' Donovan Was Cut From World Cup Team
Ugly Win Over Azerbaijan Shows USA World Cup Team Has Some Work to Do
This Is What It Feels Like to Score a World Cup Goal
Landon Donovan Gets World Cup Role After All on ESPN's Roster
A controversial Cup
FIFA's questionable business practices have been in the spotlight and Brazilians' have continuously protested the amount of money being poured into the World Cup, revealing the true cost of hosting the world's biggest tournament.
The governing body of world soccer was hit with allegations of corruption and match fixing just two weeks before the start of the tournament and, hough the unrest may settle as the games begin, there may continue to be as much excitement off the pitch as there is on it.
Coverage Highlights:
Forget John Oliver — FIFA Makes a Mockery of Itself
John Oliver Goes Off on FIFA (But He's Still Excited for the World Cup)
Subway Workers Clash With Police Ahead of Brazil's World Cup
Corruption Claims Cloud World Cup
Brazil's Issues With the World Cup in One Painting
Protests Ignite in Brazil as World Cup Nears
The beautiful game on social media
With World Cup apps, the return of hashflags, lists and timelines for all your World Cup news on Facebook and Twitter, social media sites will be working overtime to keep you engaged throughout the month.
The World Cup on social media isn't just about how to stay connected, though. It's about the users -- the athletes competing on the international stage -- behind those social media accounts, like the three Iranian players who were able to get verified Twitter accounts despite the country having banned the service since 2009.
Coverage Highlights:
Six Apps to Fuel Your World Cup Fever
Twitter Courts New Users With 'World Cup of Tweets'
Inside the Push to Get All 32 World Cup Teams on Twitter
Google Maps Takes You Inside the World Cup Stadiums
Raise Your 'Hashflags': Twitter Reintroduces World Cup Hashtags
Experience the World Cup Through the Eyes of the U.S. Soccer Team"
Now that you're all up to speed, go forth and join the month-long celebration of competitive soccer at it's highest level. Learn how to watch the World Cup here and stay up to date with all the matches with these interactive schedules.
Let's play.
BONUS: The Complete Guide To World Cup Team Nicknames
[nggallery id="16945"]