FIFA World Cup 2018 Stadiums
The FIFA World Cup 2018 is just around the corner, and it won't be long before football fever hits the world and we get to enjoy some of the best, most exciting matches in football history.
This year, the World Cup is being hosted in Russia, who are currently going all out to prepare the best stadiums and venues to host what will be another history-making summer in the sport.
Read on to find out all you need to know about the venues that will be used to host this year's World Cup.
Stadiums to be used for the World Cup 2018 Finals
This year’s cup will be held in Russia, a country that is totally reforming its stadiums and constructing new ones in order to prepare for the big matches and a large number of visitors that it will have during the World Cup this year. There are a total of 12 stadiums that have been allocated for the games, each holding a maximum of 4.
Saransk
Ekaterinburg
Fisht
Kaliningrad
Kazan
Luzhniki
Novgorod
Rostov Arena
Samara
Spartak
St Peterburg
Volgograd
Allocated Stadium Details
Though it is such a big country, Russia is not used to holding such big events, and this one has come as quite a challenge, with the necessity for a lot of reforms and new constructions to provide high quality, modern venues that meet the FIFA World Cup standards. Some, such as the Kaliningrad Stadium, Samara Arena, Nizhny Novgorod Stadium and Rostov Arena have just been finished or are even still in construction and are yet to open their doors.
Perhaps the most impressive of the 12 stadiums is the newly built, recently finished Saint Petersburg Stadium, which was completed in April 2017 on a rumoured $1.5bn budget, making it by far the most expensive stadium in Russia. It shows, though, and this espectacular arena, which will play host to the semi-finals and third place play off, is a modern piece of art. It even boasts stunning views of the Gulf of Finland from the higher up seats.
Where will the Games be played
Each stadium will host a maximum of 4 games each, and depending on capacity and location, each match has been assigned a specific stadium. The most important matches will, of course, take place in high capacity venues in Russia’s capital and in Saint Petersburg. Read on to find out more.
The round of 16 will take place in a variety of stadiums dotted around Russia, all with different capacities. Luzhniki, the stadium that will be used for the big final, is one of them, as well as Spartak Stadium in Moscow, Kazan Arena in Kazan, Samara Arena in Samara, Rostov Arena in Rostov, Fisht Stadium in Sochi, Nizhny Novgorod Arena, and Saint Petersburg Stadium. Some of these stadiums are still under construction, as they are being newly built especially for the FIFA World Cup 2018, for example, ultra-modern Nizhny Novgorod Arena, which will have a capacity of 44,899.
Four different stadiums have been assigned for the quarterfinal games in the World Cup, in different cities around Russia. The first of these in Kazan Arena, in the city of Kazan, with a capacity of 45,379. This stadium is known for having Europe’s largest outdoor screen in any football arena.
The second is Samara Arena, a brand new stadium being built especially for the games. This stadium, which is set to be completed early this year, is a futuristic, ultra-modern venue that has been built in the form of a glass dome, and will hold 44,918 people.
The third venue is Fisht Stadium in Sochi, and was recently built in 2014 for the Olympic and Paralympic Games when they were hosted in Russia, though originally it was built as a totally enclosed building, so it has recently been converted into an open-air stadium to be used for the FIFA World Cup and meet their requirements.
The final stadium for the quarter-final games will be Nizhny Novgorod Arena, another totally new build that will be constructed right next to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral with a pretty, picturesque backdrop of Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin.
The semi-finals are almost as important as the big final, and they will be held in the best venues in Russia’s most important and most prominent cities, Saint Petersburg and Moscow. These are the stunning Saint Petersburg Stadium, with its capacity of 68,134, and, of course, Moscow’s great Luzhniki Stadium, with its mega capacity of 81,000, where the final will also take place.
The third-place match also has its own allocated stadium, and that is the great Saint Petersburg Stadium. You have probably heard of this stadium before, but it is often referred to as Krestovsky Stadium, which is home to FC Zenit Saint Petersburg. This stadium has the second biggest capacity of all the stadiums allocated for the FIFA World Cup 2018, with only the big final venue beating it on capacity.
The big World Cup final this year will take place in the capital city of Moscow, in the biggest stadium of all, Luzhniki Stadium. This stadium has a capacity of 81,000 and its interior was knocked down and rebuilt to prepare for the World Cup, giving it a total renovation and modern look. During the renovation, the venue’s capacity was increased and the athletics track that was previously there was removed in a plan to improve the atmosphere in the stadium. It has been totally upgraded, with new grass, stands and seating.
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