FIFA World Cup’s, like the Olympic Games, encourage a great deal of development in their host
countries with numerous stadiums and support infrastructure being built ahead of the events.
Russia’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup in the summer of 2018 is no different.
As with the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia is investing heavily in the World Cup, spending
an estimated USD $10BN building new stadiums and refurbishing existing facilities.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup will see 65 matches hosted across 11 cities in 12 of the most
modern stadiums in the world.
In total, seven new venues have been custom built for the World Cup, while three further
stadiums are less than five years old and the remaining two have had serious upgrades
to make them fit to host World Cup games.
The massive construction programme means that this FIFA tournament will be played in the
most modern selection of stadiums so far. Here we countdown the best of these venues.
We kick off in Russia’s second city, Saint Petersburg, with the 68,000-seater “Krestovsky Stadium"
Set to host both a semi-final and the third place playoff, along with group games and
a round of 16 match, the new stadium has been designed to look mimic a spaceship.
A modified and enlarged version of the Toyota Stadium in Japan, the venue has unfortunately
been beset by problems and is now delayed and over budget.
Reportedly costing USD $1.7BN, the stadium will not only be the most expensive to host
games at the 2018 World Cup, but also the most expensive soccer stadium ever built.
Heading from the north to the far south of the country, we arrive at the “Fisht Stadium”
in Sochi.
Built to host both the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympics, the
venue will become only the second stadium in history to host both the Winter Olympics
and the FIFA World Cup - the first being the Olympic Stadium in Turin.
The USD $779M Fabergé egg-inspired stadium is named after the nearby Fisht Mountain.
Originally built as an enclosed facility, the 40,000-seat venue was re-opened in 2016
as an open-air football stadium and will host a quarter final, round of 16 match and four
group games.
At number three on our list is arguably the best-looking stadium of the tournament, the “Cosmos
Arena” in Samara.
Named Cosmos as the city is the centre of Russia’s space industry, the USD $370M stadium,
will host six games at the World Cup including one of the Russian team’s matches.
The most interesting feature of the new 45,000 seater venue is its distinctive 65.5 metre
high dome roof, which gives the stadium the look of an asteroid crater (apparently).
Up next is Russia’s largest stadium. With an incredible capacity of 81,000, the
Moscow venue will host seven games at 2018’s FIFA World Cup, including both
a semi- final and the all-important final.
Built between 1955 and 1956, and originally called the Central Lenin Stadium, the venue
was the centrepiece of the 1980 Olympics.
The ground was renovated in 1996, and has been extensively rebuilt in preparation for
the 2018 World Cup. This latest USD $420M refurbishment has seen the athletics track
removed, stands rebuilt closer to the pitch, and the overall capacity increased.
The result is a truly modern stadium that stands within the facades of its historic
predecessor.
Topping our list is a truly innovative piece of design that will see spectators seated
outside a stadium for the first time at a World Cup.
In a similar manner to the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, this is a modern arena
built within an existing protected façade.
However, as this venue did not have the required minimum capacity to host FIFA World Cup Games,
a novel solution was required.
To increase the capacity to 45,000 – and in a move reminiscent of the temporary expansion
of London’s Aquatic Centre during the 2012 Olympics – two temporary stands have been
built outside the stadium behind the goals at each end of the pitch. After the tournament,
the stands will be removed and the stadium will become the home of FC Ural.
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