The opening of the Championship can be seen at the largest stadium - Luzhniki.
List of cities of the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Volgograd is located in the southeastern part of the European half of the Russian Federation. Today it has been officially awarded the title of Hero City. It is worth noting that tourists from all over the world visit it every year not only because of its rich history. Volgograd is also very popular as a city for outdoor activities. Today, vacationers are offered a variety of programs and opportunities in order to have an interesting, rich and useful time.
Volgograd cannot boast of a millennium anniversary, but the fact that many trials have fallen to its lot is an indisputable fact. The city has few names - Tsaritsyn (1589-1925), Stalingrad (1925-1961), Volgograd - but each of them is associated with a special stage of its life path. Of course, the most important, turning point both in its history and in the course of the Great Patriotic War, and at the same time, perhaps, in the history of the whole world - this is the Battle of Stalingrad. All the main sights of Volgograd are connected with it.
Volgograd in 2018 will be the venue for the matches of the group stage of the football world championship (Volga cluster). In total, 4 games will be held in the city, Volgograd did not get playoff matches. In addition, the city will provide a place for training bases for the teams participating in the World Cup.
The Hampton by Hilton Volgograd Profsoyuznaya hotel has already been put into operation and is functioning. This year it has already received a prestigious award: recognized as the best hotel of the international corporation "Hilton". Also, the construction of the Park Inn by Radisson hotel, located near the railway station, has already been completed.
Yekaterinburg is called the capital of the Urals. This is the fourth largest city in Russia, which attracts young people from the Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk, Tyumen, Perm regions and KhMAO. The population of the city is about 2 million people (officially - less than 1.4 million). The national composition is very diverse, but more than 80% are Russians.
The city is the fourth largest road junction in the country. Six federal highways, seven main railway lines, an international airport - this is what makes Yekaterinburg not only a link between the European and Asian parts of Russia, but also a "gateway" to rich Siberia.
Yekaterinburg is one of the largest and most beautiful cities in Russia. They also love football here, the tradition of fighting in the capital of the Urals has quite strong roots. It is not surprising that this city will become the easternmost point where the best teams in the world will come to play in 2018. It is the only city in the Eastern Cluster. Here, at the reconstructed "Central", 4 matches of the group stage of the World Cup will be held.
In addition to stadiums and training facilities, it was decided to organize a fan zone - it will be in the TsPKiO im. Mayakovsky. It will also be possible to cheer in the Historical Center, where fans have already gathered during the broadcast of the 2014 World Cup matches. Due to the transfer of the main site, Yekaterinburg will be able to restore the Central Park of Culture and Culture, so that it can be conveniently used after the World Cup.
Kazan World Cup 2018
Since ancient times, Kazan has been and remains today the most important city, which acts as an intermediary between East and West in trade, plays a significant role in both economic and cultural and international relations of the country. Kazan was included in the list of World Heritage Cities compiled by UNESCO, and is developing very rapidly in all directions.
Kazan is a unique city, one of the most "sporty" in the country. AT last years many world-class sports competitions have been held here, starting with the World Championships in water sports sports and ending with the Universiade. So, the city is ready to host matches of the highest level and host guests right now - it’s good that the most modern stadium has been ready for a long time.
The city has a huge selection of hotels: chain hotels came to Kazan for the Universiade, local investors also did not waste time. There are no problems with guest housing here now. Also during the World Cup student dormitories will be used, which are usually empty in summer. And apart-hotels are being built for the refereeing team and football players for the 2018 World Cup in Kazan near the Millennium.
Kazan Arena was built a long time ago, and now it is free from all other competitions. Now it is a purely football stadium, which will now be tested in full by Rubin Kazan.
Rostov-on-Don is the administrative and cultural center of the Rostov region, which lies in the very south of Russia, as well as one of the largest cities in the region and a city of military glory. Rostov is a beautiful and picturesque city, which is known throughout the country for its production of special equipment, namely combines. In addition, this is an excellent city for tourists, because it has a rich history, many attractions, and every guest of the south of Russia will certainly like its southern flavor. These places boast excellent cuisine and fun entertainment.
Rostov is not only the administrative center of the region, but also the cultural and commercial, industrial and transport capital of the South Russian Federation. This city is often called the "Gate of the Caucasus", as well as the southern capital, very often you can find the expression "Rostov-Papa".
After the FIFA decision, which approved the cities where the World Cup matches will be held, Rostov-on-Don began to actively and purposefully prepare for this significant event in the city's sports life. One of the main preparation projects, of course, is the construction of a new stadium in the city. Within the framework of this project, a complete engineering plan for the development of the engineering, energy, transport and communal infrastructure of the region has already been drawn up.
The preparation of the hotel infrastructure of the city is also in full swing. A special commission was created, whose expanded competence will include checking facilities under construction and auditing existing hotels for compliance with international standards. By the beginning of the World Cup, the total number of hotel rooms of various stars will have to reach about 8 thousand. It is also planned to reconstruct the embankment of the city. Additionally, about 8,000 parking spaces will be created in the city. Rostov-on-Don will also draw bike paths, all signs will be duplicated with inscriptions in English.
Samara is the largest city in the Middle Volga region, the center of the Volga economic region, and the seventh most populous city in Russia. Samara is one of the largest transport, industrial, business, cultural and scientific centers Russia. The city is located on the bend of the Samarskaya Luka, on the left bank of the Volga, between its tributaries Samara and Sok.
The architectural heritage of the city is represented by various architectural styles and is of undoubted value for connoisseurs of ancient architecture. The city has 5 municipal theaters and various stage venues, many museums and galleries, the Samara State Circus. Oleg Popov, zoo. Music festivals and other cultural events are regularly held.
Samara has become one of the cities that will host the 2018 World Cup matches at its stadium. Since then, in Samara, which fell into final list, full-scale work is underway to prepare the city. 56 billion rubles were allocated for the construction of the sports arena of the championship and giving the city an appropriate image. A new tram line will appear in the city and will connect the stadium with the railway station. Its total length should be more than 18.5 kilometers, and the cost of the entire construction cycle is estimated at 7 billion rubles.
The plans of the Organizing Committee also include the modernization of the shipping fleet and the construction of four new berths, one of which will be built right on the Embankment near the stadium. Such an innovation should solve the problem of overcoming long distances plus a variety of tourist leisure activities, which will now include walks along the Volga, accompanied by information about Samara. The Frunzensky bridge will be erected over the Volga, which, after the end of the Championship, will connect Samara with neighboring Novokuibyshevsk.
Sochi is the main balneological resort of Russia on the Black Sea coast and the capital of the XXII Winter Olympic Games in 2014. Rest at the resort gives you the opportunity to see a huge variety of southern and exotic plants, architectural monuments, beautiful temples, squares and fountains. The main sights of the surroundings of Sochi are created by nature: numerous waterfalls and caves, canyons and gorges. All this is located on the territory of the Sochi National Park, stretching from the Tuapse region to Abkhazia.
Intercity communication connects Sochi with all major cities Russia, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Murmansk, Yekaterinburg, Blagoveshchensk, Perm, Saratov and others.
Sochi is a participant of the FIFA World Cup, which will be held in 2018. Participants and spectators of the Championship will be able to enjoy a magnificent spectacle and join the cultural diversity of the country. This is a unique city in our application, the only one that at the time of the launch of the preparation project had a modern stadium and all the necessary sports and tourist infrastructure. The training base for the teams-participants of the Championship will be FBGU "YUG-SPORT". On its territory there are 2 large football fields and the Parus hotel complex, where non-resident football players will stay. The capacity of the complex is 144 rooms.
It was decided to use the stadium for the Championship. Its difference from other arenas is its original design.
Today's Kaliningrad is a major machine-building and metallurgical center; the city also has a developed light industry, printing industry, and fishing. Recently, the city has attracted more and more tourists who want to visit historical sights and unique museums of Kaliningrad. The cultural life of the city is concentrated in theaters, large libraries, which store, among other things, a medieval book collection called the Wallenrodt Library. The city has a zoo, a botanical garden.
Preparations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup are taking place at different paces in different cities, and Kaliningrad, which in 2014 was considered one of the cities that lagged behind in terms of readiness for this event, is currently doing everything to release this “honorable” place.
According to N. Tsukanov, the governor of the region, by 2018 the city will be completely transformed. In addition to the construction of sports facilities proper, it is planned to increase the number of hotels, and the organizers of the hotel business will be able to count on state subsidies. According to preliminary estimates, by 2018, more than 20 hotel complexes with different levels of service will be opened in the city; however, the savings have also affected this line of business, so that most hotels will have no more than 4 stars.
The stadium will host 4 group stage matches.
Football is the most popular and massive game sport in the world, the interest of fans in which is sometimes simply overwhelming. According to statistics, almost 3 billion inhabitants of the planet are fond of football to one degree or another, and the mundial (from the Spanish Copa Mundial de Fútbol - football world cup) has long become the most important sporting event of the four years. The World Championship of the year for the first time in history was entrusted to Russia. Read on to find out which cities hosted the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Initially, the list of cities that will host matches of the football tournament included 13 host cities. Subsequently, their number was reduced to 11 - Krasnodar and Yaroslavl were excluded from the list of host cities for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
In the final version, the following Russian cities received the right to host the World Cup:
- Moscow
- St. Petersburg
- Kazan
- Yekaterinburg
- Samara
- Saransk
- Rostov-on-Don
- Kaliningrad
- Nizhny Novgorod
- Volgograd
The issue of preparing stadiums for the World Cup turned out to be difficult and financially costly, since most Russian arenas were obsolete by the beginning of the 21st century and did not meet FIFA requirements.
Ultimately, it was decided to build nine new stadiums in Russia and reconstruct three old ones. It is worth noting that all these stadiums fully comply with all the necessary criteria after the completion of work. Here they are:
- Luzhniki (Moscow city) for 81 thousand — reconstruction completed
- Spartak Stadium (Moscow) for 45,000 — construction completed in 2014
- St. Petersburg Arena for 67,000 — construction completed in 2017
- Kazan Arena for 45,000 — construction completed in 2013
- Ekaterinburg Arena for 35,000 — construction completed in 2018
- Samara Arena for 45 thousand — construction completed
- Mordovia Arena (city of Saransk) for 45 thousand — construction completed
- "Fisht" (city of Sochi) for 44 thousand - reconstruction completed in 2017
- Rostov Arena for 45 thousand — construction completed
- Baltika Arena (Kaliningrad) for 35,000 — construction completed
- Nizhny Novgorod Stadium for 45,000 — construction completed
- Volgograd Arena for 45,000 — construction completed.
The process of reconstruction of stadiums for the World Cup and the progress of construction is of great interest from experts and ordinary fans. Therefore, we present to your attention a brief overview of each city and stadium where the 2018 FIFA World Cup was held.
Moscow
The capital of Russia received the unofficial status of the main city of the World Cup. The superiority of the city on this issue among other Russian cities is beyond doubt.
Moscow is the city where on June 14, 2018 the ceremony and the opening match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup with the participation of the Russian team took place. The semifinals and finals will also take place here.
In total, two sports arenas in Moscow - the reconstructed Luzhniki and the built Spartak (better known to the general public as the Otkritie Arena) - hosted 12 championship games.
Matches of teams of all groups were held at the stadiums of the city preliminary stage tournament, in connection with which, Moscow experienced a large influx of fans from all over the world.
The Spartak Stadium is completely ready - since 2014, the club of the same name has been holding its home matches here.
"Opening Arena" (Spartacus) The reconstruction of Luzhniki was completed on time. After the reconstruction, the Luzhniki stadium became one of the best in the world. It was at this stadium that the final game between France and Croatia took place.
"Luzhniki" Stadiums are really made for the fans.
World Cup schedule
12 Championship matches took place in Moscow, more than in other cities.
| Date Time | Stadium | Match |
| Group stage | ||
| June 14, 18:00 | Luzhniki | Russia - Saudi Arabia |
| June 16, 16:00 | Luzhniki | Argentina — Iceland |
| June 17, 18:00 | Luzhniki | Germany - Mexico |
| June 19, 18:00 | Luzhniki | Poland - Senegal |
| June 20, 15:00 | Luzhniki | Portugal Morocco |
| June 23, 15:00 | Spartacus | Belgium - Tunisia |
| June 26, 17:00 | Luzhniki | Denmark - France |
| June 27, 21:00 | Spartacus | Serbia — Brazil |
| 1/8 | ||
| July 1, 17:00 | Luzhniki | Spain — Russia |
| July 3, 21:00 | Spartacus | Columbia - England |
| 1/2 | ||
| July 11, 21:00 | Luzhniki | Croatia - England |
| The final | ||
| July 15, 18:00 | Luzhniki | France — Croatia |
Volgograd
In a historical place, at the foot of Mamayev Kurgan, a stadium for 45 thousand spectators was built.
Match Schedule
Only group matches of the 2018 World Cup were held in Volgograd:
Yekaterinburg
After the announcement of Yekaterinburg as the city for the World Cup matches, the most heated debate flared up here. The fact is that, according to many experts, the construction of a new stadium in the capital of the Urals would cost the authorities less than the reconstruction of the old stadium "Central". However, the decision was still made in favor of reconstruction.
Match Schedule
Only four matches of the 2018 World Cup group stage were held in Yekaterinburg.
Kazan
The championship of the city in terms of the delivery of the object belongs to the capital of Tatarstan. Kazan, which hosted 6 matches at the World Cup, was the first to put into operation a football stadium for 45,000 spectators back in 2013.
The readiness of the arena for the competition is beyond doubt, which was once again confirmed during the four matches of the 2017 Confederations Cup held at the highest level organizations.
Match Schedule
Kaliningrad
The stadium is being built by analogy with the famous Munich "Alliance Arena". The capacity has been reduced from the originally planned 45,000 to 35,000 spectators. The construction was accompanied by a number of scandals related to the work of contractors.
The stadium is being built on Oktyabrsky Island, which had not been used for construction at all for a long time. The stadium was completely built on time, the first match took place on April 12, 2018.
Match Schedule
The following group stage matches were held in Kaliningrad:
Nizhny Novgorod
In a picturesque place, near the confluence of the Oka and the Volga, the construction of a stadium for 45 thousand in Nizhny Novgorod is being completed. Previously, this place was a wasteland. In parallel with the construction of the stadium, the necessary infrastructure is being prepared.
The opening of the stadium and the first match took place on April 15, 2018. Work on the arrangement of the territory around the stadium was carried out almost before the start of the championship.
Match Schedule
Rostov-on-Don
For the 2018 World Cup in Rostov, an ultra-modern stadium with 25,000 seats is being built. The stadium is located on the left bank of the Don near the rowing canal.
Match Schedule
Samara
But the construction of the stadium in Samara for the World Cup does not fit into the originally scheduled time - December 2017. The arena has already been rescheduled for 2018.
The Samara stadium built for the 2018 World Cup is located in the highest point of Samara - near the village of Radiocenter. Outwardly, it looks like spaceship and is designed for 45 thousand seats.
Samara Arena became the latest stadium prepared for the tournament. Commissioning approval was received on 27 April and the first test match took place the following day, 28 April.
Match Schedule
St. Petersburg
Especially for the 2018 World Cup in the cultural capital of Russia on the site of the old stadium named after S.M. Kirov built an ultra-modern sports complex for 68 thousand spectators. Now the football club "Zenith" holds its matches here. The arena is complete.
In total, 7 matches of the 2018 football championship took place in St. Petersburg, including the match of the Russian team in the group stage on June 19.
Match Schedule
Saransk
When announcing which cities will host matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, it was a big surprise for many that this right was granted to Saransk.
Indeed, the capital of Mordovia, with a population of just over 300,000 people, was not initially a favorite in the fight to host World Cup matches. Nevertheless, unlike many Russian cities, Saransk managed to get the status of a city participating in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Match Schedule
Only four games of the group stage of the 2018 World Cup were held in Saransk.
Sochi
Sochi has long acquired the status of a city where there is everything for holding the largest international competitions.
The construction of the Fisht Arena was originally carried out not for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but for the XXII Winter Olympic Games. This arena, with a capacity of 44 thousand spectators, is known throughout the world - it was here that the most spectacular, in the opinion of many, the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics took place.
After the Olympics, Fisht was reconstructed and reopened on March 10, 2017. In June 2017, the stadium hosted matches of the Confederation Cup and once again confirmed its readiness to host competitions of the highest level.
FIFA World Cup in Russia: Match Schedule - a section that allows all football fans to freely navigate the calendar of matches of the 2018 World Cup in Russia and be aware of all the necessary information on any of them. That is, you will never be late for a match or to watch it, and you will know in advance which game will take place.
If desired or necessary, in the same section, everyone will be able to find all the information on each match of the tournament. To do this, it will be enough to click on any game in 2018 World Championship calendar.
Inside each match before the game, you will be able to find the names of the refereeing team and get acquainted with the approximate lineups for the match, or you can offer your own vision of the game and discuss it in a chat with other football fans. As the game progresses, you will have access to a text broadcast of each match, which will always be available and will not go anywhere after the meeting. After the game, you will also be able to find out the authors of the goals and those who chalked up cards or other effective actions worthy of the meeting protocol. Also, within each match, all relevant news on it will be available - which preceded the meeting or appeared after its results.
FIFA World Cup 2018 dates
12 stadiums in 11 Russian cities will host matches of this summer's main event. The dates for the 2018 FIFA World Cup have long been set. Most football fans have long marked key dates on the calendar. Someone will see the matches from the stadium, and millions of people around the world will follow the 2018 World Cup on TV.
If you are not very often interested in football, then remember: the opening date of the 2018 FIFA World Cup is June 14th. On this day, the Russian team will open the tournament with a match against Saudi Arabia at Luzhniki. Russia will play the rest of its matches in the group at the World Cup on June 19 and 25 - with Egypt and Uruguay.
This and other dates of the 2018 FIFA World Cup can be viewed in our table - choose the matches of specific groups or the entire group stage. In the course of the tournament, the table will be updated when the participants in specific playoff matches become known.
It is also important to know the start date of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and other days of matches of the Russian national team due to the fresh initiative of Igor Lebedev, Vice Speaker of the State Duma of the Russian Federation. The deputy proposes to make the days of matches of the Russian team days off for the whole country.
Key dates for the 2018 FIFA World Cup
- June 14 – opening match at Luzhniki
- June 14-28 - group stage matches
- June 30 - start of playoffs
- July 10 and 11 - 1/2 final matches
- July 14 - match for 3rd place
- July 15 - final
MOSCOW, September 30 - RIA Novosti. The solemn ceremony, which will be held in Russia in 2018, took place live on Channel One on Saturday evening. Krasnodar and Yaroslavl, as well as the FC Dynamo stadium under construction in the capital, were left without a football holiday. World championship games will be hosted by Moscow (Luzhniki and Spartak stadiums), St. Petersburg, Samara, Saransk, Rostov-on-Don, Sochi, Kazan, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod and Yekaterinburg.
FIFA World Cup as an opportunity to attract young people to sports
Russia received the right to host the 2018 World Cup in December 2010, and initially its application included 13 cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Samara, Saransk, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Sochi, Krasnodar and Yekaterinburg. In Moscow, three stadiums claimed the right to host the 2018 World Cup games: the large Luzhniki sports arena, where the championship final is to be held, and one of the two arenas under construction - Spartak or Dynamo.
RIA News. Anna Fialovskaya
2018 FIFA World Cup Host Ceremony
Two days before the announcement of the results, it became known that FIFA had made its choice and the 2018 World Cup matches would be held at 12 stadiums in 11 Russian cities. Before the ceremony, which began at 21.20 Moscow time on Saturday, the intrigue remained - who would become superfluous. All this time, speculation in the press did not subside, and Saransk, Yaroslavl and Krasnodar were most often named among the losers.
FIFA's decision was made after studying the report, which was provided by the organizing committees of "Russia-2018". When choosing the final list of organizers of the world championship, according to the regulations, the current provision of cities with infrastructure, the level of their socio-economic development, the investment program for preparing for the 2018 World Cup, the concept of holding the championship, as well as effective use tournament heritage. These criteria were assessed during the inspection tour, which lasted from April 12 to June 22 this year, when the organizing committee and FIFA experts visited stadiums and construction sites, inspected airports, and met with representatives of the leadership of cities and regions claiming to host the tournament.
According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who spoke on Channel One, hosting the World Cup in Russia, "to attract a large number of young people to the sport." “Recently, we have been paying more and more attention to sports programs ... This will be a large construction project,” the head of state said. “Even in the conditions of turbulent processes in the global economy, the implementation of such programs ... is still a very good stimulant for warming up the economy.” .
According to him, preparation for the world championship means new jobs, new technologies. “This is what will remain for people. We will try to make sure that no one remains a stranger at the celebration of life, the celebration of sports,” the president told Channel One, which broadcast the ceremony of announcing the cities that will host the 2018 World Cup.
“Even if some cities drop out of the list, and, unfortunately, this will happen, we will try to make sure that training bases, recreation centers for athletes are located in these cities, so that the participants of the competition still appear there. We, if necessary, will be ready to subsidize intercity transportation so that people can get to the competition venues at cheap rates," Putin said.
According to the president, the subsidies will affect transportation by rail and road transport and, if necessary, any other mode of transport, including aviation.
Putin also expressed the hope that the Russian football players at the upcoming competitions will "bring up their level to the world level" and show a good result worthy of the country.
Clear Leaders
From the very beginning there was no doubt that the matches of the world championship, and. At the same time, the capital received the opening match and the final, which will take place at the BSA Luzhniki, and one of the semi-finals is planned in St. Petersburg, plus, a year before the start of the World Cup, the draw of the tournament will be held there - at the Mariinsky Theater.
In the city on the Neva, there were no problems with choosing a stadium - this is the new arena of FC Zenit, the construction of which has been going on with great difficulty on Krestovsky Island since 2007 and the deadlines for which have already been repeatedly postponed. In this regard, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev made a tough statement, calling the protracted construction a "shame" and noting that he had not seen much progress since his last visit to the construction site in 2010. The chief architect of State Unitary Enterprise MNIIP Mosproekt-4, the general designer of the structure, Dmitry Bush assured R-Sport that the construction would be completed within two years.
"In St. Petersburg, in my opinion, (it takes) from one and a half to two years to complete all the work. At the St. Petersburg stadium, 85 percent of concrete has already been made and quite a bit less than 15% for metal," Bush said.
Speaking at the walls of the Peter and Paul Fortress immediately after the announcement of the decision of the FIFA Executive Committee, the vice-governor of St. Petersburg, Igor Divinsky, said that the Russian team should win the home world championship.
"I believe that the championship is worthy of our city. I will even paraphrase: this best city in the world, so the World Cup should take place here. And the fact that we will have a semi-final is an absolutely correct decision, and we will be ready for this. I want to congratulate everyone on this decision and wish everyone a sporting mood and military victories. I think we should be champions, we have all the makings for this. It’s probably hard not to become champions with such fans," Divinsky expressed his opinion.
The entire sports infrastructure of St. Petersburg will be ready for the start of the 2018 World Cup, Yury Avdeev, chairman of the Committee for Physical Culture and Sports of St. Petersburg, told the R-Sport agency.
"Today, there are many organizational issues, from the arrival of honored guests to the arrival, accommodation and provision of transport for teams. Our main material base is our stadiums. Today, a new stadium is being built that will host World Cup matches. First of all, as training stadiums , the Dynamo and Petrovsky stadiums are being considered. We think that everything will be ready for the championship, ”Avdeev told R-Sport.
RIA News. Alexey Danichev
Residents of St. Petersburg watch a live broadcast of the ceremony of announcing the host cities of the 2018 FIFA World Cup
In Moscow, in addition to the world-famous Luzhniki, which hosted the 1980 Olympics and the Champions League final, the choice was between the stadiums under construction of two metropolitan teams - Spartak and Dynamo. And if the arena of the “red-whites” will be commissioned in the very near future, then construction in Petrovsky Park has not even begun yet. The cost of this project, according to the chairman of the board of directors of Dynamo and the first deputy president and chairman of the board of VTB Bank Vasily Titov, will be about half the cost of the entire VTB Arena project, which is estimated by experts at about 865 million euros. As a result, on Channel One, the name of the Dynamo stadium was never announced, and on the card with the name of the city it was written: Luzhniki and Spartak. FIFA's choice was made in favor of an almost finished arena.
The ceremony of laying the first stone of the Spartak stadium on the territory of the Tushino airfield in Moscow took place in 2007. The main investor in the construction is the owner of the Spartak football club and vice president of the Lukoil oil company, Leonid Fedun. The estimated cost of building the entire sports complex is about 12 billion rubles.
As for Kazan and Sochi, everyone who follows sports life Russia, they understood that these cities would not be left without the 2018 World Cup: Sochi would become the capital of the Olympics in 2014 (the 2018 World Cup matches would be held at the Fisht stadium, where the opening and closing of the 2014 Olympics were scheduled to be held), and Kazan in 2013 games of the XXVII World Summer Universiade, and the construction of a new football arena for local pride - FC Rubin is already being completed there. The stadium is designed for 45,000 spectators, but by the 2018 World Cup its capacity can be increased to 60,000 seats.
Kazan has all the necessary infrastructure to host matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov said. "The readiness of the city is assessed well. All sports facilities are almost ready. Completions are underway at the football stadium. Kazan is ready to host world championships in any sport," Minnikhanov said after the FIFA decision was announced.
“Kazan was highly appreciated by experts,” Vladimir Leonov, director of the ANO “Directorate of the Universiade-2013”, told R-Sport. with the enthusiasm of the Regional Organizing Committee, makes the city a worthy candidate to host the matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup."
At the same time, experts note that holding the Universiade in 2013 will help Kazan prepare for the 2018 World Cup. In turn, specialists of the Central Research Institute of Urban Planning remind that in connection with the Universiade 2013, Kazan has developed a long-term program for the development of the road network and the urban passenger transport system, the city already has an international airport Kazan, a large railway station and a river port.
And Teemu Helppolainen, Senior Vice President Business Segment" International Services for Construction" of the concern "YIT", does not exclude that new hotels may appear in the capital of Tatarstan on the basis of the housing stock created for the Universiade.
The main problem of Sochi may be the cost of renting housing in the resort town during the world championship. "The 2018 World Cup can play a trick on rental prices. Sochi is a major tourist center, and in June-July, when the championship usually takes place, the city is at the peak of the season, so accommodation prices can soar beyond what is possible," Anton Finogenov, director general of the Urbanika Institute of Territorial Planning, told RIA Novosti.
There were no surprises in the group of strong middle peasants - the candidacies of Samara, Nizhny Novgorod and Yekaterinburg initially did not cause any concern. At the same time, Yekaterinburg already in 2012 became a serious player on the Russian football map - the final of the Russian Cup was held there, and the country's youth team played its home matches in the autumn at the Central Stadium. This arena opened after renovations in 2011, and another renovation is planned for the World Cup to meet all FIFA requirements, and its capacity will increase from 27,000 to 41,000 spectators. Yekaterinburg has a developed network of hotels, a large international airport "Koltsovo", a program has been adopted in the region that involves the construction of sports facilities and infrastructure necessary for the 2018 World Cup.
"We have determined for ourselves that we are among the top five cities - Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi and Kazan - that are potentially ready to host the World Cup," Leonid Rapoport, Minister of Physical Education, Sports and Youth Policy of the Sverdlovsk Region, told RIA Novosti.
At the same time, Yekaterinburg needs more affordable hotels in order to be able to adequately receive football fans. “In Yekaterinburg, everything is fine with hotels, entertainment and trade. However, there are few small hotels in the middle price segment. It is necessary to complete the construction of hotels where there will be rooms for $50-70 per day,” Alexei Mogila, director of the retail real estate department at Penny Lane Realty, told RIA Novosti.
Difficult choice between equals
Obviously, the most difficult choice was between equal contenders. And here Yaroslavl and Krasnodar turned out to be two superfluous. Experts and officials have yet to comment on the reasons, but according to Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, these cities will be involved in the football festival in some other way.
The main surprise in the final list of cities was the presence of Saransk, which all experts unanimously listed as outsiders. But despite this, the most unprepared city was among the lucky ones. It can be suggested that one of the reasons for this was the ongoing construction of a new stadium in the city and the increased attention to Saransk recently, as well as its sports successes (race walking, FC Mordovia's entry into the Premier League). In addition, Saransk is one of the major sports centers of the Volga region. At the same time, only one or two matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup will withstand the infrastructure of Saransk, says Alexei Mogila, director of the retail real estate department at Penny Lane Realty.
RIA News. Evgeny Biyatov
Residents of Saransk and Head of the Republic of Mordovia Vladimir Volkov (center) watch a live broadcast of the ceremony of announcing the host cities of the 2018 FIFA World Cup
“Saransk is the capital of Mordovia, but the city is not as big as the rest of the championship participants. The trading part is poorly prepared, there is practically no sports infrastructure of this level, it is difficult to get to the city. Therefore, most likely, only one or two matches will be held there,” said Grave.
In turn, Anton Finogenov, general director of the Urbanika Institute of Territorial Planning, noted that Saransk is the smallest city among all those included in the Russian bid for the World Cup, and is not a point of economic growth on a federal scale.
In his opinion, the leadership of the city managed to include Saransk in the list of candidates due to fairly successful preparations for the republican anniversary. "The construction of the stadium has already begun in the city, but this is not enough," Finogenov added.
Samara, a city with good football traditions and a good project for a new football stadium, the construction of which has not yet begun, does not have such problems.
According to the head of Samara, Dmitry Azarov, the new arena will be located in "a delightful place - one of the best among those offered for stadiums throughout Russia." "This is an arrow at the confluence of two rivers - the Volga and Samara," Azarov told R-Sport.
He also admitted that during the visit of the FIFA commission, the guests had many questions to the local organizing committee. "Experts were concerned about the infrastructure readiness and transport accessibility of this place. But after listening to a detailed report, a large number questions, including directly to the designers, all questions were removed, and their final score was very high," Azarov concluded.
Nizhny Novgorod did not start construction for a long time due to the repeated transfer of the site new arena, but is now ready to start building the stadium. In addition, the city, as the Minister of Sports and Youth Policy told RIA Novosti Nizhny Novgorod region Viktor Kharitonov has all the necessary data to hold a tournament of such a high level.
"The regional organizing committee is working in all areas: the site for the construction of the stadium has been determined, a working group for the construction of hotels has been created, projects have been initiated to develop transport infrastructure," Kharitonov noted. wishes to improve the hotel infrastructure and the operation of public transport. All these wishes have been taken into account, and work is underway on them."
There were practically no doubts about the appearance of Volgograd either, and as a result, together with Samara and Nizhny Novgorod, the cities on the Volga would face a number of obvious problems. This is due to the fact that, according to the RIA Novosti expert CEO Institute of Territorial Planning "Urbanica" Anton Finogenov, Nizhny Novgorod, Volgograd and Samara in terms of infrastructure are not ready for the championship. However, the expert agrees that all these cities remained in the list of hosts of the championship. "This is a good reason to invest federal money in these old industrial cities to accelerate their economic growth. Until now, they have experienced a shortage of investments, despite their important strategic position in the Volga macroregion of the country. In addition, we must not forget that the Nizhny Novgorod and Samara urban agglomerations are one of largest in the country in terms of population after Moscow and St. Petersburg," Finogenov said.
Two more cities that have received the right to host the 2018 World Cup matches are in a different position. If Kaliningrad, due to its convenient geographical location, can count on an influx of tourists, which is also confirmed by experts, then Rostov-on-Don will most likely face a number of problems.
Kaliningrad, which on Saturday was among the Russian cities hosting the 2018 World Cup, will, thanks to its location, become a mecca for tourists from neighboring countries, according to experts interviewed by RIA Novosti.
"There will be many tourists from Germany, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania. We only need to resolve the issue of visas," says Alexei Mogila, director of the retail real estate department at Penny Lane Realty.
Anton Finogenov, General Director of the Institute of Territorial Planning "Urbanica", in his turn reminds that tourists from Central Europe and Germany can get to Kaliningrad by car in just 3-5 hours. “Therefore, Kaliningrad expects a guaranteed high flow of tourists, which is very important in terms of budgetary return on public investment,” the expert says.
Rostov-on-Don, in the first place, can count on the arrival of neighbors in the region, but the main thing, according to the governor of the region, Vasily Golubev, is that the right to host the 2018 World Cup games will become a powerful impetus for the development of the entire Rostov region
“We all waited and were practically sure that the homeland of Viktor Monday could not but host the World Cup. This is the beginning of a lot of work that will give impetus to the development of the Don capital and the entire Rostov region,” the governor said.
Residents of Krasnodar and Yaroslavl were very upset. In Krasnodar, in addition, at the time of the announcement of the decision, a celebration was held in honor of the City Day. Moreover, Krasnodar is the only Russian city after Moscow where two clubs play in the RFPL at once.
The president and owner of the Krasnodar football club, Sergei Galitsky, is perplexed after the decision not to include Krasnodar in the list of host cities for the 2018 World Cup. “Yeah, Krasnodar was thrown out, it’s something, two teams in the league,” Galitsky wrote in his microblog on Twitter. “There can’t be a World Cup without Krasnodar, it can’t be, horror.”
"I was sure that Krasnodar would host the World Cup, and here is such news. I'm just in shock. The city has everything necessary for holding such competitions. It's a pity that everything happened like this. as a result, the mayor (Vladimir Evlanov) and the governor of the region (Alexander Tkachev) didn’t say a word about the World Cup, they only congratulated us on the City Day, ”one of the residents of Krasnodar told the R-Sport correspondent.
Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko urged those who did not make the final list not to be upset, saying that both Yaroslavl and Krasnodar helped win the right to host the 2018 World Cup.
“Unfortunately, not all cities made it to the final list, but they helped Russia win the right to host the World Cup,” the minister said, adding, “I think together with them (Yaroslavl and Krasnodar) we will prepare the championship. Today is an important milestone, we We are preparing for this significant event."
The FIFA Executive Committee approved the final list of host cities at a meeting on Friday 28 September 2012 in Zurich. The decision on the schedule of matches of the tournament will be made later.
Football fans from all over the world are looking forward to the final part of the World Cup. This competition is the most popular on the planet, but it takes place only once every four years. This time the host country will be Russia and the top 32 teams will compete for the FIFA World Cup.
The most important match of the tournament, of course, is the final. You will find out where and when the decisive match of the 21st World Cup will take place right now.
Where and in which stadium will the 2018 World Cup final be held?
Both matches, both the opening and the final, will be hosted by the capital of Russia - Moscow, and they will be held at the largest stadium in the Russian Federation, Luzhniki, with a capacity of 81,000 people. This stadium was reconstructed and it hosted the Olympic Games in 1980.
It is located in the center of the Olympic complex with an area of 145 hectares. By the way, this complex is one of the largest sports complexes in the world. Luzhniki is located along the Moskva River near the beautiful natural park Vorobyovy Gory.
The Luzhniki Stadium is the best option for hosting the 2018 World Cup final. In Moscow, another stadium called Otkritie Arena was opened, where the local Spartak is now playing, but it is almost half the size.
When will the 2018 FIFA World Cup final take place?
The first match of the final part of the tournament will be played on June 14, and already Decisive game will be played on July 15 and the end of the 21st World Cup is given. The match will start at 18:00 Moscow time.
In order to get to the Luzhniki stadium on July 15, the national teams will have to go through a difficult path, because the competition is getting stronger with each draw. The last World Cup was won by the German national team, which defeated the Argentines in the final with a score of 1:0. By the way, experts consider the Bundestim the main favorite of the upcoming competition.
Among other teams that can compete for the World Cup in the final game, the following can be distinguished:
- Spain;
- Brazil;
- Italy;
- Belgium;
- Argentina;
- France;
- Portugal.
Perhaps one of the other teams will be able to create a sensation and get through to the decisive match of the tournament. Only the strongest teams from all over the continent will come to the World Cup, so the struggle throughout the month will be simply incredible. There will be only one winner, and the world will know his name on July 15, 2018.