The Stadia Guide to the 2018 FIFA World Cup

Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow

Based in Russia’s capital, this is where the opening game of the tournament will be, and is also the location of the FIFA 2018 World Cup Final. The stadium can hold 80 000 seats, and the current cost of tickets for the final are going from RUB 66 000, which is the equivalent of about £835.

This stadium might be familiar to some fans, as it is also the same ground of the UEFA Champions League Final in 2008, where both Chelsea and Manchester United were playing to win. It was also the centrepiece of the 1980 Olympics.

Saint Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg

This brand-new stadium is a sight to behold, sitting just off the Gulf of Finland, with its grassy surroundings and discus shape. It opened in 2017 and is the home of local team FC Zenit. It has 56 196 seats, but that is going to be increased for the tournament this summer, peaking at 67 000 seats. Saint Petersburg Stadium is also the location of one of the semi-finals, as well the third place play off.

Fisht Stadium, Sochi

Sochi is a name that a lot of people might recognise, as it was the host city for the Winter Olympics in 2014. It opened in 2013, and has a capacity of 47 659 seats. This fantastic stadium sits on the edge of the Black Sea, and will be the battlefield for rivals Portugal and Spain to fight it out on 15^th June.

Ekaterinburg Arena, Ekaterinburg

The date of completion was in late 2017, but with no official opening as of yet. This stadium is one of the smaller ones, occupying just 45 000 seats. It is also Russia’s most eastern stadium on the Russia 2018 list, with a time difference of 2 hours ahead of Moscow, and 5 hours ahead of ourselves. This will then become the home of FC Ural at the start of the next season.

Kazan Arena, Kazan

Home of FC Rubin Kazan, this 45 000-seater stadium is based in the city of Kazan, deep into Russia. It might be slightly smaller than some stadia, but is going to host Spain, France, Poland, and Germany as well as a quarter-final. With a giant electronic billboard occupying the side of the arena, it’s certainly a sight to behold, and looks like it could be one of the most exciting venues to attend.

Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod

This is another stadium that Russia have still to finish construction on. It’s predicted finish in late 2017 looks as though it is no longer going to be met. The stadium is to hold 44 899 seats and from the concept art provided by the Russian organisers, will be one of the most beautiful to look at.

It’s one of the stadia due to host a quarter final match and will also host the England match against Panama on 24^th June. It will then become the home stadium for FC Olimpiyets.

Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don

This is the third stadium (for those keeping count) that Russia is still to officially complete. This arena is surrounded by fields of grass and is situated on the south bank of the river Don. With 45 000 seats in this venue, people will be able to see the Brazilian flare on the 17^th June. FC Rostov will be proud to make this venue their home stadium once the World Cup is over.

Samara Arena, Samara

The Samara stadium is another one of the stadia still under construction, with its opening still unlikely to happen by the end of 2017. The stadium does hold 44 198 people though, and will be proudly hosting one of the quarter-finals on 7^th July. Once the tournament is over, local team Krylia Sovetov will move in.

Mordovia Arena, Saransk

The Mordovia is a brightly coloured stadium that reflects the national flag with its red, white and blue exterior. It is still under construction, but will be able to hold 45 000 people. It will host just some of the group games, but visitors will still get to see Japan, Colombia and Portugal play. It will then become the home of team Mordovia Saransk.

Volgograd Stadium, Volgograd

This stadium is where England will play their opening game against Tunisia on 18^th June. This arena is another one on the list that still has not finished construction as of the date of this being posted, but will host 45 000 people and will become the future home of FC Rotor Volgograd once the tournament is over.

Spartak Stadium, Moscow

Spartak stadium is home to FC Spartak Moscow, and has a capacity of 45 360 seats, and is a bold red colour on the outside. It is going to be the proud host of some top tier teams including Argentina, Poland, Belgium and Brazil, although it is not hosting any games beyond the Round of 16.

Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad

This arena is Russia’s most western stadium on this list, and will become the home of FC Baltika Kaliningrad after the tournament. The stadium is still under construction, and will have 35 212 seats. It’s most important fixture though will of course be the match between Belgium and England in the group stages, a clash that everyone in this country is already nervous about.

If you would like to download a free wall chart and tournament tree for the World Cup, you can do so by clicking here.