Concise guide to 2018 FIFA World Cup cities and schedule
Staff Writer |
The 2018 FIFA World Cup will take place at cities in Russia from June 14 through July 15. The 11 host cities and their 12 venues for the 2018 World Cup are worth getting excited about.
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Kaliningrad is the city rich in culture with a number of museums and plenty of pristine beaches and untouched forests. As host to the largest Russian naval base on the Baltic, the town was closed to outsiders for 50 years.
Kaliningrad Stadium will be the venue for four 2018 World Cup group-stage matches: Croatia vs. Nigeria on 16 June, Serbia vs. Switzerland on June 22, Spain vs. Morocco on June 25, and England vs. Belgium on June 28.
Kazan is a lively university city with one of the highest standards of living in Russia. Kazan Arena, complete with offices, corporate event space, a variety of food options, shopping and a fitness area is also known as a ‘city in the city.’
Kazan Arena will host matches: France vs. Australia (June 16), Iran vs. Spain (June 20), Poland vs. Colombia (June 24), South Korea vs. Germany (June 27), followed by a 1/8 final on June 30, and a quarter final on July 6.
Moscow is the only city at this World Cup with more than one venue: Spartak Stadium and Luzhniki Stadium, the oldest and largest stadium in the tournament that will host the opening match, a semifinal and the World Cup Final on July 15th.
Nizhny Novgorod, a beautiful city with over 600 historic, architectural, and cultural monuments is worth to explore. The highlight is the city’ impressive 500-year-old fortress overlooking the Volga.
On Nizhny Novgorod Stadium there will be four matches of the group stage: on June 18, the Swedish team will play against the South Koreans, on June 21 the Argentines will meet with the Croats, on June 24 the England team will face off with the Panamanians, and on June 27 the Swiss team will play against the Costa Rican team. Also, the city will take one of 1/8 final and quarterfinal matches.
Rostov-on-Don, situated about 1,000 kilometres southeast of Moscow, is a key transport and cultural hub of southern Russia. It resembles a young and fresh city and its streets are romantically named Harmonious, Creative and Lucky streets while River Don provides the city with the serene and picturesque sand beaches.
Rostov Arena in Rostov-On-Don city was built specially for the FIFA 2018 World Cup Russia. It will be hosting the following 2018 World Cup matches: Brazil vs. Switzerland (June 17), Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia (June 20), South Korea vs. Mexico (June 23), Iceland vs. Croatia (June 26), and a 1/8 final on July 2.
Saint Petersburg, a picturesque port city on the Baltic Sea with its 342 bridges atop its rivers and canals, not surprisingly earned comparison to Venice. One of the city's highlights is the Hermitage Museum and the Winter Palace complex.
Saint Petersburg Stadium, one of the largest in the tournament, will be hosting the following 2018 World Cup matches: Morocco vs. Iran (June 15), Russia vs. Egypt (June 19), Brazil vs. Costa Rica (June 22), Nigeria vs. Argentina (June 26). These will be followed by a 1/8 final on July 3, a semi-final on July 10, and the third-place final on July 14.
The Samara Arena is hosting six games, including a Round-of-16 tie and a quarter-final match-up. Costa Rica kick off their tournament campaign here against Serbia on 17 June, while hosts Russia play their final group-stage match against Uruguay at the stadium on 25 June.
Saransk will be one of the smaller host cities at the 2018 World Cup. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in beauty. Located on the Saranka River, this European-influenced city has plenty of historical buildings, theaters, museums, and well-maintained parks.
Mordovia Arena will be hosting the following 2018 World Cup matches: Peru vs. Denmark (June 16), Colombia vs. Japan (June 19), Iran vs. Portugal (June 25) and Panama vs. Tunisia (June 28).
Sochi is the Russia’s largest resort city, flanked by the majestic Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea.
The Fisht Stadium will host 4 group stage matches, as well as a round of 16 match and a quarter-final match. The roof of the stadium, which was designed to look like snowy peaks for the Winter Games, has been partially removed to open it up for the World Cup tournament.
Volgograd, Formerly known as Stalingrad, is also well-known for its magnificent Soviet Baroque architecture.
A memorial complex commemorating the battle of Stalingrad, dominated by an immense allegorical sculpture The Motherland Calls, was erected on the Mamayev Kurgan, the hill that saw some of the most intense fighting during the battle. With its 85 meters it is almost twice the height of the Statue of Liberty.
Volgograd Arena will be hosting the following 2018 World Cup matches: Tunisia vs. England (June 18), Nigeria vs. Iceland (June 22), Saudi Arabia vs. Egypt (June 25), and Japan vs. Poland (June 28).
Ekaterinburg is Russia’s fourth largest city but it tops the list when it comes to unusual attractions. Among them are the mafia cemetery (complete with graves decorated with life-size images of late mafia members), and the circus building with a distinctive lattice steel shaped dome.
The strangest attraction however, is the QWERTY Monument, a giant keyboard replica built out of concrete blocks.
Ekaterinburg Arena is expected to host 4 matches at the 2018 FIFA World Cup: Egypt vs. Uruguay (June 15), France vs. Peru (June 21), Japan vs. Senegal (June 24), and Mexico vs. Sweden (June 27).
To attend Matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia you need to obtain a FAN ID. You can apply for your FAN ID after paying for your Tickets and receiving your Ticket confirmation email. ■