When the World Cup comes around it’s always fun and sad at the same time to look at the unreal stadiums being built for the event. Fun because these structures really are a sight to be seen. Sad because is it really necessary to spend billions of dollars and risk lives for Russia World Cup stadiums that could possibly be abandoned after the tournament?
Well that’s not for us to decide. Let’s take a look at the 12 Russia World Cup stadiums rating over 1,800 miles (nine of which are brand new costing over $11.8 billion) that will host the 64 matches of the 2018 World Cup. Please be sure to key in on my personal favorite, Ekaterinburg Arena. FIFA has a rule where a stadium hosting a World Cup match must hold 35,000 spectators. The Ekaterinburg Arena didn't pass that test, so the Russians got innovative to pass the 35K mark.
Russia World Cup Stadiums
Luzhniki Stadium - Moscow
Russian Name: стадион лужники
Capacity: 81,000
Average Temperature High/Low (°F): 72° / 54°
Group Stage Matches:
Russia vs Saudi Arabia June 14th
Germany vs Mexico June 17th
Portugal vs Morocco June 20th
Denmark vs France June 26th
Spartak Stadium - Moscow
Russian Name: Открытие Арена
Capacity: 45,360
Average Temperature High/Low (°F): 72° / 54°
Group Stage Matches:
Argentina vs Iceland June 16th
Poland vs Senegal June 19th
Belgium vs Tunisia June 23rd
Serbia vs Brazil June 27th
Saint-Petersburg Stadium - Saint Petersburg (Also known as Krestovsky Stadium)
Russian Name:стадион Крестовский
Capacity: 67,000
Average Temperature High/Low (°F): 68° / 52°
Group Stage Matches:
Morocco vs Iran June 15th
Russia vs Egypt June 19th
Brazil vs Costa Rica June 22nd
Nigeria vs Argentina June 26th
Fisht Olympic Stadium - Sochi
Russian Name: Олимпийский стадион Фишт
Capacity: 47,659
Average Temperature High/Low (°F): 76° / 62°
Group Stage Matches:
Portugal vs Spain June 15th
Belgium vs Panama June 18th
Germany vs Sweden June 23rd
Australia vs Peru June 26th
Samara Arena - Samara (Also known as Cosmos Arena)
Russian Name: Космос Арена
Capacity: 44,918
Average Temperature High/Low (°F): 77° / 57°
Group Stage Matches:
Costa Rica vs Serbia June 17th
Denmark vs Australia June 21st
Uruguay vs RussiaJune 25th
Senegal vs Colombia June 28th
Kazan Arena - Kazan
Russian name: Казань Арена
Capacity: 45,379
Average Temperature High/Low (°F): 74° / 55°
Group Stage Matches:
France vs Australia June 16th
Iran vs Spain June 20th
Poland vs Colombia June 24th
South Korea vs Germany June 27th
Rostov Arena - Rostov-on-Don
Russian Name: Ростов Арена
Capacity: 45,000
Average Temperature High/Low (°F): 79° / 60°
Group Stage Matches:
Brazil vs Switzerland June 17th
Uruguay vs Saudi Arabia June 20th
South Korea vs Mexico June 23rd
Iceland vs Croatia June 26th
Volgograd Arena - Volgograd
Russian Name: Волгоград Арена
Capacity: 44,918
Average Temperature High/Low (°F): 81° / 62°
Group Stage Matches:
Tunisia vs England June 18th
Nigeria vs Iceland June 22nd
Saudi Arabia vs Egypt June 25th
Japan vs Poland June 28th
Nizhny Novgorod Stadium - Nizhny Novgorod
Russian Name: стадион Нижний Новгород
Capacity: 44,899
Average Temperature High/Low (°F): 73° / 55°
Group Stage Matches:
Sweden vs South Korea June 18th
Argentina vs Croatia June 21st
England vs Panama June 24th
Switzerland vs Costa Rica June 27th
Mordovia Arena - Saransk
Russian Name: Мордовия Арена
Capacity: 44,442
Average Temperature High/Low (°F): 73° / 52°
Group Stage Matches:
Peru vs Denmark June 16th
Colombia vs Japan June 19th
Iran vs Portugal June 25th
Panama vs Tunisia June 28th
Ekaterinburg Arena - Yekaterinburg (Also known as Central Stadium)
Nice view from the new stadium in Ekaterinburg that will host the WC next summer. pic.twitter.com/kdBZ0mHD45
— Stefano Conforti (@confortistefano) September 27, 2017
Russian Name: Центральный стадион
Capacity: 35,696
Average Temperature (High/Low): 72° / 52°
Group Stage Matches:
Egypt vs Uruguay June 15th
France vs Peru June 21st
Japan vs Senegal June 24th
Mexico vs Sweden June 27th
Kaliningrad Stadium - Kaliningrad (Also called Arena Baltika)
Russian Name: Стадион Калининград
Capacity: 35,212
Average Temperature High/Low (°F): 69° / 51°
Group Stage Matches:
Croatia vs Nigeria June 16th
Serbia vs Switzerland June 22nd
Spain vs Morocco June 25th
England vs Belgium June 28th