12 Stadiums for 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia - Part 1

The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 14, and for next month or so, the soccer world has taken over Russia. Sixty-four matches will take place over 12 venues in 11 cities as 32 teams fight for the right to be named champions of the world. Of the 12 stadiums built or renovated to the World Cup, Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow and the Saint Petersburg Stadium will be used the most. Each venue gets a minimum of four games. The lights, the facades the scenery, the designs for each of these stadiums are incredibly stunning.

Here are the list and information of six stadiums for FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 part one.

Ekaterinburg Arena (Central Stadium) in Yekaterinburg

• Founded: 1957 (renovated from 2006-2011)
• Capacity: 35,696 
• Surface: Grass

Yekaterinburg is the fourth-largest city, located in central Russia right where Europe and Asia meet. As you'll notice in the image above, there are bleachers on both ends built into the stadium. Those will be gone after the tournament. This venue will host four group stage games: Egypt vs. Uruguay on June 15, France vs. Peru on June 21, Japan vs. Senegal on June 24 and Mexico vs. Sweden on June 27.

Kaliningrad Stadium in Kaliningrad

• Founded: 2018
• Capacity: 35.212
• Surface: Grass

Kaliningrad faces the Baltic sea and is bordered by Lithuania and Poland. It's the closest venue to the Europe. It plays host to the following group stage games: Croatia vs. Nigeria on June 16, Serbia vs. Switzerland on June 22, Spain vs. Morocco on June 25 and England vs. Belgium on June 28.

Kazan Arena in Kazan

• Founded: 2013
• Capacity: 45,379
• Surface: Grass

The city of Kazan is located about 500 miles east of Moscow. If you look at the image above, you'll notice reflective panels on the side of the stadium. That's actually an LED facade -- the largest outdoor screen in Europe. It hosts the following matches: France vs. Australia on June 16, Iran vs. Spain on June 20, Poland vs. Colombia on June 24, South Korea vs. Germany on June 27, a round of 16 match on June 30 and a quarterfinal match on July 6.

Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow

• Founded: 1956
• Capacity: 81,000
• Surface: Grass

Located in Moscow, Luzhniki Stadium is the biggest stadium in Russia. It's been renovated three different times since hosting the 1980 Summer Olympic Games and will play host to the World Cup opener on June 14 and the final on July 15. It also hosts the following five games: Germany vs. Mexico on June 17, Portugal vs. Morocco on June 20, Denmark vs. France on June 26, a round of 16 match on July 1 and a semifinal match on July 11.

Otkritie Stadium (Spartak Stadium) in Moscow

• Founded: 2014
• Capacity: 45,360
• Surface: Grass

This is the second venue in Moscow and it plays second fiddle to the government-owned Luzhniki Stadium. It's named after Spartak Moscow, the tenant and it plays host to all the Russian national team games. It hosts the following World Cup games: Argentina vs. Iceland on June 16, Poland vs. Senegal on June 19, Belgium vs. Tunisia on June 23, Serbia vs. Brazil on June 27 and a round of 16 game on July 3.

Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod

• Founded: 2018
• Capacity: 44,899
• Surface: Grass

Nizhny Novgorod is located about 420 miles west of Moscow. How new is this stadium? It was one of the stadiums built specifically for this tournament and it wasn't built in time for the Confederations Cup last year. It plays hosts to the following matches: Sweden vs. South Korea on June 18, Argentina vs. Croatia on June 21, England vs. Panama on June 24, a round of 16 match on July 1 and a quarterfinal match on July 6.


That is all for part 1, stay tune on this blog for part 2.


Source: CBS Sports