Fifa, football’s world governing body, has provided an update on the stadiums that will be used during Russia’s staging of next year’s World Cup.
With the draw for the group stage of the national team tournament scheduled to take place on December 1, anticipation is building and work on the host venues is nearing completion.
Fifa said that the roof of the Kalingrad stadium, the World Cup’s westernmost venue, has now been fully erected, as has the entirety of the ground’s metal framework. Work on the arena’s interior is ongoing. It is hoped that the seats will be ready to install by the end of December.
Construction on the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium has reached the furnishing stage, with work on entrances and pedestrian walkways being carried out. Fifa said that close to 160,000 square metres of land will be redeveloped as part of this process. Progress continues to be made on the venue’s roof, with seats being fitted and the pitch being maintained by a team of experts.
The Samara Arena, meanwhile, is being readied for the installation of its pitch, while its roof is in the process of being mounted. An anti-corrosive layer is also being applied to the stadium’s metal dome, with decoration being added to the interior and additional redevelopment work taking place outside the venue.
Fifa said that more than 15,000 seats have now been fitted at the Volgograd Arena, whose pitch is ready to be sewn in once the root system of the grass has been embedded. The roof is 75 per cent complete, while further work is being carried out to set up storm drains, a sewage system, power supply and communications networks.
Work is continuing on the roof, temporary stands and stadium entrances at the Mordovia Arena in Saransk. Fifa said that finishing touches are now being applied to the ‘core’ of the stadium, with internal utility systems being fitted and pitch technology being installed. Three more lifts will also be installed, bringing the total number up to 30.
At the Rostov Arena, the reinforced concrete has been fully laid, while the framework of the roof and its membrane covering have been built. Work on the venue’s utility networks is complete, with attention now turning to its multimedia façade, mega screen and seats. Greenery is also being planted in the surrounding areas of the stadium.
Russia’s easternmost venue, the Ekaterinburg Arena, is in the final stage of its renovation. Landscape contractors are working on the venue, with covered areas for fans being fitted and the artificial fibres for the pitch having been sewn in. work on the lighting system is progressing well, and Fifa said that the stadium will be able to open its doors “in the very near future”.
Next year’s World Cup is due to run from June 14 to July 15, with Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium to host the opening match and the final.
Image: Marcello Casal Jr/Agência Brasil
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