FIFA World Cup 2018: A Look At All The Venues In Russia That Will Host The Mega Event

The much-awaited FIFA World Cup 2018 is all set to start from June 14 in Russia. After a long gap of 12 years, FIFA World Cup is coming back to Europe, Germany hosted it back in 2006. 32 teams will lock horns against each other to get hold of their hands on the ultimate trophy. The most prominent teams who are playing in this tournament are Spain, Brazil, Argentina, France, Portugal and Germany. 2006 Champions Italy failed to make the cut in this edition after a poor outing in the qualifiers.

The one-month long tournament will have total 64 matches and the finale will be played on 15th July. All the 32 teams are divided into eight groups which will consist of four teams each. The top two sides from each group will qualify further for Round of 16. In this section, we look at the venues that will host 64 matches this June and July.

The FIFA 2018 World broadcasting rights have been bought by Sony Sports Network and it will be aired live on Sony Ten 2/HD and Sony Ten 3/HD.

* Ekaterinburg Arena, Yekaterinburg

This stadium is home to FC Ural and was initially built in 1953. The design of this ground is very artsy but the temporary nature of the unsheltered stands behind each goal will not be to everyone's taste. The ground won't be used beyond the group stage.

* Kazan Arena Capacity

Kazan was named the as the sports capital of Russia in 2009. It is a familiar destination for those who follow Champions League and Europa League clubs. This will host four group stage matches, one last-16 tie and a quarter-final. The star attraction of this ground is high definition screen which is the biggest of its type in the world. Stands are nice and steep and fans are reasonably close to the pitch by international tournament standards.

* Fisht Stadium, Sochi

The city which hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics and the Fish Stadium was purposely built for such games. The stadium's roof was removed to meet FIFA regulations, and the sweeping stands on either side of the pitch are in contrast to the smaller structures behind each goal. It resembles to the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. The ground will host three group stage matches, one last - 16 tie and a quarter-final.

* Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad

Kaliningrad, is located close to the border with Lithuania and Poland. The new ground will not be used past the group stage and it faced plenty of difficulties during its construction, mainly because of the marshy land it is built on. The design of this ground was inspired by Munich's Allianz Arena.

* Spartak Stadium, Moscow

Spartak Moscow, who despite their reputation and huge fan-base had never truly had a stadium to call their own until it was built. The statue of gladiator Spartacus is likely to prove a popular picture sport for fans.

* Samara Arena, Samara

Capital of Samara region and home of the offices of Russian state when they evacuated from Moscow during World War II. The dome-shaped stadium will play host to Krylya Sovetov after the tournament. The transport links are also untested so give yourself plenty of time to get there if you are lucky enough to have a ticket.

* Mordovia Arena, Saransk

Mordovia Arena stadium will be reduced to 25,000 capacity after the tournament, with the space being freed up for other indoor sports on the same complex. It will, though, be home to FC Mordovia.

* Volgograd Arena, Volgograd

The city was formerly known as Stalingrad. The stadium is built on the site of the old Central ground and will house FC Rotor once the finals are over. Steel girders have replaced slabs of concrete which allows natural light onto the pitch.

* Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow

The venue will host the first and the last match. Earlier, it was used during 1980 Olympic Games and hosts most matches played by the Russian national team. Manchester United fans will remember it fondly, as it the same ground where the club won their third European title by beating Chelsea on penalties in 2008.

* Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod

Built on hills overlooking the Volga River, Nizhny Novgorod has been a key commercial city since the 19th century. One of the new constructions, it will be home to Olimpiyets Nizhny Novgorod.

* Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don

Rostov is a historic city famed for its showcasing of Cossack culture. FC Rostov will move in once the tournament is finished.

* St Petersburg Stadium, St Petersburg

The stadium can probably lay claim to having the secondary venue at the tournament. The stadium will hosts some big games which could be a make-or-break second match for the hosts. It will also host three group matches at the pan-European Euro 2020 finals, as well as one Euro quarter-final, and is home of Zenit St Petersburg.