From June 17 to July 2, the long-awaited tournament by football fans - the Confederations Cup - will take place. The tournament has been assigned the status of rehearsal games for the future Russian World Cup 2018. The strongest teams representing their football confederations will participate in it, including:
- UEFA;
- CONMEBOL;
- CONCACAF;
Another participating team will be the winner of the World Cup - the German team and the host country of the World Cup in 2018 - Russia. The games are planned to be held at stadiums that will also host matches of the football World Cup in Russia. The tournament will follow the standard formula - group stage matches, playoff games and the final.
The composition of the groups was determined by drawing lots back in November 2016. All games will take place at four stadiums in four Russian cities. Spectators at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup stadiums have previously experienced the ups and downs of football confrontations.
"Spartak Stadium"
The home stadium of the capital's Spartak opened in 2014. The club's games are held at the stadium called Otkritie Arena. Among the stadiums hosting the 2017 Confederations Cup, it is one of the most beautiful and modern - the arena can accommodate more than 45,000 spectators. During national team matches, the arena will be called “Spartak Stadium”. The original design included a capacity of only 35,000 fans. When the decision was made on which stadiums would host the Confederations Cup, this arena was approved almost immediately.
Among the matches that Spartak Stadium will host are Russia-Portugal, Cameroon-Chile and Chile-Australia. Also on July 2nd there will be a fight for third place. The Russian team has already held five meetings in this arena, including four as part of the qualifying matches for the European Championship. The stadium often hosts festivals and concerts of pop stars. Among the famous performers who played concerts here are Depeche Mode, the Leningrad group and others.
Krestovsky Stadium
The main designer of the stadium, located on S. Kirov Street in St. Petersburg, was the Japanese specialist Kise Kurokawa. This arena will be associated for many with significant costs for its construction. The stadium, which took ten years to build, cost almost 50 billion rubles. When questions about which stadiums would host the Confederations Cup were decided, the impressive Krestovsky Stadium was one of the first proposed by the tournament organizers.
Three group stage matches are planned to be held here, including meetings between Russia and New Zealand, New Zealand and Portugal, as well as Cameroon and Australia. According to media reports, Russian leader Vladimir Putin also plans to attend the opening match on June 17 between Russia and New Zealand. The closing match - the final of the tournament - will also take place here. The stadium also has an alternative name - St. Petersburg Arena. The Russian national team's game at this stadium will be its debut after the installation of a new modern turf.
Fisht Stadium
The arena is compactly located in the resort town of Adler. Its construction was timed to coincide with the XXII Winter Olympics, the right to host which went to Russia. The stadium, opened in 2013, seats more than 47,000 spectators. The word "Fisht" has Adyghe roots - it means "white head". Considering that Fisht is the name of a mountain peak, the stadium looks appropriate, resembling a mountain peak and at the same time a shell. The arena was originally planned to look like an Easter egg. The construction work was led by a famous Australian architect. The opening and closing ceremonies of the next Olympic Games were held here.
When it was determined which stadiums would host the 2017 Confederations Cup, it was decided that the qualifying stage games and one of the semi-finals would be held here. In the qualifying round, spectators in this arena will see the confrontation between Germany and Cameroon, Australia and Germany, as well as Mexico and New Zealand.
Kazan Arena Stadium
This stadium has received the fourth quality category from UEFA, which is the highest. The stadium's capacity is 45,000 spectators. The stadium is considered universal - the Universiade, the World Swimming Championships, home games of the Rubin football club, and other sports, cultural and entertainment events were held here. Kazan Arena has become a stadium providing access to wireless Internet. When determining which stadiums would host the Confederations Cup, this arena was one of the first to be approved. The architectural project was developed by a company that took part in the creation of Wembley and Emirates stadiums.
The Russian national team will also play at this stadium against Mexico. The first game of the Confederation Cup at the arena will be played between the national teams of Portugal and Mexico on June 18. Spectators will see at the Kazan Arena the confrontation between Germany and Chile, as well as the first semi-final match of the tournament. The Kazan government has ordered that city transport travel be provided free of charge to persons who have tickets for the game.
Football championships in all leading European leagues will soon end, and the final matches of the Champions League and Europa League will also be played. But you won’t be bored without football for long, because it starts on June 17.
This time the tournament will be held in Russia, as this country will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In addition to Russia, the winners of the last continental cups (Germany, Portugal, New Zealand, Chile, Cameroon, Mexico, Australia) will take part in the Confederations Cup.
The 2017 Confederations Cup matches will be played at four stadiums: Otkritie Arena (Moscow), St. Petersburg Arena (St. Petersburg), Kazan Arena (Kazan), Fisht (Sochi). Now some information about each arena.
Confederations Cup stadiums
Olympic Stadium "Fisht" Sochi
The stadium was built to host the 2016 Olympic Games. It hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 22nd Olympics. The capacity of the Fisht Arena is 47,659 people, and its cost to the Russian authorities was 43.8 billion rubles. UEFA rated the stadium 4 stars.
"Otkritie Arena" (Spartak Stadium), Moscow
The construction of the stadium was completed in 2014, and its construction cost 14.5 billion rubles. Now the local Spartak plays its home matches at the Otkritie Arena stadium. UEFA rated the stadium 4 stars.
"Kazan Arena" (Rubin Stadium), Kazan
The stadium in Kazan is one of the largest in Russia. It can accommodate 47,659 spectators at the same time. Now Rubin Kazan plays its home matches at the stadium. Also at the Kazan Arena in 2013 the World Summer Games of the Universiade took place, and in 2015 the World Aquatics Championships. UEFA rated the stadium 4 stars.
"St. Petersburg Arena" (Zenith Stadium), St. Petersburg
The cost of construction of the St. Petersburg Arena amounted to 41.7 billion rubles, which made the stadium one of the most expensive in the world. The stadium was built according to the drawings of the Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa. The arena in St. Petersburg can accommodate 65,800 people. The stadium will be rented by the Zenit football club, and the annual rental cost will be 1 ruble. Like all previous stadiums that will host the 2017 Confederations Cup and the 2018 World Cup, it has a rating of 4 points from UEFA.
We invite our readers to familiarize themselves with the stadiums where the 2017 Confederations Cup will be held.
Yesterday, 03/02/2017, the commission of the International Football Federation (FIFA) completed its visit to Russia and expressed satisfaction with the progress of preparations for the 2017 Confederations Cup.
“We are satisfied with the progress of work in preparation for the Confederations Cup, although there is work to be done”, said FIFA Director of Competitions and Events Colin Smith.
So, what did the international federation commission see? We present to your attention “fresh” photographs of the stadiums where the 2017 Confederations Cup will be held.
Otkritie Arena (Spartak Stadium)
Home stadium of the Moscow football club "Spartak". It was put into operation in August 2014. The total cost of construction is estimated at 14.5 billion rubles. Capacity 45,360 people. The stadium will host matches of the 2017 Confederations Cup and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. For the period of international tournaments it will be called “Spartak Stadium”. The stadium has the highest rating from UEFA (4 stars).
"St. Petersburg Arena" (Zenith Stadium)
One of the most expensive stadiums in the world. The cost of construction is 41.7 billion rubles. The stadium will be leased to the Zenit football club for 100 years at a symbolic cost of 1 ruble per year. The author of the stadium project was the Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa. Capacity 67,800 people. This stadium will host matches of the 2017 Confederations Cup, 2018 World Cup, and 2020 European Championship. The stadium has the highest rating from UEFA (4 stars).
Olympic Stadium Fischt"
The stadium was built for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi. The stadium hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 22nd Olympic Games. The cost of construction + reconstruction is 43.8 billion rubles (previously the cost was lower due to the dollar exchange rate). Capacity 47,659 people. The stadium will host matches of the 2017 Confederations Cup and the 2018 World Cup. The stadium is rated 4 stars by UEFA.
Kazan Arena (Rubin Stadium)
One of the most spacious stadiums in Russia. The spectator capacity is 47,659 people. The stadium is the home arena of the Rubin football club. The stadium hosted the World Summer Games of the Universiade in 2013 and the World Aquatics Championships in 2015. This is the only stadium in the world where 12 world swimming records have been set. The stadium will host matches of the 2017 Confederation Cup and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The construction cost is 14.4 billion rubles. The stadium is rated by UEFA with the highest rating of 4 stars.
The Confederations Cup will be held in Russia from June 17 to July 2. The tournament will be held in four cities. The Spartak stadium will host the tournament matches in Moscow, the Zenit Arena in St. Petersburg, the Kazan Arena in Kazan, and the Fisht stadium in Sochi.
Zenit Arena is located in the northern capital. This is the largest complex of the tournament. Almost 70 thousand fans will be able to watch the battles. The inside of the stadium is made in the blue and white colors of the Zenit team, which plays here in the Premier League.
This is one of the most technologically advanced arenas in the world. Sliding roof, roll-out floor. The stadium is located in a picturesque place on Krestovsky Island. A bridge was built in front of the building, which fans admire. The first match of the Confederations Cup will take place on June 17 in St. Petersburg. This will be the opening match of the tournament. The Russian team will take on the New Zealanders. The final game of the competition will also take place here.
They are waiting for the Cup matches in Moscow. The red and white Spartak stadium is home to the country's champions. The stands accommodate 45 thousand spectators. Fans at these venues will see three group stage games and a match for third place.
The Spartak Arena has experience in hosting international meetings. From October 2014 to October 2015, four Euro 2016 qualifying matches were held here. The Russians celebrated victory twice, lost once, and once a draw was recorded. The last time the national team played on this pitch was in March 2016 and defeated Lithuania with a score of 3:0.
Kazan-Arena has not yet hosted matches of the main national team, but it has earned the right to be the host of the Confederations Cup. It was here that the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2013 Summer Universiade took place. In 2015, the 45,000-seat stadium hosted the World Swimming Championships. In the capital of Tatarstan, 12 world records were then set. This is also a record.
Now Rubin is playing at the Kazan Arena. Its fans, as well as city guests, will be able to watch three games in the group stage of the tournament and one of the semi-finals. It was in Kazan that the best player in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo, had his first match of the Cup. The reigning European champions will face Mexico on June 18.
The next day big football will come to Kuban. The Germans and Australians will fight in Sochi. Fisht Stadium is located in the Olympic Park, next to the Black Sea, overlooking the Main Caucasus Range. In 2014, the opening and closing ceremonies of the XXII Olympic Winter Games were held here. Now it is a football arena. It can accommodate 45 thousand spectators in its stands.
The complex opened with an international match: on March 28 of this year in Sochi, Russia played with Belgium. The result for such a meeting was excellent - 3:3. After the final whistle, the head coach of the guests, Roberto Martinez, called the local lawn the best of those on which his team had played over the past seven years, as reported on the Kuban 24 TV channel.
See the full schedule of Confederations Cup matches.