FIFA World Cup Russia 2018

New World Cup Emblem launched in Moscow



The first major milestone en route to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia was passed on Tuesday evening when the tournament’s Official Emblem was unveiled in Moscow.

The ‘Urgant Night Show’, which was specially renamed as ‘Late Night Mundial’, provided the stage for the launch of the visual identity of football’s flagship event, which will be held in 11 Russian cities in June and July 2018.

Spectacular launch
The evening television show was dedicated to the topic of football for the special occasion. The studio, which was converted into a stadium, and the band ‘Fruits’, dressed in the shirts of the eight World Cup winning nations to date, formed a worthy backdrop to proceedings. Presenter Ivan Urgant was joined by FIFA President Blatter, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee Vitaly Mutko and the captain of Italy's 2006 World Cup winning side Fabio Cannavaro.

In a light-hearted conversation, the FIFA President told of his experiences in football: “I’ve witnessed ten World Cups. The first one I experienced first-hand was the 1954 World Cup in my homeland Switzerland.” President Blatter went on to say that he is already looking forward to the next tournament in four years: “The launch of the Emblem is a wonderful event to kick things off and I’m certain that the World Cup will be a success here in four years.” Mutko also spoke of his experiences, telling of cheering on the great Lev Yashin and the Russian national team in 1966, watching on television with his whole family as the side reached the semi-finals in England.

Cannavaro was asked to name the three best players of all time, and the amicable Italian replied with a wink: “Cannavaro at number one, of course, then Diego Maradona and Messi.”

Unveiling in space
In another segment of the show the task of the judging panel that had selected the Emblem was explained, and there was also a look back at the Emblems of previous tournaments.

When the eagerly-awaited moment of unveiling arrived it was done in spectacular style. Three astronauts at the Russian space station revealed the hotly-anticipated new World Cup Emblem from their space capsule and subsequently the visual icon for the 2018 World Cup in Russia was brought into the television studio to rapturous applause. The launch was simultaneously complemented by a huge light projection on the historic Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

There are still three years and eight months until the 2018 World Cup kicks off, but thanks to the new Emblem, the euphoria in Russia now has a profile.

Russia to launch information portal to control preparation for 2018 FIFA World Cup — Putin

MOSCOW, October 28. /TASS/. Russia will launch a special information portal to control all stages of preparation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup the country will host, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.

Putin said at a meeting of the supervisory board of the Russia-2018 Organizing Committee that it is important to control all stages of preparatory work. For such monitoring, there is a proposal to create a special information portal similar to one that gained a good reputation in the Olympic Sochi.

He recalled Russia’s experience of holding large-scale sports events - the Winter Olympic Games in the southern Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi in February 2014, the Summer Universiade in Kazan in 2013 and a number of global and continental championships.

“All useful groundwork, ideas, best practices should be used in full during preparation for the 2018 World Cup. This concerns logistics, involvement of volunteers, ticket programs, reception of athletes and guests,” the president said.

He said over $15.6 billion, half of which is federal budget funds, will be allocated to implementation of the program to prepare for and hold the World Cup designed for 2013-2018.

Putin said the volume of preparatory work for the 2018 FIFA World Cup is similar to that for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, and the viewership is equal to that of the Winter Olympic Games.

“As you know, the FIFA’s inspection group has worked in Russia for the entire past week. It came to our country for the first time, and the program was rather varied. Our colleagues assessed the opportunities of the existing sports arenas, got familiarized with the course of design and construction of new stadiums,” he said.

Besides, the FIFA inspection group, in his words, discussed a wide range of issues with representatives of organizing cities and expressed their comments and proposals.

The Russian president said he, jointly with Sepp Blatter, the president of the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), visited Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium that will become the key arena of the World Cup.

“A large-scale project to rebuild the arena is being implemented in line with the plan. Work should also be conducted dynamically at other facilities, which are to host the championship’s matches and provide all required infrastructure and conditions for trainings of national teams,” Putin said.

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko recalled that matches of the 2018 World Cup will be held at 12 stadiums in 11 Russian cities. The preparation program includes another 20 cities “where accommodation bases for teams will be situated”.

“We will have to receive 32 teams and each will be able to choose one of two bases. In essence, it can be said today with certainty that the World Cup, to some extent, covers up to 80% of the population residing in the European part of the Russian Federation,” Mutko said.

In his words, the key events of the FIFA World Cup will be held in Moscow and St. Petersburg. He also recalled that a year before the championship, Russia will host “a test tournament” - the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. Its matches will be held in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi and Kazan.

“It’s necessary to note that all these cities should be fully ready in May 2016. We have no doubts that we will cope with the task,” Mutko said.

Regular wrote:If Russia will play like in Brazil, then they should rather stick with hockey.

that is OK, We hosted here in Canada some sort of Soccer championship years ago (not Fifa but something else which was multinational) and our team didn't even get into the finals.

Purpose of these things for Russia is a couple of things: To increase Tourism (So money spent in Russia, thus increasing revenue), and to promote Russia on the international stage as a tourist destination (wont help them for western countries but many countries who aren't living in a cave in regards to knowledge on Russia will help). As well, all the money put into construction is usually good anyway for local development.

Universaids that was in Kazan did amazing work for Kazan. Lots of sales, hotels booked, quite a few development and it was all done in a strict budget. Kazan got quite popular in tourism due to it.

2018 World Cup stadiums construction unaffected by ruble’s volatility — sports minister

Russia to reduce costs in construction of stadiums for 2018 World Cup

MOSCOW, January 22. /TASS/. The Russian government is considering various measures to cut costs of stadium construction for the 2018 World Cup following ruble devaluation and mounting inflation.

This decision was made at a Tuesday meeting chaired by First Vice Premier Igor Shuvalov, who leads the coordination council for the World Cup preparations.

An opportunity of alterations in stadiums (with replacement of a portion of fixed seats by temporary ones), abolishment of a mandatory bank guarantee, actual inflation amendment in government contracts for calculation of future prices, and zero tax duties on imported construction materials were among the discussed measures.

A total of 300 billion rubles (over $4.5 billion) will be allocated for the construction and refurbishment of stadiums. Russia will host the World Soccer Cup from June 14 to July 15, 2018. Twelve stadiums will be built and renovated in Russian cities for the tournament.

Russia to cut 2018 World Cup budget spending — sports minister

MOSCOW, January 29. /TASS/. Russia will cut its budget spending on the organization of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but will keep its expenditures on the infrastructure and stadium construction unchanged, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said on Thursday.

According to the minister, financial programs of all departments involved in the organization of the global football championship were slashed by 10%, excluding spending items on the infrastructure.

"We are speaking here about certain organizational issues, subsidies to the organization committee and preparations for the drawing ceremony," Mutko told journalists. "All infrastructure investments remain unchanged."

Late last month Mutko stated that Russia’s construction costs for football stadiums, which will be hosting matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, remained unaffected by the national currency exchange rate volatility.

Russia’s ruble has slumped over the past few months to a record low of 75 rubles to the dollar in mid-December, compared to an average of 38 rubles in September, but rebounded to 53.23 by late December. The Russian currency currently stands at 69 rubles to dollar. It was traded at 33 rubles to the dollar at the start of 2014.

The total budget of 664.1 billion rubles for the organization of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia was announced in 2012. This figure stood at $20.5 billion based on the 2012 average exchange rate. If converted to the current exchange rate this figure drops to $9.6 billion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said last August that the number of 12 stadiums in a total of 11 cities selected to host the World Cup would not be changed. The Russian president said, however, that in terms of financial spending on the World Cup preparations for Russia would be an "uneasy story," but manageable.

Russia won the bid to host the 2018 World Cup four years ago in a tight race against the joint bid from England, Portugal and Spain and the joint bid on behalf of Belgium and the Netherlands.

Russia selected 11 host cities to be the venues for the matches of the 2018 World Cup and they are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and Samara.

The matches of the 2018 World Cup will be held between June 14 and July 15 at 12 stadiums located in the 11 mentioned above cities across Russia. Two of the stadiums are located in the Russian capital.

Russia’s construction costs of stadiums for 2018 World Cup on increase — sports minister

Vitaly Mutko said that Russia would cut its budget spending on the organization of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but would keep its expenditures on the infrastructure and stadium construction unchanged



MOSCOW, January 29. /TASS/. Russia’s construction costs for football stadiums, which will be hosting matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, are on the increase and the government has ordered the Ministry of Industry and Trade to look into the legitimacy of price increases, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said on Thursday.

"First of all, we need to analyze how fair the prices are and the legitimacy of concrete prices increase," Mutko said. "The Ministry of Industry and Trade received a relevant order, it already works on it, collecting data from all contractors on the legitimacy of prices increase and possible reduction of costs."

He said, however, that the stadiums’ capacity would not be reduced from 45,000 to 35,000 seats.

"We have already received two 35,000-seat capacity stadiums," Mutko said. "FIFA is not giving us any other concessions and all stadiums must have 45,000-seat capacity."

The Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) announced in August that it allowed Russia to have two 35,000-seat capacity stadiums for holding matches of the global football event.

"We have ordered contractors to consider financial adjustments to the project," he said. "They will be minor changes," he said.

The Russian sports minister also said that Russia would cut its budget spending on the organization of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but would keep its expenditures on the infrastructure and stadium construction unchanged.

According to the minister, financial programs of all departments involved in the organization of the global football championship were slashed by 10%, excluding spending items on the infrastructure.

"We are speaking here about certain organizational issues, subsidies to the organization committee and preparations for the drawing ceremony," Mutko told journalists. "All infrastructure investments remain unchanged."

Late last month Mutko stated that Russia’s construction costs for football stadiums, which will be hosting matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, remained unaffected by the national currency exchange rate volatility.

Russia’s ruble has slumped over the past few months to a record low of 75 rubles to the dollar in mid-December, compared to an average of 38 rubles in September, but rebounded to 53.23 by late December. The Russian currency currently stands at 69 rubles to dollar. It was traded at 33 rubles to the dollar at the start of 2014.

The total budget of 664.1 billion rubles for the organization of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia was announced in 2012. This figure stood at $20.5 billion based on the 2012 average exchange rate. If converted to the current exchange rate this figure drops to $9.6 billion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said last August that the number of 12 stadiums in a total of 11 cities selected to host the World Cup would not be changed. The Russian president said, however, that in terms of financial spending on the World Cup preparations for Russia would be an "uneasy story," but manageable.

Russia won the bid to host the 2018 World Cup four years ago in a tight race against the joint bid from England, Portugal and Spain and the joint bid on behalf of Belgium and the Netherlands.

Russia selected 11 host cities to be the venues for the matches of the 2018 World Cup and they are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and Samara.

The matches of the 2018 World Cup will be held between June 14 and July 15 at 12 stadiums located in the 11 mentioned above cities across Russia. Two of the stadiums are located in the Russian capital.

FIFA inspection visit to Russia may be postponed until August or September

FIFA pleased with Moscow's Luzhniki stadium reconstruction ahead of 2018 World Cup

The Luzhniki stadium will host the opening match, as well as semi-final and final matches of the 2018 World Cup

MOSCOW, April 15. /TASS/. Delegates of the International Federation of Football Associations are satisfied with the course of the reconstruction of the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow that will host the opening match of the 2018 World Cup, the head of the stadium's construction control department said on Wednesday.

"FIFA officials who outlined technical demands for the construction of World Cup stadiums have already visited us," Murat Akhmatiyev said.

He said that FIFA stadium planning and general project management expert Charles Botta "was very satisfied with what he saw" at the Luzhniki arena.

Luzhniki Arena will also host semi-final and final matches of the World Cup. The matches of the 2018 World Cup will be held between June 14 and July 15 at 12 stadiums located in the 11 mentioned above cities across Russia.

Russia won the bid to host the football competition four years ago in a tight race against a joint challenge from England, Portugal and Spain and the combined bid by Belgium and The Netherlands.

Sports minister pledges two 2018 World Cup stadiums will be built ahead of schedule

Football stadiums in the Russian cities of Volgograd and Nizhny Novgorod, selected to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup matches, will be completed in September of 2017

MOSCOW, April 17. /TASS/. The construction of football stadiums in the Russian cities of Volgograd and Nizhny Novgorod, selected to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup matches, will be completed in September of 2017, two months ahead of the schedule, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko told TASS on Friday.

The Russian organizing committee of the 2018 World cup held a meeting on Friday to discuss the preparations for the global football championship.

"Reports on the construction of each stadium in the country were delivered at the meeting," Mutko said in an interview with TASS. "We have concluded that the construction dates for the stadiums in Volgograd and Nizhny Novgorod can be shortened. In other words, they will be ready not in November 2017 [as it was initially scheduled] but in December."

Earlier in the month Mutko said that the Russian southern city of Volgograd, selected among the total of 11 cities across the country to host the games of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, will be the venue of five or six group stage matches of the global football tournament.

The new 45,000-seats capacity Pobeda (Victory) Arena for the 2018 World Cup will be constructed on the site of the current Central Stadium, which was built in 1962 and is home for Rotor Volgograd FC. The dismantling of the Central Stadium was launched in mid-October and the estimated construction cost of the new arena stands at $420 million.

Volgograd, formerly known as Staligrad, is a city of over a one million population stretching alongside the Volga River. The city and the surrounding areas were the scene of the heaviest battles of World War II and the Battle of Stalingrad is considered to be the turning point in the war.

An area of over 20 hectares (almost 50 acres) was allocated for the construction of the new stadium and parking sites almost in the heart of the city, while the Pobeda Arena itself will be occupying an area of some 124,000 square meters (30.6 acres).

Russia is currently gearing up for the Preliminary Draw, which is the first major kick-off event ahead of the global tournament itself.

The draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition will be held on July 25 in Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg with a total of 208 nations having signed up for the participation in the event.

It will be for the first time in the history of World Cups, when all national teams registered for the Preliminary Draw. Russia as the hosting nation automatically qualified for the championship and therefore is not taking part in the preliminary competition.

The first major kick-start event of the 2018 World Cup will be held at the historic Konstantinovsky Palace, a stronghold of Russia’s rich culture located on the Gulf of Finland’s stunning shoreline. It used to serve in the 18th century as one of the residences of Russia’s imperial family.

Russia won the bid to host the 2018 World Cup over four years ago in a tight race against the joint bid from England, Portugal and Spain and the joint bid on behalf of Belgium and the Netherlands.

Russia selected 11 host cities to be the venues for the matches of the 2018 World Cup and they are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and Samara.

The matches of the 2018 World Cup will be held between June 14 and July 15 at 12 stadiums located in the 11 mentioned above cities across Russia. Two of the stadiums are located in the Russian capital.

Russia's Nizhny Novgorod 2018 World Cup stadium to be ready ahead of schedule — governor

The governor added that the deadline of the stadium’s construction was rescheduled to September of 2017

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, May 13. /TASS/. The construction of a stadium in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod, selected as one of the country’s venues for the 2018 FIFA World Cup matches, will be completed two months ahead of the scheduled date, the governor of the region said on Wednesday.

"The stadium’s ahead-of-the-schedule construction will allow us to focus on higher quality preparations for hosting the matches of the international football championship," Valery Shantsev, the governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, told journalists.

The governor added that the deadline of the stadium’s construction was rescheduled and would be "completed not in November of 2017, as it was initially planned, but in September of 2017."

The stadium in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod, which is one of a hundred of world cities included in the UNESCO World Heritage list, will be located in the Strelka district and will bear the name of the Volga Arena.

The Nizhny Novgorod administration reported earlier that the regional preparations for the 2018 World Cup matches would require a total of 77.6 billion rubles ($1.6 billion) with 19 billion rubles ($388 million) of the overall sum allocated from the federal budget for the construction of the Volga Arena, a new Customs Service’s building, reconstruction of the Dinamo stadium as well as the upgrading of the local airport’s landing stripe.

Additional 58.6 billion rubles ($1.2 billion) will be channeled via the regional financing program for the construction of 50 more sports facilities, which include housing and training sites, reconstruction of the local airport and the construction of a new subway station.

Russia’s ruble slumped to a record low of 80 rubles to the dollar in mid-December, compared to an average of 38 rubles in September last year. The Russian currency currently stands at little over 49 rubles to the dollar. It was traded at 33 rubles to the dollar at the start of 2014.

The total budget of 664.1 billion rubles for the organization of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia was announced in 2012. This figure stood at $20.5 billion based on the 2012 average exchange rate. If converted to the current exchange rate, this figure drops to $13.6 billion.

Russia is in its full-swing preparations for the Preliminary Draw, which is the first major kick-off event ahead of the global tournament itself.

The draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition will be held on July 25 in Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg with a total of 208 nations having signed up for the participation in the event.

It will be for the first time in the history of World Cups, when all national teams registered for the Preliminary Draw. Russia as the hosting nation automatically qualified for the championship and therefore is not taking part in the preliminary competition.

The first major kick-start event of the 2018 World Cup will be held at the historic Konstantinovsky Palace, a stronghold of Russia’s rich culture located on the Gulf of Finland’s stunning shoreline. It used to serve in the 18th century as one of the residences of Russia’s imperial family.

Russia won the bid to host the 2018 World Cup over four years ago in a tight race against the joint bid from England, Portugal and Spain and the joint bid on behalf of Belgium and the Netherlands.

Russia selected 11 host cities to be the venues for the matches of the 2018 World Cup and they are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and Samara.

The matches of the 2018 World Cup will be held between June 14 and July 15 at 12 stadiums located in the 11 mentioned above cities across Russia. Two of the stadiums are located in the Russian capital.

Russia cuts 2018 FIFA World Cup preparations budget by $71.2 mln — government

The number of training sites has been reduced to 37 from 48, and the seating capacity of two out of 12 total stadiums selected to host the 2018 World Cup matches has been slashed by some 22%

MOSCOW, May 26. /TASS/. The Russian government announced on Tuesday its decision to reduce an allocated budget for the organization of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia by 3.6 billion rubles ($71.2 million) from 664.1 to 660.5 billion rubles.

The total budget of 664.1 billion rubles for the organization of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia was announced in 2012.

In January, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko announced that Russia planned to cut its budget spending on the organization of the 2018 World Cup, but would keep its expenditures on the infrastructure and stadium construction unchanged, despite ruble volatility.

According to the minister, financial programs of all departments involved in the organization of the global football championship were slashed by 10%, excluding spending items on the infrastructure.

In February Russia already introduced changes to the program of its preparations for the 2018 World Cup, in particular reducing the number of training sites for the upcoming global football championship and reducing seating capacity of two stadiums.

A relevant document was agreed upon with the Russian Sports Ministry as well as with the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) and signed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

The number of initially planned 48 pre-tournament training sites across Russia has been reduced to 37 and the seating capacity of two out of 12 total stadiums selected to host the 2018 World Cup matches has been slashed by some 22%.

The two stadiums at the issue are the Baltika Stadium in Russia’s western city of Kaliningrad and the Central Stadium in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg. Their accommodating capability will be downsized from 45,000 to 35,000-seat capacity in line with the minimization of the construction costs.

Russia is currently in full swing preparations for the Preliminary Draw, which is the first major kick-off event ahead of the global tournament itself.

The draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition will be held on July 25 in Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg with a total of 208 nations having signed up for the participation in the event.

It will be for the first time in the history of World Cups, when all national teams registered for the Preliminary Draw. Russia as the hosting nation automatically qualified for the championship and therefore is not taking part in the preliminary competition.

The first major kick-start event of the 2018 World Cup will be held at the historic Konstantinovsky Palace, a stronghold of Russia’s rich culture located on the Gulf of Finland’s stunning shoreline. It used to serve in the 18th century as one of the residences of Russia’s imperial family.

Russia won the bid to host the 2018 World Cup over four years ago in a tight race against the joint bid from England, Portugal and Spain and the joint bid on behalf of Belgium and the Netherlands.

Russia selected 11 host cities to be the venues for the matches of the 2018 World Cup and they are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and Samara.

The matches of the 2018 World Cup will be held between June 14 and July 15 at 12 stadiums located in the 11 mentioned above cities across Russia. Two of the stadiums are located in the Russian capital.

AirCargo wrote:U.S. Justice Dept. to bring corruption charges against FIFA officials

http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/27/football/fifa-corruption-charges-justice-department/index.html

Wonder if this is an attempt to sabotage the World Cup in Russia in 2018 by getting rid of those FIFA officials who supported Russia?

Firebird wrote:This could get rather unsavoury.
Russian people being killed by Yanksters in their 1000s.
And now a clear attempt to destroy Russia's multi bn WCup hosting.

Its really time Russia got firm on Uncle Sham. Instead of the playing Mr Niceguy.

How about releasing some 911 files, and shit on the genocide in Iraq etc?

PS countries that politically bully national(or global) football assns are banned from FIFA competition.
Surely time to ban these pricks with their smears and attempts to restart Cold War v2

The problem is that Russia is constantly in the defensive and just reacts. Russia is never the instigator. It just tries to shield against attacks directed against it. Sometimes it succeeds, sometimes it fails. But it never responds.

If the USA is able to kill thousands of ethnic Russians via their ukropy proxies then Russia should "arrange" some event that kills thousands of anglosaxon people.

If the USA is able to destroy Russian youth with their Afghan drug flow then Russia should be able to respond with a similar way.

Bring the war and terrorism to North American continent.

They themselves are doing a good enough job destroying their own youth at the moment with debt and drugs. No need to interfere.

But I would demand that USA gets kicked out of the league to send a message.