FIFA World Cup 2018 Venue Guide: Fisht Stadium

The venue, which also hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics, is named after a nearby mountain peak.

As anticipation builds ahead of the arrival of supporters in June to watch the best players on the planet vie for the game's most coveted trophy, FIFA continues its series introducing fans to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ arenas. Today we present the southernmost venue at the tournament, the Fisht Stadium.

Matches

The Fisht Stadium is staging one of the most highly anticipated encounters of the group stages, as Portugal and Spain kick off their World Cup campaigns by going head to head in this very city. Sochi is hosting three other group matches, a Round of 16 tie and a quarter-final.

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Capacity   

During the World Cup, the Fisht Stadium will be able to seat up to 48,000 spectators.

Location

The stadium was built specially for the 2014 Winter Olympics in a beautiful area of the city, part of the Imereti Lowlands stretching along the Black Sea, which is visible from the stands. Surrounding the stadium are other Olympic sites and the Formula 1 race track. It takes just over an hour by train, bus or car to reach the Caucasus Mountains from the Olympic Park.

Did you know?   

The name “Fisht” comes from the Adyghe word for the eponymous mountain top in the main Caucasus ridge and means “white head”. The outline of the arena, which was designed by a British architectural firm, itself resembles a snowy mountain peak.

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First matches

The Fisht Stadium went through its first tests as a football venue back in 2017, hosting a friendly between Russian and Belgium on 28 March, the Russian Cup between FC Ural and Lokomotiv Moscow on 2 May and also three matches at the FIFA Confederations Cup.

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Legacy

There are plans for the Russian national team to hold training camps, as well as some competitive fixtures and friendlies in Sochi. The Fisht Stadium will also stage various other mass public events.