Russia and Singapore create joint airport venture ahead of 2018 World Cup
By David Gold
October 31 – Russia and Singapore will be creating a joint business venture to develop airports being used for the World Cup in 2018.
Russia 2018
Moscow, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg in race to host 2018 World Cup semi-finals
By David Gold
October 14 – Moscow, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg are vying to host the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup in 2018, according to Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko.
FIFA confident of Russia’s will to deliver at 2018 World Cup
By David Gold
October 11 – FIFA general secretary Jérôme Valcke has praised the enthusiasm and commitment of Russia after the first meeting of world football’s governing body and the 2018 World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC).
Myanmar banned from Russia 2018 after crowd violence
By David Gold
September 30 – Seven years before games get underway at the first ever World Cup to be held in Russia, Myanmar have become the first country eliminated from the competition after violence erupted during a Brazil 2014 Asian qualifying clash with Oman in July.
Russia set to cut number of venues for 2018 World Cup
By David Gold
September 12 – Vitaly Mutko, the Russian Sports Minister who chairs the Organising Committee for the 2018 World Cup, has revaled that the country is likely to use 13 stadiums rather than the originally planned 16.
Russia 2018 World Cup stadium in Yekaterinburg re-opened
By David Gold
August 27 – Russia’s 2018 World Cup stadium in Yekaterinburg has been re-opened after renovations which began in 2006 were completed on the 54-year-old ground.
Russia 2018 World Cup final venue is likely to be renovated rather than demolished
By David Gold
August 17 – The Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, which is set to host the final of the 2018 World Cup, is unlikely to be demolished ahead of the competition despite concerns over the cost of renovating the venue.
Blow to Winter Olympics and World Cup legacies as FC Sochi fold
By David Gold
August 7 – Zhemchuzhina Sochi are the latest professional Russian league club to fold as a result of financial difficulties, and will now drop out of the first division.
Exclusive: ID cards will improve young players in time for 2018 World Cup, claims top official
By David Gold
June 26 – Idenitification cards for young Russian footballers will help create a national side which can compete well at the 2018 World Cup, according to Alexander Zorkov, the deputy general secretary of the Russian Football Union (RFU).
We want Russia 2018 stadia to capture feel of the country, says Populous principal
By David Gold
June 5 – Tom Jones, the Associate Principal of Populous, the global design specialists whose Senior Principal John Barrow will be speaking at the Inside World Football Moscow Forum in June, says that Russia should think about the wider infrastructure required for the 2018 World Cup, and learn some lessons from the experience of South Africa in preparing to host a successful World Cup.
FIFA legal delegation impressed on first official trip to Russia
By David Gold
May 23 – FIFA’s legal delegation has concluded its first official visit to Russia ahead of the 2018 World Cup.
Plan drawn up for Russia 2018 high speed rail network
By David Gold
May 16 – The Institute of Economics and Transport Development in Russia has prepared a draft plan for the development of a rail network to transport fans and players across the country during the 2018 World Cup.
$5 billion required for World Cup, says Russian Sports Minister
By David Gold
April 18 – Russia’s Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has announced that approximately $5 billion (£3 billion) would be required for the construction of new stadiums and upgrades to the country’s infrastructure for the World Cup in 2018.
Concerns raised over distances between Russia 2018 venues
By David Gold
April 4 – A train journey of 26 hours potentially lies in wait for supporters following any teams playing at the Russian city of Yekaterinburg during the 2018 World Cup, though officials insist that plans for a high speed rail network should cut travel time by more than two thirds.