Russia Completes a Dozen Stadiums for 2018 FIFA World Cup

Andrew Khoury is a South Carolina athlete and kinesiology student who is studying at Charleston Southern University. An avid soccer player and fan, Andrew Khoury has a strong interest in the FIFA World Cup, which is being held in Russia in 2018.

With the absence of the drama associated with recent World Cup preparations, FIFA president Giovanni Infantino praised Russia’s well planned efforts in preparing a dozen stadiums for the world’s largest sporting competition.

One slight hiccup involved Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, which is the venue of six games, including a quarter final and a high-profile group stage match pitting England against Panama.

With the 45,000-seat Nizhny Novgorod Stadium construction running behind schedule and the clock ticking, the municipality’s sports ministry put out an unusual request for workers willing to assist in its construction for free lodging, food, and the use of local facilities.

This request proved embarrassing, as it evoked in Russians memories of the Soviet government’s conscription of college students for assistance in harvesting bumper crops. The regional sports ministry later clarified that the letter’s intent was to emphasize the wide range of “physical activity facilities” available in the local area and attract engineering specialists who would stay with the stadium for the long term, helping to maintain the venue.