Renovation Work Begins At Luzhniki Stadium Ahead Of 2018 FIFA World Cup

Renovation work "has begun at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium," which will act as the centerpiece of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, according to SOCCEREX. The existing stadium's outer shell "will be maintained, but the structure will otherwise be completely rebuilt" at a cost of $800M. Initial plans for a 90,000-seat venue were scaled back after FIFA "approved a more modest design with a lower budget." Moscow City Hall's construction department said, "At the moment, seats and other internal elements are being dismantled." The department said that "preparations were being made for a tender on the building work for the planned 81,000-capacity venue." The Luzhniki Stadium "is set to stage the World Cup's opening match, one semi-final and the final" (SOCCEREX, 11/15).