MOSCOW, March 26 (R-Sport) - All 12 arenas for the 2018 World Cup in Russia will be ready by fall of the previous year, the chief organizer said Wednesday.
Delivering the stadiums, all of which are being built from scratch or undergoing major refurbishments, months in advance would be in stark contrast to Brazil, where organizers are struggling to build everything in time for the June 13 opening match.
"There is no doubt that by autumn of 2017 we will come out with all the stadiums totally prepared," Alexei Sorokin said.
On the back of hard lobbying from then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Russia won the hosting rights to its first World Cup in December 2010, beating bids from Spain/Portugal, Belgium/Netherlands and England.
The country is spending nearly $20 billion on the stadiums and associated infrastructure, with about half expected to come as private investment.
