Story highlights
- World Cup will be held from 14 June - 15 July, 2018
- New stadium being built in Nizhny Novgorod
- Updating road and rail links is crucial
(CNN)Football fans will have their work cut out traveling between host cities at the 2018 World Cup.
The geography is vast, stretching almost 3,000 kilometers -- from the city of Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave which meets the Baltic Sea, to Yekaterinburg, north of the Kazakh border.
To save money, many fans will be turning away from flights in favor of taking buses or Russia's sleeper train services.
In Nizhny Novgorod, one of Russia's oldest cities, construction is frantically underway to try and ensure -- like many host cities -- its outdated road and rail links are up to scratch to accommodate the influx of thousands of football fans.
Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
St. Petersburg Stadium, Saint Petersburg – Designed by late Japanese architect Kisho Kurosawa to look like a spaceship, the brand new St. Petersburg Stadium was built on Krestovsky Island where the 110,000-capacity Kirov Stadium used to stand.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
St. Petersburg Stadium, Saint Petersburg – Opened in April 2017, the stadium is equipped with a retractable roof and sliding pitch. Inside, the temperature can be regulated to a mild 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 C) all year round.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
St. Petersburg Stadium World Cup schedule: Group stage, last 16, semifinal, third-place playoff
Legacy: The 67,000-seater will regain its former name -- Krestovsky Stadium -- and be home to 2007-08 UEFA Cup winners Zenit St. Petersburg.
Legacy: The 67,000-seater will regain its former name -- Krestovsky Stadium -- and be home to 2007-08 UEFA Cup winners Zenit St. Petersburg.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Ekaterinburg Stadium, Yekaterinburg – Located 1,000 miles east of Moscow on the site of the old Central Stadium -- once a prominent speed skating venue -- the Ekaterinburg Stadium has retained its original Soviet neo-Classical pillars while adding modern refurbishments and temporary stands.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Ekaterinburg Stadium, Yekaterinburg – The additional seats, constructed outside of the original stadium, loom dramatically at either end of the pitch in order to fulfill FIFA's minimum World Cup capacity of 35,000. Recent inspection reports have shown the temporary stands "fully comply with all safety and security requirements," according to a FIFA spokesperson.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Ekaterinburg Stadium World Cup schedule: Group stage
Legacy: FC Ural, one of Russia's oldest clubs newly promoted to the country's top tier, will continue to use the stadium for its home games. After the World Cup, the capacity will be reduced and it will once again be known as Central Stadium.
Legacy: FC Ural, one of Russia's oldest clubs newly promoted to the country's top tier, will continue to use the stadium for its home games. After the World Cup, the capacity will be reduced and it will once again be known as Central Stadium.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Fisht Stadium, Sochi – The Fisht Stadium held the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympics and is already well-equipped for the demands of a major international football tournament.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Fisht Stadium, Sochi – Named after Mount Fisht, a peak in the nearby Caucasus mountain range, the arena's roof was designed to resemble a snow-capped summit.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Fisht Stadium World Cup schedule: Group stage, last 16, quarterfinals
Legacy: The 47,700-capacity venue will stage training camps and competitive matches for the Russian national team.
Legacy: The 47,700-capacity venue will stage training camps and competitive matches for the Russian national team.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow – It was home to the 1980 Summer Olympics, 2008 Champions League final, 2013 Athletics World Championships and no shortage of musical tours, from Michael Jackson to the Rolling Stones...
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow – Now the Luzhniki Stadium has been refurbished -- with the athletics track removed and two extra tiers added -- while preserving its historical facade.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Luzhniki Stadium World Cup schedule: Group stage, last 16, semifinal, final
Legacy: The 81,006-seater will retain its status as the country's leading football stadium, hosting competitive international matches and friendlies.
Legacy: The 81,006-seater will retain its status as the country's leading football stadium, hosting competitive international matches and friendlies.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad – Built in the heart of Kaliningrad on Oktyabrsky Island -- a section of land sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania left largely untouched until its selection as a World Cup venue -- the Kaliningrad stadium is loosely based on the design of Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad – Kaliningrad Stadium World Cup schedule: Group stage
Legacy: The 35,000-seater stadium will have its capacity reduced by 10,000 and be home to second-tier side FC Baltika Kaliningrad. A new residential development will be built around it featuring parks, quays and embankments alongside the Pregola river.
Legacy: The 35,000-seater stadium will have its capacity reduced by 10,000 and be home to second-tier side FC Baltika Kaliningrad. A new residential development will be built around it featuring parks, quays and embankments alongside the Pregola river.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don – Located about 20 miles from the Sea of Azov in south eastern Russia, the brand new Rostov Arena is 51m tall -- as high as the Niagra Falls.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Rostov Arena World Cup schedule: Group stage, last 16
Legacy: As one of the first major projects built on the southern bank of the Don River, architects hope the 45,000-seater stadium will attract a flow of people and investment from the north. It will also host Russian Premier League side FC Rostov's home fixtures.
Legacy: As one of the first major projects built on the southern bank of the Don River, architects hope the 45,000-seater stadium will attract a flow of people and investment from the north. It will also host Russian Premier League side FC Rostov's home fixtures.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Volgograd Arena, Volgograd – Built at the foot of the towering Mamayev Kurgan World War II memorial "The Motherland Calls" (pictured), the Volgograd Stadium will replace the demolished Central Stadium and feature an open lattice exterior structure.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Volgograd Arena World Cup schedule: Group stage
Legacy: The 45,000-seater will become the home ground of second-tier side FC Rotor Vologograd.
Legacy: The 45,000-seater will become the home ground of second-tier side FC Rotor Vologograd.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Spartak Stadium, Moscow – Built to host Spartak Moscow -- the "people's team" which has made do without its own venue for almost a century -- the 43,298-seater Spartak Stadium will go on proving its worth long after the World Cup. The arena's facade features hundreds of red and white diamonds representing Spartak's logo, which change color when the Russian national side plays there.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Spartak Stadium World Cup schedule: Last 16
Legacy: As well as hosting Spartak Moscow and the national side, the stadium will provide the center piece for a new residential development.
Legacy: As well as hosting Spartak Moscow and the national side, the stadium will provide the center piece for a new residential development.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod – Situated at the confluence of the Volga and Oka rivers, the new Nizhny Novgorod Stadium is designed to resemble the shimmering waters that surround it. The 45,331-capacity arena sits close to the Alexander Nevsky cathedral, and with views across to the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Nizhny Novgorod Stadium World Cup schedule: Group stage, last 16, quarterfinals
Legacy: The stadium was intended to become the permanent home of Russian club FC Volga, replacing the Lokomotiv Stadium after the tournament. However, Volga dissolved because of financial troubles in June 2016. Instead, second tier Olympiets Nizhny Novgorod will call the new build home.
Legacy: The stadium was intended to become the permanent home of Russian club FC Volga, replacing the Lokomotiv Stadium after the tournament. However, Volga dissolved because of financial troubles in June 2016. Instead, second tier Olympiets Nizhny Novgorod will call the new build home.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Samara Arena, Samara – Constructed in a southeastern region renowned for its aerospace sector, the 44,807-seater Samara Arena is designed to resemble an otherworldly glass dome. By night, the whole structure will light up.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Samara Arena World Cup schedule: Group stage, last 16, quarterfinals
Legacy: The 44,918-capacity stadium will be known as Cosmos Arena, hosting Russian second-tier side FC Krylia Sovetov Samara.
Legacy: The 44,918-capacity stadium will be known as Cosmos Arena, hosting Russian second-tier side FC Krylia Sovetov Samara.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Featuring a striking orange, red and white exterior, construction on the 44,442-seater Mordovia Arena began in 2010. Initially hoped to be completed two years later for the 1,000th anniversary of the Mordovian people's unification with Russia's other ethnic groups, it was eventually finished in April 2018.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Mordovia Arena World Cup schedule: Group stage
Legacy: With a population of just 300,000, Saransk is the smallest of the 2018 World Cup host cities. After the tournament, some of the stadium's temporary structures will be demolished, reducing the capacity to 25,000. It will become the home of third-tier side FC Mordovia.
Legacy: With a population of just 300,000, Saransk is the smallest of the 2018 World Cup host cities. After the tournament, some of the stadium's temporary structures will be demolished, reducing the capacity to 25,000. It will become the home of third-tier side FC Mordovia.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Kazan Arena, Kazan – Designed by the same firm of architects as Wembley and Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, Kazan Arena was constructed to blend seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. Viewed from above, it is said to resemble a water-lily on the banks of the adjacent Kazanka river. The front of the stadium is dominated by a high definition screen with a total area of 3,700 meters -- the largest of its kind in the world.
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Photos: Eleven cities, 12 stadiums
Kazan Arena World Cup schedule: Group stage, last 16, quarterfinals
Legacy: Opened in 2013, it will continue to be home to Rubin Kazan, Russian Premier League champions in 2008 and 2009. Visit CNN.com/sport for more news and features
Legacy: Opened in 2013, it will continue to be home to Rubin Kazan, Russian Premier League champions in 2008 and 2009. Visit CNN.com/sport for more news and features
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The Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, as well as two others around the country, suffered serious damage during construction after a fire broke out in one of the stands.
Sergey Pichushkin, the stadium's project director, admits there have been setbacks but remains confident everything will be on schedule.
CNN International correspondent Fred Pleitgen visited the city to find out more. You can watch his report on the top of this page.
