So, England now know the destination for their first three games at the 2018 World Cup in Russia after being drawn out in Group G for next summer’s extravaganza.
Alongside group rivals Tunisia, Panama and Belgium, the Three Lions will play in three different venues for their group games.
And we’ve pulled together some quick info on each of the cities and venues which will host England and their fans in June.
England will kick-off their World Cup campaign on Monday 18 June against Tunisia in the city formerly known as Stalingrad. The city and its surrounding area saw some of the heaviest battles during World War II. The Battle of Stalingrad was a turning point in the war and the 85-metre ‘Motherland calling’ statue is Volgograd’s landmark and can be seen from any point of the city.
Now home to over 1 million residents, modern Volgograd is a centre for ecotourism in Russia and is a true sporting city. The brand new stadium where England will play seats 45,000 supporters and will be home to FC Rotor after the World Cup.
Nizhny Novgorod
Venue for the second game with World Cup debutants Panama on Sunday 24 June. Situated on the hills overlooking the Volga River, the city was one of Russia’s key commercial centres in the 19th century and is one of Russia’s most traditional and beautiful cities. Nizhny Novgorod is one of a hundred world cities included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and has a population of 1.2 million people and remains a key business and cultural destination in Russia.
The new stadium where the Three Lions will land, is situated in a picturesque area of the city with a capacity of 45,000. It will be used by local club Olympiets once the World Cup has finished.
Kaliningrad
England will face familiar rivals in Belgium in the most westerly of all the stadiums at the World Cup. This smaller city of 450,000 people is an important port to the Baltic and Russia’s gateway to Europe.
There’s no shortage of culture on offer either, as Kaliningrad’s pride is the reconstructed Königsberg Cathedral, with its two chapels, Orthodox and Protestant, representing a symbol of peace and reconciliation. The region is also blessed with pristine beaches and pine sand dunes. It features the beautiful nature reserve of Kurshskaya Spit, which was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000.
The venue for the game is another new stadium with 35,000 seats in place and situated on Oktyabrsky Island in the centre of the region. It will host games for local team FC Baltika Kaliningrad after the World Cup.
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