This is the final post in a series of three in which I will review the three stadiums in which I have attended FIFA games. The final stadium is Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, home of the World Cup final.
Luzhniki Stadium - Mexico v. Germany - June 17, 2018. First constructed in the mid 1950’s, this stadium has seen several facelifts throughout the years, including most recently for the 2018 World Cup. The seating capacity for this venue is approximately 81,000 people, making it the largest stadium in Russia and one of the largest in all of Europe.
The stadium is located along the banks of the Moscow River and is easily accessible by metro. From the outside, the facade of the stadium reminds me of classic Roman and Greek architecture with columns surround the venue with concrete bricks providing texture and depth to the building. As you approach the main entrance to the stadium, you are greeted by the statue of V. I. Lenin. With the array of sponsor booths and signage surrounding the leader of the Russian Revolution, one cannot help but think about what Lenin would say today if he encountered such capitalistic themes surrounding his city and country.
My seat for the game was in the top row of the stadium and getting there took a bit of effort as there was no escalator to get you to the top. It was straight man power using my two legs to carry me up 6 flights of stairs. I’m sure there were elevators but I did not put much effort into finding them as I could always use the exercise. Security into the facility was not a big deal and was a pretty quick and easy process compared to that of Spartak and St. Petersburg. The stadium is completely open allowing for the movement of air to help keep you cool on warm summer afternoons.
As I said, my seat was in the final row at the very top of the stadium but in no way did I have a bad view. The sight lines were spot on and there were no issues with tv screens or columns blocking my view of the game action below. This was my favorite of the three stadiums I attended and the game itself, a Mexico win, was one of the best sporting events I have ever attended. I truly look forward to watching the World Cup final from the comforts of my apartment in DC and harken back to my experiences at this stadium.