Moscow. The largest venue at 81,000 seats, Luzhniki hosts the opening and final matches.(Legion Media)
Moscow. Home to the Spartak football club, this stadium is watched over by gladiator Spartacus.(Sergei Bobylev / TASS)
Rostov-on-Don. The brand new arena looks directly over the Don River.(Sergei Pivovarov)
Volgograd. The facade, which resembles basket weaving, overlooks the Volga River.(Tatyana Makeyeva )
Saransk. Architects designed Mordovia Arena to look like a hot air balloon.(Wikicommons)
Sochi. Resembling a snowy mountain peak, Fisht Stadium got a test run during the Sochi Olympics.(Legion Media)
Kazan.The arena features one of the largest sports stadium screens in the world.(Flickr)
Kaliningrad. The smallest venue of the tournament (35,212 seats) was built on the previously untouched Oktyabrsky Island. (Wikicommons)
St. Petersburg. This space-age stadium features a retractable roof and pitch.(Legion Media)
Samara. A 65.5 meter high dome roof is composed of 32 panels.(Yegor Aleyev / TASS)
Nizhny Novgorod. Cutting-edge technology is decked out in blue and white, inspired by the Volga countryside. (Stanislav Krasilnkov / TASS)
Yekaterinburg. Original Stalinist architecture from 1957 is preserved in Russia’s easternmost stadium.(Donat Sorokin / TASS)
This photograph taken on June 6, 2018 shows a child (C) hoisting the national flag of Argentina on the outskirts of Dhaka. The World Cup has become a matter of life and death in Bangladesh. (Photo-AFP)
Russia is "100 percent ready" to host the World Cup, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday. (Photo-The Moscow Times)
Argentina's forward Lionel Messi (3L) attends a training session with teammates at the FC Barcelona 'Joan Gamper' sports center in Sant Joan Despi, near Barcelona, on June 6, 2018. / AFP
Spain's defender Gerard Pique (C) attends a training session of Spain's national football team at the City of Football in Las Rozas near Madrid on May 31, 2018. (Photo-AFP)
Spain's defender Gerard Pique (C) attends a training session of Spain's national football team at the City of Football in Las Rozas near Madrid on May 31, 2018. (Photo- AFP)
Uruguay's Penarol poses for a picture before their 2018 Libertadores Cup football match against Paraguay's Libertad at the Nicolas Leoz stadium in Asuncion, on April 18, 2018.( Photo-AFP).
Brazil's Flamengo players pose for a picture before the 2018 Libertadores Cup football match against Colombia's Independiente Santa Fe at Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 18, 2018.( Photo-AFP).
Colombia's Independiente Santa Fe players pose for a picture before the 2018 Libertadores Cup football match against Brazil's Flamengo at Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 18, 2018.( Photo- AFP.)
Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi poses his wife Antonella Roccuzzo and their son Thiago after receiving the 2017 European Golden Shoe honoring the year's leading goalscorer during a ceremony at the Antigua Fabrica Estrella Damm in Barcelona on Friday November 24. Photo: AFP
Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi poses with the 2017 European Golden Shoe honoring the year's leading goalscorer during a ceremony at the Antigua Fabrica Estrella Damm in Barcelona on Friday November 24. Photo: AFP
Portugal's forward Cristiano Ronaldo controls the ball during the 2017 Confederations Cup semi-final football match between Portugal and Chile at the Kazan Arena in Kazan on Wednesday, June 28, 2017. Photo: AFP
Portugal's forward Cristiano Ronaldo (L) fights for the ball against Chile's midfielder Marcelo Diaz during the 2017 Confederations Cup semi-final football match between Portugal and Chile at the Kazan Arena in Kazan on Wednesday, June 28, 2017. Photo: AFP
Portugal's midfielder Adrien Silva (L) vies with Chile's forward Alexis Sanchez during the 2017 Confederations Cup semi-final football match between Portugal and Chile at the Kazan Arena in Kazan on Wednesday, June 28, 2017. Photo: AFP
Chile's midfielder Charles Aranguiz (L) vies with Portugal's forward Cristiano Ronaldo during the 2017 Confederations Cup semi-final football match between Portugal and Chile at the Kazan Arena in Kazan on Wednesday, June 28, 2017. Photo: AFP
Brazil's Gabriel Jesus attacks Argentina goalpost during their friendly international football match between Brazil and Argentina at the MCG in Melbourne on Friday, June 9, 2017. Photo: AFP
Argentina’s Lionel Messi (L) fights for the ball with Brazil’s Jose Paulo Maciel Junior during their friendly international football match between Brazil and Argentina at the MCG in Melbourne on Friday, June 9, 2017. Photo: AFP
Real Madrid's French coach Zinedine Zidane attends a training session at Valdebebas Sport City in Madrid on Friday, February 10, 2017 on the eve of their Liga football match against Osasuna. Photo: AFP
Lionel Messi (L) celebrates beside Barcelona's Brazilian forward Neymar (R) after scoring a goal during the match FC Barcelona vs Athletic Club Bilbao on Saturday. Photo: AFP
Lionel Messi (L) vies with Athletic Bilbao's defender Yeray Alvarez during the Spanish league football match FC Barcelona vs Athletic Club Bilbao at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on Saturday. Photo: AFP
Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (C) celebrates a goal with Barcelona's Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez (R)
Moreirense's players celebrate with their trophy after winning the Portuguese Cup final football match SC Braga vs Moreirense FC at the Algarve stadium in Faro on Sunday. Photo- AFP
Luis Suarez (up) vies with Betis' Algerian defender Aissa Mandi during the Spanish league football match Real Betis vs FC Barcelona at the Benito Villamarin stadium in Sevilla on Sunday. Photo: AFP
Former Argentine midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron makes his official return to the pitch on home soil on Friday at the age of 41.