Visitors to Casa da Russia – or House of Russia –  will be able to enjoy reading HOST CITY magazine, which is renowned for its insights into the business of hosting major sporting events. 

Casa da Russia will hosted in Rio de Janeiro's Museum of Modern Art and operated by Eventica Communications.

“With facilities for media, government offices, hospitality lounges and a programme of events for Russian and international guests, the Casa da Russia will be Russia’s home from home at Brazil 2014, and will provide a perfect opportunity for Russia – the next host country of the FIFA World Cup – to showcase preparations and the host cities of Russia 2018,” Eventica said.

As part of the partnership, HOST CITY will also preview activities at Casa da Russia as part of its online news coverage of the 2014 Brazil World Cup. 

During the World Cup, matches will be broadcast live on big screens. Casa da Russia also promises to host a Russian cultural extravaganza, with guest musicians, bands, DJs and artists participating in a month-long celebration of Russia.

Baltika has signed as the exclusive Beer Partner for Casa da Russia, following successful partnerships with Eventica over many years, including at the Russian Winter Festival in London’s Trafalgar Square from 2005 to 2008 and at Russia.Sochi.Park – the official Russian hospitality venues in London during the 2012 Olympic Games.

The accreditation process for the press centre at Casa da Russia is already open. In the first week of opening, the organisers Eventica Communications registered 160 Russian and British journalists from media including O Globo, TV Record Brasília, Sky Sports, Sportbox, Russia Today, Sport FM and many more. 

For more information visit http://www.eventica.co.uk/?p=5817#more-5817

Preparations to lay the foundations for Al Wakrah Stadium, the first stadium being built for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, began on Monday.

Local construction company HBK has started major excavation work on the site, which will enable the foundations to be start being laid in September 2014.

The groundwork is scheduled to be completed by March 2015, with the entire stadium project expected to be finished in 2018. 

AECOM is providing design consultancy and construction supervision services on the stadium, which was designed by Zaha Hadid. The preparatory works at Al Wakrah were carried out by AMANA, a Middle Eastern firm with headquarters in United Arab Emirates. The contractor for the main construction phase will be announced at a ceremony in September.  

“As a Qatari contractor, the decision to award HBK the contract following a tender process implemented for a number of Qatari contractors with local knowledge and proven capabilities follows the Supreme Commitee’s vision to develop the private sector,” the Supreme Committee said in a statement.

The 40,000 seater stadium will be surrounded by a 560,000 m2 (60-hectare) precinct, which will include a new sports centre and a range of community facilities including a park, mosque, school, hotel, wedding hall, vocational training centre and retail outlets.

The stadium’s modular design will allow 20,000 modular seats to be removed after the World Cup, when they are planned to be donated to countries in need of sporting infrastructure, according to the Supreme Committee. 

The contract with HBK contains the Supreme Committee’s new Workers’ Welfare Standards, aimed at protecting the rights of workers through all stages of contracting. “The new Al Wakrah Stadium will contribute to a significant legacy of enhanced workers’ welfare in the country,” said the Committee. 

Al Wakrah is one of at least eight stadiums that will form part of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 

By the end of 2014, at least five World Cup stadiums are scheduled to be under construction, with the total number of venues to feature in the tournament to be confirmed by December. Three existing stadiums – Khalifa, Al Gharrafa and Al Rayyan – are to be expanded for the 2022 World Cup.

Countries interested in hosting a FIFA event are now spoilt for choice. FIFA has invited its 209 member associations to register their interest in the Women’s World Cup 2019, Club World Cups from 2015 to 2018, Beach Soccer World Cup 2017, U-17 Women’s World Cup 2018 and the U-20 Women’s World Cup 2018.

With women’s football growing in popularity in recent years, FIFA will be particularly hopeful of a large number of members applying to host the Women’s events. “The development of football for girls and women remains one of FIFA’s top priorities,” it said in a statement on Thursday.

FIFA said it would prefer the Women’s World Cup and U-20s World Cup events to be hosted in one country. “In principle, FIFA would prefer the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 and the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2018 to be hosted and organised by the same member association.”

The Women’s World Cup 2019 will involve 24 teams, while 16 teams will compete in the U-20 Women’s World Cup 2018. 

“The FIFA Women’s World Cup has grown significantly in stature and significance over the last few editions. Now with 24 teams, it enjoys the second-biggest profile of all FIFA’s flagship events,” FIFA said.

“The FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup is the second most important women’s FIFA event. The so-called ‘springboard for the stars’ tournament serves as a staging post towards the FIFA Women’s World Cup, not only for players but also for the hosts.” 

The Women’s World Cup 2010 in Germany holds the attendance record of 395,295 spectators, achieving an average global in-home audience per live match of 2.8 million. 

The bidding timeline for these women’s competitions requires the member associations that wish to host these events to submit a declaration of interest by 15 April 2014. The deadline for delivery of the hosting agreement together with all the signed bidding documents is 31 October 2014, with the final decision on the hosts currently scheduled to take place at the first FIFA Executive Committee meeting in 2015.

Club World Cups

After successful editions of the Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, Japan and Morocco – which will also host the 2014 edition– FIFA has also opened the bidding processes for the 2015-2016 and 2017-2018 editions. Two host nations will host the events for two years.

Member associations that are interested in hosting the event are invited to submit a declaration of interest by 30 March 2014. The complete set of bidding documents has to be provided by 25 August 2014 and the Executive Committee will select the host in September 2014.

Beach Soccer World Cup

2017 will mark the ninth edition of the biennial Beach Soccer World Cup. Sixteen teams will participate in the ten to 12 day final competition, which requires just one stadium. “The location of the venue should reflect the sun, sea and sand of the Copacabana beach, the birthplace of beach soccer,” said FIFA.

Member associations should declare their interest in the Beach Soccer World Cup by 15 April 2014 and submit their definitive bids, including all signed bidding and hosting documents, by 1 October 2014. The host will be appointed by the Executive Committee at its meeting in December 2014.

[Source: FIFA] FIFA has revealed the match schedule for the FIFA World Cup 26™, with the final to be held in New York New Jersey on Sunday, 19 July 2026 and the opening match featuring the Mexican national team scheduled to be played at the iconic Estadio Azteca Mexico City on Thursday, 11 June 2026. Like Mexico, the national teams of Canada and the United States will each play their three group-stage matches on home soil. Canada will kick off their campaign in Toronto on Friday, 12 June 2026, while the United States will begin their journey on the same day in Los Angeles. The schedule for the tournament was revealed live on Sunday and can be reviewed on FIFA.com and FIFA+. The match schedule can also be accessed here.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “The most inclusive and impactful FIFA World Cup ever is no longer a dream but a reality that will take shape in the form of 104 matches in 16 state-of-the-art stadiums across Canada, Mexico and the USA. From the opening match at the iconic Estadio Azteca to the spectacular final in New York New Jersey players and fans have been at the core of our extensive planning for this game-changing tournament.” “I would like to thank our three host countries and 16 Host Cities for the unwavering commitment to staging a FIFA World Cup that will not only set new records but also leave an indelible legacy.”

FIFA Vice-President and Concacaf President Victor Montagliani said: “The FIFA World Cup 26 will be a watershed moment and one that will trigger massive football development in our region and worldwide. While each Host City is unique, they all have something in common – they are passionate about football and cannot wait to welcome the world in June and July 2026.” The tournament’s innovative match schedule will serve to minimise travel for teams and fans alike, while the number of rest days between fixtures will be maximised. Having been drawn up in consultation with key stakeholders, including national-team coaches and technical directors, the schedule will also increase the prospect of matches being played in the best possible conditions and ensure that fans have shorter travel times when following their teams. Match pairings and kick-off times will be confirmed following the Final Draw for FIFA World Cup 26, which is expected to take place towards the end of 2025.

FIFA World Cup 26 match schedule – summary:

• FIFA World Cup 26 to kick-off at the iconic Estadio Azteca Mexico City on Thursday, 11 June 2026, with the final scheduled for Sunday, 19 July 2026 in New York New Jersey.
• Toronto, Mexico City, and Los Angeles to host the opening matches of their respective national teams.
• Canada, Mexico, and the United States guaranteed to play their three group-stage matches on home soil, with Guadalajara, Vancouver, and Seattle also selected to stage host countries’ group-stage matches.
• Miami to host the bronze final, Dallas and Atlanta to stage the highly anticipated semi-finals, while Dallas will host nine (9) matches – the most of any Host City at the tournament.
• Innovative match schedule ensures that three days of rest for teams is observed for 103 of the tournament’s 104 matches. Majority of matches to be played in three regionalised zones (east, central and west) to reduce travel for teams and fans.
• Group stage:

- First matchday of the tournament to feature two matches, including the tournament curtain-raiser in Mexico City and a match in Guadalajara. - Day two to feature two matches involving hosts Canada and the United States respectively. - The final four matchdays of the group stage will feature six matches per day. Matches in the same group will be played simultaneously to maintain the integrity of the competition. - All other group-stage matchdays will feature four matches per day across four kick-off times.

• Estadio Azteca Mexico City set to host opening match for the third time, making FIFA World Cup history as the first stadium to do so.
• Canada will host its first FIFA World Cup, complementing its proud history of hosting top FIFA women’s and youth tournaments, including the successful FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015™.
• USA to host FIFA World Cup for the second time, following record-setting 1994 edition. USA has also hosted two successful editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup (1999 and 2003).

Fans can pre-register for FIFA World Cup 26 tickets at fifa.com/tickets. Pre-registration for information about hospitality packages is available at fifa.com/hospitality.

Further details on the match schedule are available in the FIFA World Cup 26 match schedule Q&A.