World Cup
With A Year to Go, Russia’s World Cup Faces Challenges
The FIFA Confederations Cup is now over. Attention now shifts to the more glamorous and tasking competition, the lead single sport event in the world- The FIFA World Cup.
After years of controversy, Russian officials think their World Cup has weathered the storm.
AP reports that stadiums are either finished or nearing completion, and the Confederations Cup ran smoothly.
“The project is very big and there are some delays or operational questions, minor questions, but nothing critical,” Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko, who oversees World Cup preparations, said.
But with a year to go, some serious concerns remain around Russia’s 643.5-billion-ruble ($10.8 billion) World Cup dream.
Workers’ deaths and alleged rights abuses taint the new stadiums. Teams will live in far-flung, hard-to-secure locations. Many of the stadiums risk becoming white elephants.
Here is a look at some of the key issues:
STADIUMS
Russia is desperate to avoid what Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko calls “the Brazilian scenario” — the construction delays and organizational disarray which marred the start of the last World Cup in 2014.
That looks assured, with most of the 12 stadiums either complete or close to completion, though some have gone over budget.
But did Russia cut corners on workers’ rights to get them ready? A report this month by Human Rights Watch accused Russia of numerous abuses on pay and conditions, and notes at least 17 deaths during construction.
Evidence that North Korean workers — who are employed around the world in conditions often likened to slavery — worked on the St. Petersburg stadium has brought concern from FIFA.
LEGACY
Many of Russia’s 12 stadiums look certain to be rarely — if ever — full again after the World Cup.
Just five of the 11 host cities have top-flight football clubs. The Russian Premier League attracts average crowds of 11,500 — among the lowest for major European leagues — and it seems new stadiums may be a temporary attraction that don’t solve fan apathy in the long-term.
Premier League side Rubin Kazan got an initial attendance bump after moving into a 45,000-seat World Cup ground in 2014, but crowds have dropped almost 30 percent over the last two seasons to 9,750. One home game against FC Krasnodar in April attracted barely 3,000 fans.
Meanwhile, Mordovia Saransk averaged 2,400 fans at games this season as it was relegated to the third tier, but will inherit a 45,000-seat World Cup ground next year. Sochi won’t have a professional club at all in 2017-18.
In Kaliningrad and Yekaterinburg, legacy concerns led Russian organizers to slash the capacity of World Cup stadiums from the original 45,000 to 25,000, with 10,000 more temporary seats.
Only the St. Petersburg stadium — home to games at the 2020 European Championship — and Moscow’s two grounds seem likely to be regularly in demand.
TEAM BASES
It’s not just about the host cities. The 32 teams taking part will be scattered across the country in newly built training bases as the Russian government tries to give other regions a taste of World Cup legacy — and lavish state spending.
Some locations in less glamorous areas of Russia are a hard sell for foreign teams, even if the accommodation is luxurious.
There’s Dzherzhinsk, an industrial city plagued by pollution from chemical plants, or Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, which was ravaged by war in the 1990s and early 2000s. Any team there will live with heavily armed guards. Many bases are in remote locations requiring air travel to even the nearest host city.
Small wonder that teams are expected to prioritize locations near the resort city of Sochi. Moscow’s heavy traffic is also a concern.
Still, team training bases may prove more useful for long-term legacy than the stadiums, since many include renovations of municipal football grounds.
FAN EXPERIENCE
Foreign fans at the Confederations Cup have largely seemed happy with Russian hospitality.
Tournament volunteers, police and paramedics have all had English classes to help foreigners in need, and free travel between host cities is on offer for ticket-holders.
Still, the real test is yet to come. The World Cup will bring many more foreign fans, posing a challenge for provincial transport links unused to such crowds.
Russia fans have little to be excited about, too, after their team exited the Confederations Cup in the group stage.
SECURITY
Russian authorities take the threat of terrorism at the World Cup seriously, especially after a bombing on the St. Petersburg subway in April.
At the Confederations Cup, thousands of police have operated tight airport-style security around stadiums, with more on key transport links.
The World Cup is even tougher to secure, with stadiums and team bases scattered across Russia. In the last five years, the host city of Volgograd has been hit by bombings, while Pyatigorsk, Grozny and Astrakhan, home to training bases, have seen attacks on security forces.
There are also fears about football hooliganism after Russians fans fought English supporters in France at last year’s European Championship. The Russian hooligans had martial arts training and left several England fans badly hurt, including one in a coma.
Russian authorities have blacklisted 191 fans with criminal records, and hours before the Confederations Cup began, dozens more, including members of radical groups, were refused permission to attend the tournament.
FIFA READINESS
Soccer’s world governing body also has work to do.
FIFA has pioneered video reviews of key moments like penalty calls during the Confederations Cup, but faced criticism that players and fans inside stadiums aren’t kept in the loop.
During Chile’s game against Cameroon last week, players milled about in confusion during one key review, and some headed toward the changing rooms, apparently thinking the referee had signaled for half-time.
FIFA also needs to hammer out a TV broadcast deal in Russia. Mutko has accused FIFA of charging so much that Russian networks would make a loss, and of trying to force the government to chip in.
A deal for the Confederations Cup was only reached six days before the tournament kicked off, avoiding the embarrassment of the host nation’s fans not being able to watch their team play.
AP Sports Writer Tales Azzoni in Kazan, Russia, contributed to this report.
BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK
Morocco took a giant stride towards the FIFA World Cup Round of 32 on Friday after a dominant 1-0 victory over Scotland propelled the Atlas Lions to the top of Group C and reinforced their status as one of the tournament’s most formidable sides.
A lightning strike from Ismael Saibari after just 71 seconds proved decisive at Boston Stadium, but the narrow scoreline scarcely reflected Morocco’s superiority as they outclassed the Scots for long stretches of the contest.
The victory leaves Morocco with four points from two matches following their impressive 1-1 draw with Brazil in the opening round. With one group game remaining against Haiti, the North Africans now need only avoid defeat to secure qualification for the knockout stage.
For a team that became the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final in Qatar four years ago, Friday’s performance was another statement that Morocco remain among the leading contenders from outside football’s traditional powerhouses.
The Atlas Lions wasted no time imposing themselves on the match.
Having entered the encounter buoyed by their commendable draw against Brazil, Morocco stunned Scotland almost immediately. Brahim Diaz threaded a perfectly weighted pass behind the Scottish defence, catching Grant Hanley out of position, and Saibari raced through before firing emphatically past goalkeeper Angus Gunn.
The goal, scored after only 71 seconds, was the fastest of the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far.
For Saibari, it was also another milestone moment. Having scored against Brazil in Morocco’s opening match, the midfielder became only the second African player to find the net in each of his first two World Cup appearances, following in the footsteps of Egyptian star Mohamed Salah.
The early breakthrough set the tone for what followed.
Morocco controlled possession, dictated the tempo and repeatedly disrupted Scotland’s attempts to build attacks. Their pressing game suffocated the Scottish midfield, while their fluid movement continually created openings in the final third.
Statistics highlighted the scale of Morocco’s dominance. The Atlas Lions completed 601 passes during the match, the highest total ever recorded by an African team in a World Cup fixture since detailed records began in 1966.
Despite controlling proceedings, Morocco were unable to convert their superiority into additional goals.
Azzedine Ounahi was at the heart of much of Morocco’s attacking play and almost helped create a second goal when he burst down the left flank and delivered a dangerous cut-back that narrowly evaded two teammates.
Bilal El Khannouss also came close after another sweeping move, while Saibari struck the post in the second half and El Khannouss forced a fine save from Gunn with a glancing header.
The one-sided nature of the contest was underlined by Scotland’s inability to register a meaningful attempt on goal until deep into first-half stoppage time.
Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi was delighted with the performance, although he admitted his side should have converted more of their chances.
“We would have liked to score that second goal to be more at ease, but we wanted to keep them really, really high up so they wouldn’t get too close to our box,” Ouahbi said.
“When it’s 1-0 at the end, that’s the Scots’ quality. But it’s okay. No panic, no panic. We do what needs to be done, we defend, we keep pressing. But we played a great match. We lacked a bit of efficiency.”
The coach added, “We are happy, we keep going. The road is still long, but it was important to win today.”
The result also strengthened belief within the Moroccan camp that the ambitions voiced before the tournament are realistic. Ounahi raised eyebrows on the eve of the match when he declared that Morocco were targeting a place in the World Cup final.
Based on Friday’s display, such confidence no longer appears far-fetched.
Led by captain Achraf Hakimi, whose experience and leadership continue to inspire the squad, Morocco looked every inch a team capable of competing with the world’s elite. Their tactical discipline, technical quality and relentless pressing repeatedly unsettled a Scotland side that had arrived full of confidence after defeating Haiti.
Although the Scots pushed forward in the closing stages and threatened briefly through a series of late attacks, Morocco’s defence stood firm to preserve a clean sheet and secure three invaluable points.
Attention now turns to the final group fixture against Haiti, where a draw will be enough to guarantee passage to the knockout rounds.
For Morocco, however, qualification is only part of the objective. The Atlas Lions arrived in North America determined to prove that their historic run to the semi-finals in Qatar was not a one-off achievement.
Against Scotland, they offered another compelling reminder that African football’s standard-bearers are once again capable of dreaming big.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK
The Netherlands will put one of the FIFA World Cup’s most impressive group-stage records on the line when they face Sweden in a heavyweight European showdown.
The Dutch have lost just two of their 34 group-stage matches in World Cup history, a remarkable statistic that reflects decades of consistency on football’s grandest stage.
Yet Sweden arrive determined to write a chapter of their own.
The Scandinavians are aiming to begin a World Cup campaign with consecutive victories for the first time since they hosted the tournament in 1958, when they famously reached the final before losing to Brazil.
That ambition sets the stage for a fascinating encounter between two nations with proud World Cup traditions.
The Netherlands have long been admired for their attacking philosophy and tactical innovation, while Sweden have built a reputation for organisation, discipline and resilience.
With both teams expected to be among the leading contenders for qualification from the group, the outcome could have significant implications for the final standings.
A Dutch victory would reinforce their status as one of the tournament’s most reliable performers. A Swedish success, meanwhile, would represent another important milestone in a campaign that is already showing considerable promise.
The clash is likely to be one of the standout fixtures of the second round of group-stage matches.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK.
Tunisia will attempt to secure their first-ever FIFA World Cup victory against an Asian opponent when they face Japan in the tournament’s landmark 1,000th match.
The Eagles of Carthage have yet to defeat a team from the Asian Football Confederation at the World Cup, having recorded one draw and two defeats in previous meetings. Their latest opportunity comes against a Japanese side that has already enjoyed success against Tunisia on the game’s biggest stage.
The teams’ only previous World Cup encounter came in 2002 when Japan, co-hosting the tournament, claimed a comfortable 2-0 victory.
Now, 24 years later, the two nations meet again with far more than history at stake.
Japan will be aiming to strengthen their position in Group F after opening their campaign with an entertaining draw against the Netherlands. Tunisia, meanwhile, are seeking a response after a difficult start and know that anything less than victory could leave their qualification hopes hanging by a thread.
Adding further significance to the occasion is the fact that the match has been designated as the 1,000th fixture in FIFA World Cup history, giving both teams an opportunity to become part of a milestone moment in global football.
For Tunisia, it is a chance to rewrite an unfavourable record against Asian opposition. For Japan, it is an opportunity to maintain their dominance in this particular rivalry and take another step toward the knockout stages.
Either way, Monterrey is set to host a match that will be remembered long after the final whistle.
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