St Petersburg to Host 2017 Confederations Cup Final

The Russian city ofSt Petersburg has been announced as the host of the opening match and final of the 2017 Confederations Cup, the warm-up tournament for the following year’s World Cup in Russia.

They will join Moscow, Kazan and Sochi in the event held every four years by FIFA.

It is contested by the holders of each of the six FIFA confederation championships, along with the FIFA World Cup holder and the host nation, to bring the number of teams up to eight.

The eight-team tournament, to be played in June 2017, will serve as a prelude to the World Cup to be hosted by the world’s largest country for the first time the following year.

The under-construction Gazprom-Arena in St Petersburg is set to stage the opening match and the final of the event.

“Proposing Moscow and Saint Petersburg, the cradle of Russian football by the way, as the stage for the key matches of these two major FIFA events is an important operational decision for the LOC (Local Organising Committee),” said Vitaly Mutko, Russia’s Sports Minister and chairman of Russia 2018.

“It is part of our milestone achievements, and our preparations are already in full swing.

“We look forward to the validation of our suggestions in December so we can continue our mission.”