Croatia vs. Nigeria (Kaliningrad Stadium)
The match between ‘The Blazers’ of Croatia and the ‘Super Eagles’ of Nigeria will be the first of four group stage matches to be hosted in the Russian city of Kaliningrad during the 2018 Fifa World Cup.
The city centre is not so big (some 20–30 minutes walk) with major tourist attractions evenly distributed along its route.
Many European tourists are expected to use Kaliningrad as an entry/exit point to Russia for onward travel to other host cities. There are plenty of low-cost European flights to neighbouring cities from Kaliningrad — compared to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Expect huge crowd from various countries, some traveling by buses and cars.
The good news, following the Final Draw on 1 December, is the avoidance of a Poland or Germany group stages fixture in the city. Poland is some 50km near the border; Germany is next closest (games involving any of these countries in Kaliningrad would have instigated crowd troubles as well). Lucky us, the Kaliningrad Stadium is one of four venues which won’t be hosting a knockout phase game.
Kickoff: 8:00PM
Date: Saturday, 16th June, 2018
Travel Tips: Remember that a train ride from Kaliningrad to any other Russian town crosses different borders on the way. Check if you might require any visa beforehand.
(More information will be added to this page as they unfold)
