A Russian stadium had to add enormous bleachers for the World Cup - and it looks frightening
Russia is hosting the World Cup in 2018 and as teams across the globe fight for qualification this weekend, cities across Russia will continue to prepare for the biggest sporting event on the planet.
While stadiums in Moscow and other cities are already World Cup ready, there are a few stadiums that need a bit of touching up before matches tip off in 2018. Take for instance, the Yekaterinburg Arena, the easternmost host of any 2018 matches, which is currently going through a bit of a makeover before it is World Cup ready.
The Arena was built in 1957, and did not initially meet the World Cup minimum of 35,000 capacity for hosting games. In order to add roughly 8,000 seats to the stadium, the World Cup construction team got a little creative, and put bleachers on top of what looks like elaborate scaffolding outside of the stadium, offering what can still technically be called "views" of the pitch.
As you can tell from there, the seats are terrifyingly high in the air, putting spectators level with the roof of the building they are technically supposed to be inside of. With these seats apparently free standing, fans might have a tougher time finding a bathroom or refreshing their drink compared to those seated at midfield.
If you are afraid of heights, it might be best to splurge for tickets inside the actual stadium. But if you're an adventurous sports enthusiast who has always wanted to take in a game at an odd angle from a free-standing, barebones structure, this is the opportunity of a lifetime.
The 2018 World Cup kicks off June 14 of next year.