MOSCOW, November 9 (R-Sport) - Saransk's football stadium for the 2018 World Cup will cost $276 million, the regional government said Friday.
The central Russian stadium will receive half of the required funds from the federal budget and another $138 million from unspecified other sources, the Mordovia regional government said in a statement.
The 45,000-seater ground in the city center may be reduced to 26,000 after the World Cup.
Officials are confident that the Yubileiny stadium will recoup its construction costs.
“The stadium will be completely self-financing and make a profit thanks to offices, cafes, restaurants, sport facilities, cinema, auto showrooms, and other outlets,” the government said.
“The designation of this complex will be universal: it will be a sports, cultural, leisure, shopping and business center, one of the city symbols.”
Building work has already started on the arena, set to open in 2015 and will be the home ground for local team Mordovia Saransk, now in their first season in the Russian Premier League.
