- Address: St. Petersburg
- Country: Russia
- Capacity: 67,000
- Opened: 22 April 2017
- Main use: Football
- Tenants: Zenit (football)
Extra stadium info – Gazprom Arena
The construction of the stadium, which has a retractable roof, started in 2007. The Gazprom Arena is named after a Russian multinational energy corporation headquartered in St. Petersburg. Gazprom became the largest Russian company by revenue. The stadium opened with a Russian top-flight football league game involving Zenit. The next football season, Zenit drew an average home league attendance of 43,000.
Zenit
Zenit was founded in 1925. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, who became the leader of Russia, became a fan of Zenit. The football club from St. Petersburg became one of the first football clubs with a value of at least $100 million. Zenit became the first Russian sports club with 1 million followers on its main social media page. They won the top-flight football league of Russia several times. In 2008, Zenit won the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup. They drew an average home attendance of 20,000 in 15 domestic league games during that football season.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup
The Gazprom Arena hosted several matches for the FIFA World Cup in 2018. The first-ever FIFA World Cup match at the venue was won by the national football team of Iran after beating Morocco in front of 62,000 spectators. In the second game, Egypt was defeated by Russia. Brazil won the third match against Costa Rica and the Argentine Republic won the fourth match against Nigeria. The fifth match was won by Sweden after beating the Swiss Confederation and the French Republic defeated Belgium in the sixth game. Belgium finished third place at the Gazprom Arena after defeating England in front of 64,000 fans.
Mikel John Obi
On 26 June 2018, the Gazprom Arena hosted the FIFA World Cup game between Nigeria and the Argentine Republic. Mikel John Obi, who played numerous matches for the world famous English side Chelsea Football Club, played for Nigeria that day. Hours before the football match, he was told that his father had been kidnapped and would be killed if he reported anything.
The kidnapping
Mikel John Obi, who was the captain of the national football team of Nigeria, received the shocking news of the kidnapping as he travelled on the team bus to the stadium in St. Petersburg. A family member called him and told him that he had to call the kidnappers on a designated number. When Mikel John Obi did so, he was ordered to pay a ransom. His father was abducted in Nigeria when he travelled to a funeral. The police in Nigeria were able to secure his release after a gunfight. The father was tortured and he received emergency treatment in a hospital.
Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu
Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu, who became the leader of Nigeria in 2023, became a fan of Mikel John Obi. He visited Chelsea games in the English city of London when Mikel John Obi played for the football club. Although Tinubu made clear that he is a Manchester United fan to the core, he wanted the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner Mikel John Obi to win with Chelsea.
