An unusual football pitch made of used plastic cups has been constructed in Sochi as part of a program aimed at maintaining the Russia 2018 World Cup legacy and increasing the long-lasting impact left by the global championship.
The 65-meter-long pitch was installed next to the Fischt Stadium, which hosted World Cup fixtures last summer. These included Russia’s dramatic quarterfinal match against Croatia, which the hosts lost in a nail-biting penalty shootout.
The pitch was made of plastic cups that were collected during the month-long football extravaganza in Russia, which attracted thousands of fans from all corners of the world.
“The technological process of creating the plastic football pitch took place at Russian factories. Plastic bags collected during the World Cup were re-melted into special granules, which were later used for making the fiber strands that make up the pitch,” said Konstantin Tamirov, marketing director of the commercial company that helped to construct the plastic pitch in Sochi.
More than 4,000 pounds of plastic were needed to build the unique pitch, which will later be relocated to Volgograd, where it will be available for local football lovers.