Сегодня на стадионе идёт матч чемпионата.

Yes, идти literally often means to go or to walk, but in Russian it also has several extended meanings.

In Сегодня на стадионе идёт матч чемпионата, идёт матч means a match is going on or a match is taking place.

This use is very common for things that unfold over time, such as:

• Идёт фильм = A film is showing
• Идёт концерт = A concert is on
• Идёт урок = A lesson is in progress
• Идёт дождь = It is raining

So here идёт does not suggest physical movement. It means the match is currently happening.

Russian often does not use a direct equivalent of there is / there are in the present tense.

In English, you might say:

• Today there is a championship match at the stadium
• A championship match is taking place at the stadium today

Russian usually expresses this without a separate word for there is. Instead, the sentence is built around the event itself:

• Сегодня на стадионе идёт матч чемпионата

So Russian sounds more like Today at the stadium a championship match is going on.

For many places in Russian, the choice between в and на is idiomatic and has to be learned word by word.

With стадион, Russian normally says:

• на стадионе = at the stadium / in the stadium

Even though English often uses in or at, Russian prefers на here.

This is similar to:

• на концерте = at the concert
• на вокзале = at the station
• на рынке = at the market

So на стадионе is simply the normal Russian expression.

Стадионе is in the prepositional case.

After на when it means location, Russian normally uses the prepositional case:

• на стадионе = at the stadium

The dictionary form is стадион. After на for location, it becomes:

• стадион → на стадионе

This is a basic and very common pattern:

• в парке = in the park
• на столе = on the table
• в школе = at school
• на стадионе = at the stadium

Because чемпионата is in the genitive case.

Russian often uses the genitive after one noun to show a relationship like:

• the match of the championship
• the door of the house
• the center of the city

So:

• матч = match
• чемпионата = of the championship

Together, матч чемпионата literally means match of the championship, which in natural English is often just championship match.

This is a very common noun + noun structure in Russian.

Not necessarily.

Матч чемпионата usually means a match that is part of a championship, league, tournament, or competition.

It does not automatically mean the final or the championship game in the English sports sense.

So depending on context, it could mean:

• a match in the championship
• a league match
• a tournament match

Russian is simply saying that the match belongs to that competition.

In this sentence, yes, the meaning is very close to the English present continuous.

Russian does not have a separate grammatical form like is going versus goes. The present tense form идёт can be understood from context as:

• is going on
• is taking place
• is happening

So идёт матч naturally corresponds to the match is taking place or the match is on.

The idea of an action in progress comes from the verb’s meaning and the context, not from a special tense form.

Yes. Проходит матч чемпионата is also natural and means something like a championship match is taking place.

There is a slight difference in feel:

• идёт матч = a match is on / in progress
• проходит матч = a match is taking place / being held

Both are correct here. Идёт often sounds very natural for events currently in progress.

Yes, Russian word order is flexible.

Сегодня is placed first here because it sets the time frame right away: Today...

But other orders are also possible, for example:

• На стадионе сегодня идёт матч чемпионата
• Матч чемпионата сегодня идёт на стадионе

These versions are grammatically possible, but the emphasis changes.

The original sentence sounds neutral and natural:

• Сегодня = sets the scene in time
• на стадионе = then gives the place
• идёт матч чемпионата = then gives the main event

So the sentence is arranged in a very normal information order.

Russian has no articles.

So матч can mean:

• a match
• the match

The exact meaning depends on context.

In this sentence, English would usually translate it as:

• Today a championship match is taking place at the stadium or
• Today the championship match is taking place at the stadium

Which one is best depends on the wider context. Russian leaves that unstated.

Usually сегодня means today, but in some contexts it can also mean nowadays or at present.

In this sentence, because it refers to a specific event at a stadium, the meaning is clearly the literal one:

• today

So here there is no broader or abstract meaning.

Because of идёт, the sentence normally means the match is currently happening.

Compare:

• Сегодня на стадионе идёт матч чемпионата = Today, a championship match is in progress at the stadium
• Сегодня на стадионе будет матч чемпионата = Today, there will be a championship match at the stadium

So идёт strongly suggests that the event is already underway, not just scheduled.