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Russian sport minister expects 2018 World Cup to strengthen Russia’s positive image

Twelve Russian cities will host the 2018 World Cup matches

MOSCOW, July 07. /ITAR-TASS/. The 2018 Soccer World Cup will strengthen Russia’s positive image as the world’s sport power forever, Russian Sport Minister Vitaly Mutko said in a live interview with the Russia 24 television channel on Monday.

“The global presentation of Russia’s World Cup will take place in Brazil on the day of the 2014 World Cup final,” Mutko went on to say.

“We can learn a lot of positive experience from Brazilians. Each Russian city which will host the 2018 World Cup has sent a delegation, proportionate to the size and scale, to the cities hosting the championship in Brazil. We even have a twin city in Brazil,” the Russian sport minister said, adding Russia had experience in holding major sport events like the Olympic Games in Sochi.

“Athletes from all over the world gladly go to Russia for various tournaments despite some recommendations of some western countries to refrain from travelling to Russia for political reason. I believe that the 2018 World Cup will forever strengthen Russia’s positive image as the world’s sport power,” Mutko said.

Twelve Russian cities will host the 2018 World Cup matches. They include Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Yekaterinburg, Samara, Sochi and Rostov-on-Don.

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