MOSCOW, November 15. /TASS/. Russian Presidential Aide Igor Levitin will head the country’s delegation at the opening ceremony of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar this weekend, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Tuesday.
"Yes [I confirm]," Bogdanov told journalists in response to a question whether Levitin would lead the Russian delegation at the opening ceremony of the global football championship.
The press service of the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) announced on February 28 that the Russian national team and all professional clubs representing the country were barred from taking part in FIFA tournaments, including the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) unleashed a similar decision against Russian football. Both FIFA and UEFA attributed their verdicts to Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.
2022 FIFA World Cup
Qatar is set to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup between November 20 and December 18 at eight stadiums in five cities across the country, namely in Doha, Lusail, Al Wakrah, Al Khor and Al Rayyan.
Qatar won the right to host matches of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on December 2, 2010.
In March 2015, FIFA officially announced that the 22nd edition of FIFA’s flagship event would be played in November and December of 2022, with the final match set for December 18, 2022, coinciding with - Qatar National Day. The objective, in principle, was to hold the tournament over 28 days.