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2018 FIFA WORLD CUP IN RUSSIA

FIFA decides final draw for World Cup in Russia to be held in Kremlin

Russia is currently in full-swing preparations for the global football tournaments

© Sergei Savostyanov/TASS

GORKY, January 23. /TASS/. FIFA has granted its consent for Russia to hold the Final Draw of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the Kremlin, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko said.

"The final draw for the [2018] World Cup has been scheduled for December 1, and we have offered the Kremlin as the venue for this event," Mutko said during a session with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Mefvedev.

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FIFA chief: Russia is ‘on track’ organizing 2017, 2018 tournaments

"This proposal suited the FIFA and we are already in preparations for the Draw," Mutko, who is also the president of the Russian Football Union (RFU), added.

Russia is currently in full-swing preparations for the global football tournaments after the country won the bid to host the 2018 World Cup at the FIFA Executive Committee session in Zurich in December, 2010. The victory came following a tight race against the bid from England, the joint bid from Portugal and Spain and the joint bid on behalf of Belgium and the Netherlands.

The country selected 11 host cities to be the venues for the matches of the 2018 World Cup and they are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and Samara.

The matches of the 2018 World Cup will be held between June 14 and July 15 at 12 stadiums located in the 11 mentioned above cities across Russia. Two of the stadiums are located in the Russian capital.

Russi'a readiness for the World Confederations Cup

A FIFA commission will pay a visit to Russia between February 27 and March 2 to evaluate the readiness of four Russian cities, selected to host matches of the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, a spokesman for the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) told TASS.

"The visit will begin on February 27 in St. Petersburg," the spokesman said. "The commission will then inspect the remaining three cities, with one city at a day."

Last month FIFA announced that host cities of the upcoming FIFA Confederations Cup were getting ready for this year’s football competition, which is often dubbed as the ‘Tournament of Champions,’ with a unique campaign being rolled out in the Russian cities of Kazan, Moscow, St. Petersburg and Sochi.

Read also

FIFA: Over 82,400 ticket requests applied globally for 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia

The 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup will be held between June 17 and July 2 at four stadiums in Russia and they are Otkritie-Arena in Moscow, St. Petersburg Arena, Fisht in Sochi and Kazan-Arena in Kazan.

Seven nations have already qualified for the 2017 Confederations Cup and they are hosts Russia, 2014 FIFA World Cup Champions Germany, 2015 Copa America Champions Chile, 2015 AFC Asian Cup Champion Australia, 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup winners Mexico, 2016 UEFA Euro Cup winners Portugal and OFC (Oceania Football Confederation) Nations Cup winners New Zealand. The remaining eighth nation will be determined following the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Draw for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup was held on November 26 in the Russian city of Kazan. Following the draw hosts Russia was placed in Group A alongside with Portugal, Mexico and New Zealand. Group B has brought together Germany, Chile, Australia and the winner of the Africa Cup of Nations.

The opening game will be held in St. Petersburg on June 17 between Russia and New Zealand. Russia will face Portugal in Moscow on June 21 and on June 24 it will play Mexico in Kazan.

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2018 World Cup in Russia FIFA

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Orban clarifies Hungary's independent role in Russia-Ukraine peace efforts

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Maxim Likhachev described it as a "long-awaited document"

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Russia faces unprecedented air defense challenges during special op — general

The use of factory-made and improvised unmanned aerial vehicles, which are made with special composite materials to reduce their visibility and are capable of flying at extremely low altitudes, has become unprecedented, Andrey Semyonov said

One third of all downed Ukrainian manned aircraft was destroyed by MANPADS — general

Andrey Semyonov added that crews of radar stations and anti-aircraft missile systems have been constantly adapting to new threats, improving the existing ways of countering air-borne enemy capabilities and developing new ones

Major powers to arrange talks between Russia, Ukraine — Hungarian PM

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Democratic donors see Biden’s presidential candidacy as 'doomed' — newspaper

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Reasonable people in West to consider Putin’s plan in the future — Kremlin spokesman

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Orban calls for peace on his visit to Moscow

Earlier, the Hungarian prime minister proposed to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky ceasefire terms, but the latter rejected them

Putin to discuss Ukraine issue with Hungarian PM later today — Kremlin spokesman

The meeting will also involve Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Presidential Foreign Policy Aide Yury Ushakov and Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky

Russia uncertain if Ukraine would reciprocate with ceasefire — Putin

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