FIFA body overseeing Russia’s 2018 World Cup preparations satisfied - sports minister

MOSCOW, March 18. /TASS/. Members of the Bureau 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, overseeing the organization of the global football tournament, were briefed in full on the country’s preparations for the upcoming tournament, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko told TASS on Wednesday. The Bureau 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, chaired by President of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and FIFA Vice President Michel Platini, held its first session on Wednesday in Zurich. "A detailed report was delivered at the session on the preparations for the Preliminary Draft, which is taking place on July 25 in St. Petersburg," Mutko said. "Following the report heads of all departments held the floor discussing the issues concerning the agenda of events, financing, legal aspects, public relations, marketing, television and security." "Ample information was provided regarding all issues and the organizing committee was satisfied with all reports," the Russian sports minister added. This summer’s Preliminary Draw, which is the first major kick-off event ahead of the global tournament itself, will be held on July 25 in Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg with a total of 208 nations having signed up for the participation in the event. It will be for the first time in the history of World Cups, when all national teams registered for the Preliminary Draw. Russia as the hosting nation automatically qualified for the championship and therefore is not taking part in the preliminary competition. The first major kick-off event of the 2018 World Cup will be held at the historic Konstantinovsky Palace, a stronghold of Russia’s rich culture located on the Gulf of Finland’s stunning shoreline. It used to serve in the 18th century as one of the residences of Russia’s imperial family. Russia won the bid to host the 2018 World Cup over four years ago in a tight race against the joint bid from England, Portugal and Spain and the joint bid on behalf of Belgium and the Netherlands. Russia 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. Read more