MOSCOW, October 27 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold his first meeting with the World Cup 2018 organizing committee on Tuesday, the Kremlin's press service said Monday.
“The main topic of the meeting will be preparations for the World Cup 2018. This is the supervisory board’s first meeting with the Russian president. [Other] participants include the heads of the federal ministries, the leadership of the Russian Football Union, as well as individuals from the business community and the heads of the regions that will host the World Cup 2018,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
According to the statement, President Putin is set to visit Moscow's Luzhniki stadium, which is expected to host the World Cup 2018 opening ceremony, as well as one semi-final match and the final, slated for July 8, 2018.
In October, a FIFA inspection commission visited Russia to check the construction sites for the venues in the run-up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Christian Unger, who headed the delegation, praised Russia's commitment, saying inspectors were very impressed by the "level of organization."
The men's football tournament will be held in eleven Russian cities, including Moscow, St. Petersburg and Sochi. Thirty-two national teams are set to take part in the event.
