Up to 5,000 Icelandic Fans May Attend World Cup Game With Argentina - Ambassador

MOSCOW(Sputnik) - Up to 5,000 fans from Iceland may attend the FIFA 2018 World Cup group stage match against Argentina, Iceland's Ambassador to Russia Sigridur Berglind Asgeirsdottir told Sputnik in an interview.

"In Moscow, our game will be held not in the largest stadium, but in the second largest. I do not know for sure, but maybe 5,000 Icelanders will be able to get to the game [Argentina vs Iceland on June 16 at the Spartak Stadium]. But I expect that more Icelanders will come to Russia to go to fan zones," Asgeirsdottir said.

A nation of less than 350,000 has applied for 57,000 World Cup tickets, the ambassador noted.

"Iceland's residents have applied for 57,000 tickets, of course, they will not be able to get all of this number, that's for sure, now people are finding out if they can get tickets. It's no secret that demand for tickets for matches in Moscow is huge," she said.

Iceland will also play against Nigeria in the city of Volgograd on June 22 and against Croatia in Rostov-on-Don on June 26. The ambassador noted that it might be a little easier to get a ticket to the games in these two cities.

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She also said that during the world championship the Russian airline S7 would carry out direct flights between Moscow and Reykjavik.

"Icelandic Airlines also announced that it will make direct flights (from Iceland) to Russian cities where the games of our national team will be being held," the diplomat added.

Asgeirsdottir stressed that the staff of the Embassy of Iceland in Moscow was already preparing for the tournament and was planning to organize several cultural events during the championship.

Speaking further, the ambassador noted that President of Iceland Gudni Johannesson alongside a number of ministers would possibly come to Russia for the World Cup 2018.

Asgeirsdottir noted that during the World Cup 2016 in France Iceland's president, the prime minister, and some other ministers visited the country to watch the games of the national team.

"I expect the same at the Word Cup here in Russia. So far there is no confirmation, but we expect our ministers and, even the president to come to Russia," the ambassador said.

The diplomat also noted that she had already given many interviews related to the tournament to Russian and Icelandic media, stressing that the interest in the event was very high in both countries.

Russia will host the FIFA World Cup for the first time in its history from June 14 to July 15. The tournament's matches will be played at 12 stadiums in 11 cities of Russia, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Sochi, Yekaterinburg, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Volgograd, and Samara.