Good emotions after FIFA’s recent 2018 World Cup evaluation visit to Russia - minister

MOSCOW, September 12. /TASS/. A delegation from the world’s governing body of football FIFA left with positive emotions after its fourth evaluation visit to Russia assessing preparation works of the country for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko told TASS on Monday. FIFA’s evaluation delegation was on its fourth visit to Russia between September 7 and 15. During the visit, which began in Moscow last Wednesday, the delegation jointly with the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) Russia-2018, stopped in five Russian cities selected to host the matches of the 2018 World Cup (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Saransk and Kaliningrad). "The visit was held in line with the schedule," Mutko, who is also the president of the Russian Football Union (RFU), said in an interview with TASS. "The visit’s agenda included tours of cities and discussions of various programs." "The delegation left with good impressions," the sports minister said. "There are no acute issues at the moment - issues, which cannot be resolved - and we will continue doing our determined work." "Everything is under control," Mutko said commenting on Russia’s preparations for the 2018 World Cup. "If there are any drawbacks in the schedule, they are of minor importance." Russia is currently in full-swing preparations for the global football championship after the country won the bid to host the 2018 World Cup at the FIFA Congress in Guatemala on December 4, 2010. The victory came following a tight race against a challenging bid from England, a joint bid from Portugal and Spain and another 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 2018 World Cup matches will be held between June 14 and July 15 at 12 stadiums located in the 11 above-mentioned cities throughout Russia. Two of the stadiums are located in the Russian capital. Read more