Russia to waiver visas for 2018 World Cup Putin tells FIFA team

By David Owen

August 17 – Russia is ready to introduce a visa-free regime for fans attending World Cup football matches, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has told a FIFA inspection team, as the country wheeled out the big guns in support of its ambition to host the 2018 World Cup.

The FIFA delegation, led by Harold Mayne-Nicholls of Chile, also met Igor Shuvalov, Deputy Prime Minister, and Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzkhov in the course of a busy day in the Russian capital that concluded with dinner at the Kremlin and a stroll across Red Square.

Arriving from Saint Petersburg, the inspectors would have been grateful for an easing in the recent heatwave that has affected Moscow, as they were taken straight to Putin’s residence, Novo Ogarevo, on the outskirts of the city.

In a more than hour-long meeting, Putin noted that “World Cups have not been held in Eastern Europe at all” and asserted that the event would be “particularly important for this part of the world”.

He said Russia was “ready to give additional governmental guarantees regarding the visa-free regime for participants and guests of the World Cup and the travelling of the foresaid categories of people between the cities where World Cup matches will be held”.

A Russian World Cup could involve as many as 16 stadia in 13 cities.

Later, the delegation toured the Luzhniki Stadium, proposed venue for both the opening match and the final, should Russia’s bid be victorious in 2018 or 2022.

Plans call for the stadium to undergo a major refurbishment that would increase capacity from just over 78,000 to close to 90,000.

The inspectors were also made familiar with the proposed location of the International Broadcasting Centre at Expocentre Fairgrounds in central Moscow, as well as both the Final Draw venue at the Manezh Exhibition Hall and the proposed FIFA Congress venue at the Gostiny Dvor Congress Centre.

After dining in the Kremlin’s Patriarshie Chambers, they visited Red Square, which is earmarked as a Fan Fest location.

The inspection team now moves on to Kazan and Sochi before starting to prepare itself for its visit to England next week.

Besides England, Russia is competing with Spain/Portugal, Belgium/Netherlands and the United States for the right to stage the 2018 World Cup.

These five plus Australia, Japan, Qatar and South Korea are in the running for the 2022 tournament.

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