"We have kept an eye on all the [World Cup squad] players. We should stop looking back and discuss 'who could have been [included in the squad]' and so on. The squad is already defined, so let us support the players, let us give them a confidence boost so that they don't tremble when 80,000 fans start singing the [national] anthem," Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Russian Football Union executive committee member Vitaly Mutko told journalists.
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Russia will host its first-ever FIFA World Cup from June 14 and July 15, with the host nation set to face Saudi Arabia in the opening match of the tournament at the 81,000-seat Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, before taking on Egypt and Uruguay in their other two Group A games.