Russia will continue with its plans to host the 2018 World Cup in 13 cities, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Friday, adding that the final decision would be made by FIFA, world football's governing body.
"We will not exclude any cities," Putin said during a trip to Volgograd. "And we'll for sure keep Volgograd - how can we win without Stalingrad?"
The Battle of Stalingrad, as Volgograd was known during World War II, was one of the fiercest of the war and seen as a turning point in the Soviet army's victory over Nazi germany on the Eastern Front.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who arrived in Moscow on Thursday, said a dozen cities would be the optimal number to hold the tournament.
The cities in Russia's victorious bid were Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Kazan, Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod, Saransk, Samara, Volgograd, Yekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar and Sochi.
Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said that the final decision on the number of cities could be made two years before the tournament.
The FIFA chief's lightning visit, which lasted less than 24 hours, included a presentation on Russia's preparations to host the 2018 World Cup and talks with the country's football authorities.
Since Russia was announced the host of the 2018 tournament, work has restarted on new stadiums for Moscow clubs Dynamo and Spartak. The clubs' plans were put on hold by the global financial crisis in late 2008 that hit Russia's construction industry hard.
Mutko, the head of the Russian Football Union until November 2009, met with Blatter on Thursday and said he had praised Russia's preparations so far.
The minister, who heads the 2018 organizing committee, also declared Russia's support for Blatter's reelection as the head of the world football's governing body.
The FIFA presidential elections are scheduled for June 1 during the organization's congress in Zurich. The longtime FIFA chief is being challenged by Mohamed Bin Hammam, the head of the Asian Football Confederation.
VOLGOGRAD, May 6 (RIA Novosti)
