Putin and Infantino on hand to begin 2018 World Cup trophy tour

	Putin and Infantino on hand to begin 2018 World Cup trophy tour
	13/09/2017 11:06
	On September 10, Russian President Vladimir Putin and FIFA head Gianni Infantino have officially begun the 2018 World Cup trophy tour at a ceremony held at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
The event at the renovated venue in the Russian capital, due to host the opening match and the final, marked the start of the 123-day tour, which will see the trophy travel 16,250 miles. Infantino praised Russia's readiness for next year's tournament as he took the stage next to Putin. "To the people of Russia, I tell them: enjoy and celebrate the trophy tour and then the World Cup," the FIFA President said. "And to the people of the world, I tell them: come to Russia, enjoy Russia and celebrate the World Cup. "We are starting now the tour...to prepare the whole world for next year’s event when in this stadium three billion people around the world will watch this trophy being handed over to the next world champion." Putin was quoted by Russian state television as saying that the nation were on track with their progress despite concerns over progress at some of the venues which are due to host matches at the tournament. "Everything is proceeding according to plan, everything is financed properly," Putin said to Infantino. The 2018 World Cup trophy tour - the longest in history - will visit 50 cities on six continents across the world. The first phase of the tour from September to December will see the trophy travel to 15 cities in Russia - Krasnoyarsk, Omsk, Chelyabinsk, Ufa, Perm, Saransk, Yaroslavl, Kaliningrad, Tula, Kursk, Voronezh, Saratov, Volgograd, Krasnodar and Sochi. It will then head to previous host nations, such as Germany, South Africa and Japan, before it embarks on the rest of its worldwide journey. The trophy is due to return to Russia in May, where it will visit nine more cities. The tour is set to conclude in Moscow on June 7, a week before the first match of the tournament on June 14. "It is symbolic that the tour, which precedes the grand celebration of football in 2018, starts here in the Luzhniki Stadium," added Putin. "This arena is associated with the names of remarkable athletes, outstanding achievements and the atmosphere of passion and bright moments. “It deserves to be the main venue for the World Cup. "And such beautiful, comfortable and technically equipped arenas will await players and fans in every Russian host city. "We are preparing for the major football tournament with all the responsibility." (Insidethegames.biz)