During the visit, Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin stated that Russia would waive visa requirements for players and guests if it is awarded the event over rival bids from England, the United States, Spain/Portugal and Belgium/Netherlands.
"If we get the honour (of staging the 2018 finals) we can offer additional government guarantees regarding visa-free entry for participants and guests," Putin told the FIFA delegation. Putin, who played a key role in bringing the 2014 Winter Olympics to Sochi, has already signed off on a range of guarantees relating to issues such as security, tax and customs breaks.
He also assured the visiting FIFA officials that Russia would have all the relevant infrastructure ready in time: "We will have everything ready on time, using both state and private capital. We would stage (the tournament) at the highest possible level, I have no doubt about it."
FIFA will announce both the 2018 and 2022 hosts in December of this year.
