FIFA approves 2018 World Cup regulations: Russian minister

Moscow, Oct 14: The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) has approved the final draft of the regulations required for Russia to host the 2018 World Cup, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has said.

Mutko attended a meeting of the FIFA Council at Zurich on Thursday, reports Tass.

"We discussed the World Cup in Russia, there was a brief report on the course of preparation on the part of FIFA -- I informed colleagues," Mutko, who is also president of the Russian Football Union (RFU), said.

"They only render support, believe we work clearly within the schedule and in line with requirements. The regulations on marketing and interaction with media for 2017 [FIFA] Confederations Cup were approved. The regulations of the final stage of the 2018 World Cup were approved," he said.

The 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup will be held between June 17 and July 2 at four stadiums in Russia -- Otkritie-Arena here, Zenit-Arena in St. Petersburg, Fisht in Sochi and the Kazan-Arena in Kazan.

The draw for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup will be held on November 26 in the city of Kazan.

Russian Sports Minister Mutko was appointed last year the head of a FIFA committee in charge of the organisation of the Confederations Cups in 2017 and 2021. 

The event is a global football tournament held a year before the much-anticipated quadrennial FIFA World Cup. Both the Confederations Cup and World Cup are held in the same country elected earlier at a FIFA Congress.