Tatarstan President: Kazan is ready to host the football World Cup 2018 matches if Russia is selected as the hosting country of the tournament.

Kazan is ready to host the football World Cup 2018 if Russia is selected as the hosting country of the tournament. Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov stated during the inspection visit of the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) commission to the republican capital.

The commission is headed by Chilean Football Federation President Harold Mayne-Nicholls. They have already inspected St. Petersburg and Moscow and arrived in Kazan today. The guests examined the construction site of the football stadium for the Universiade-2013 and visited “Olymp” sports complex where a new football field was opened. A presentation of Kazan as a candidate-city bidding to host the world championship matches took place at the Kazan City Hall.

Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov said in his welcoming speech that Kazan became one of Russia’s recognized sports centers. “Many large international competitions and tournaments are held here; new sports centers are being built. The decision to honour Kazan the right to host the Universiade-2013 proved Tatarstan’s success,” Rustam Minnikhanov said.

After the closed-door presentation, Rustam Minnikhanov and Russian Minister of Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy Vitaly Mutko met with journalists.

“No doubt that Kazan is ready for the football world championship,” the Tatarstan President is convinced. “We still face the task of the transportation infrastructure development – the conception is under consideration for the Russian Government approval. There are plans on construction of new hotels, reconstruction of important cultural monuments. All these issues can be tackled. I believe Kazan will be prepared to host the football World Cup as early as in 2013. We hope the tournament will take place in our country.”

Russian Minister of Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy Vitaly Mutko stated that the federal center is ready to support realization of some infrastructural projects in Kazan to achieve meeting the FIFA requirements.