Friday 01 December 2017, 09:16

REPLAY: Infantino, Mutko take questions in Moscow

FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Chairman of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ LOC Vitaly Mutko discussed hot topics and answered questions from media at the Kremlin State Palace ahead of the Final Draw in Moscow on 1 December.

They went into depth about the draw, Russia’s readiness for hosting the event, what visitors can expect at the finals in the summer and more topics in the news.

Some of what they said Infantino on tonight’s Draw "I will watch the draw as a football fan but also as FIFA President. It's an emotional moment for me. There are more than 200 countries watching this event. Everyone is starting to talk about the World Cup, who will play whom, who will be the surprise teams? This discussion will guide us from now until next year."

Mutko on tonight’s Draw “The coaches will have a lot of food for thought. We will start forecasting as fans. This is a very important football event. It is a very emotional step on the path to Russia 2018. It is not by chance that we chose the Kremlin Palace. This is the historic centre of Russia. The very heart of Russia. This is IN the Kremlin. The sacred places of Russia are here, and it shows that we are ready to work with our teams, our fans, our guests, and we are ready to provide atmosphere, hospitality, infrastructure.”

Infantino on the hosts “From what I’ve seen I am convinced that Russia 2018 will be the best World Cup ever. Everything is ready, and what is not ready will be ready very soon. Everyone who will come to Russia will discover a welcoming and warm country, a country that wants to celebrate football with the whole world.”

Watch the live stream above for more, and follow all of the day's action with FIFA's updating LIVE BLOG.