Russia launches bid to host FIFA World Cup

MOSCOW, October 9 (RIA Novosti) - Russia officially launched on Friday its bid to host either the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup.

"We are a society of sport fans, where no single sport is more universally revered and passionately pursued than football," an English language statement on the organizing committee's website said.

"We are a people universally dedicated to our bid -- from our government, to our economy, to our people," it went on.

Russia has never hosted a major football tournament, although Moscow was the host city for the 1980 Olympic Games and the 2014 Winter Olympics will take place in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

"Russia is the largest country on earth, spanning 11 time zones and with an area covering 17,098,242 sq km," Bid Committee head Alexei Sorokin said.

"For a country of this size, we have a rather compact yet diverse plan with all cities being within 2,000 km of Moscow and modern transport links between each of them."

Football in Russia has experienced a boom in recent years, with the national side rising from the mid-30s to the top 10 of the world ratings under the guidance of experienced Dutch coach Guus Hiddink.

"This project is important not only for football, but for the whole country," Russia's football chief Vitaly Mutko said.

"Holding the World Cup will exert a positive influence on the youth of the country and leave a sporting and economic legacy."

While Russia is officially bidding for either the 2018 or 2022 tournament, FIFA's continent rotation policy means that Europe is likely to host the tournament four years after Brazil in 2014.

In just one of many signs of state support for the bid, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was quoted as saying that, "I believe Russia fully deserves to host the 2018 World Cup."

Russia's main rival is likely to be England, which has not hosted a World Cup since 1966. The host countries for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will be announced by FIFA in December 2010.