Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said on Thursday that the visit of a FIFA delegation to Russia to consider the country's bid to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022 was "formal," yet friendly.
The delegation arrived in Russia for a three-day visit on Monday.
"It was a formal visit but it had a very friendly atmosphere," Mutko said. "The team (FIFA delegation) is made up of professionals so even such a short visit was enough for them."
"Now we want to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cups in Russia more than ever," he added.
Russia's rivals in the bid are England, Australia, the United States, Spain and Portugal, and Belgium and the Netherlands. Japan, South Korea and Qatar are bidding for the 2022 World Cup only.
Under a FIFA rotation policy, the 2018 event will most likely be held in Europe, with Russia appearing as a serious contender as the Kremlin has pledged billions of dollars.
FIFA will appoint hosts for both World Cup dates on December 2.
MOSCOW, August 19 (RIA Novosti)
