FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, collected their 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ FAN IDs in Sochi yesterday.

FAN IDs, which will be required along with match tickets at all Russia 2018 matches, will provide fans with Visa-free entry to Russia along with free use of public transport between and within the World Cup Host Cities.

Infantino and Putin picked up theirs ahead of participating in a meeting of the Supervisory Board of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee, and they joined in declaring Russia’s readiness to host the upcoming global showpiece. The pair also visited Sochi's Fisht Stadium, which will host four group-stage matches, a Round of 16 tie and a quarter-final.

“Russia is absolutely ready to host the world, to celebrate a summer of festivities here in this beautiful country,” said the FIFA President. "The feedback from all our experts at FIFA are extremely positive.”

Infantino did add that there remains “some work to be done”, and Putin acknowledged this, saying: “We know how important of course the last weeks are to finalise the little elements which are still missing. A lot has been completed, and now begins the most demanding stage – putting the finishing touches on all the infrastructure required to host an international tournament.”

Russia 2018 kicks off on 14 June. For more information on FAN IDs, please visit www.fan-id.ru.