FIFA: 2018 World Cup to leave positive legacy in Russia

The 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia will leave a positive legacy in the country, FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura said in the sustainability report published on the FIFA website.

“We are convinced that the initiatives we undertook in Russia were another significant step in the right direction for our organisation and for the world of sports and will leave a positive legacy in the country," she stressed.

The FIFA Secretary General deemed the 2018 World Cup to be a remarkable success. "At the same time, we are aware that organising a mega-event in a sustainable manner is a big challenge and that there are always improvements to be made,” Samoura said.

Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup from June 14 to July 15, with matches held in eleven Russian cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and Samara.

The national football team of hosts Russia managed to make it to the quarterfinals stage of this world championship, where Croatia edged them out in a 4-3 penalty shootout win on July 7 at the Fisht Arena in Sochi. The World Cup ended with a final match at the Luzhniki Stadium, where France confidently defeated Croatia 4-2 to win the much-coveted World Cup Trophy.