2018 FIFA World Cup countdown clock launched in Kazan

Kazan hosted the ceremony of launching the clock that will count down the time until the start of the 2018 FIFA World Cup RussiaTM. The clock was presented by Bud, one of the World Cup’s sponsors.

The solemn ceremony that took place on the Kremlevskaya embankment saw the presence of Vitaly Mutko, Chairman of the Russia 2018 Organising Committee and Vice-Premier of the government of the Russian Federation on issues of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy, Gianni Infantino, FIFA President, Fatma Samoura, FIFA Secretary General, Alexey Sorokin, General Director of the Russia 2018 Organising Committee, and Ilsur Metshin, Mayor of Kazan.

“We launched the clock in Moscow one thousand days before the tournament's start and now only 565 days are left. We are going to launch such clocks in every city hosting the World Cup," said Vitaly Mutko. “This is a symbol of the inevitable fact that Russia will host the FIFA World Cup. Our country treats the mission entrusted by FIFA very responsibly. I am sure that the World Cup will be conducted on a very high level."

“We are honoured and glad to take part in the biggest sports event in the world," said Ilsur Metshin. “This is both an honour and a responsibility. We will do our best to assure that the participants and guests feel welcome. We will do everything we can to conduct the event on the highest level."

The FIFA World Cup will be held from 14 June to 15 July, 2018 at 12 stadiums in 11 Russian cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Sochi, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg, Saransk, Volgograd and Rostov-on-Don.