Russian President Vladimir Putin will fly to Brazil next month to take part in a handover ceremony at the end of the World Cup finals, with Russia all set to host the next championship.
Putin will attend an event following the July 12 final in Rio de Janeiro where his Brazilian counterpart Dilma Rousseff will pass on responsibility for the tournament to the Russian leader.
A Kremlin spokesman declined immediate comment.
Russia will hold the football extravanganza in 2018 and has pledged to pump some $20 billion into building stadiums and infrastructure around the country for the tournament.
