MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that the number of the 2018 World Cup host cities will remain unchanged.

“We have recently discussed this question with the country’s government and decided not to cut the number of the 2018 World Cup host cities,” Putin said in televised comments from a pro-Kremlin youth camp.

Earlier this month Russia’s Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said that world football’s ruling body FIFA has recommended reducing the number of 2018 World Cup host cities.

Instead of the planned 12 stadiums in 11 cities, Mutko said that FIFA had suggested reducing it to 10 venues in nine cities after the experience of the World Cup in Brazil which wrapped up last month.

Mutko has previously estimated that $20 billion will be needed to prepare for the World Cup, with Russia having to build stadiums in six provincial cities from scratch and to renovate completely the pitch in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2014