“Kurumoch International Airport has welcomed its first wide-body aircraft… The flight from Moscow delivered almost 400 Colombia football fans,” the press service said.

A total of 20,000 Colombian fans were expected to travel to Samara to watch their side play against Senegal in a key Group H match, while about 250 Senegalese supporters were also expected to attend the game.

Colombia have three points and currently sit third in Group H behind Senegal and Japan, who both have four points. They can still reach the round of 16, but need at least a draw against Senegal to have any chances of progressing.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicked off on 14 June and will continue until 15 July, with the matches being played in 11 cities across Russia, including Samara, which will also host one round of 16 match and a quarter-final.