Grabar-Kitarovic was greeted at the airport by the region's governor Veniamin Kondratyev, who wished luck to the Croatian team in the upcoming game and said he hoped that the president would enjoy her stay in Sochi.

A passenger who traveled on the same plane as the Croatian President told Sputnik that Grabar-Kitarovic  was wearing the national team's jersey during the flight and that there was nothing wrong with a president traveling alongside supporters.

Earlier on Saturday, the regional government told Sputnik that five charter flights from Croatia carrying an estimated 500 fans had already landed in Sochi ahead of the match, while a total of around 10,000 Croatian fans are expected to attend the quarter-final game.

Croatia, who beat Denmark 3-2 on penalties in the round of 16, will face Russia at Sochi's Fisht Stadium.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 14 and will continue until July 15, with the final set to be played at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.