"The security standards and all the efforts you made so far are outstanding, and I hope it will be a very fantastic World Cup, safe and secure for everybody," Spahn said during the opening ceremony of the International Center for Police Cooperation in the town of Domodedovo just outside Moscow.

The center will operate during the FIFA World Cup in Russia, set to kick off on Thursday, and is tasked with overseeing cooperation with police forces of the countries participating in the tournament.