"I can say that Samara will welcome fans from 145 countries... If we talk about the total number, we expect more than 100,000 foreign fans... The figure is indeed impressive, the whole world will come to Samara. It is a unique opportunity for the city to show the beauty that we now have," Maltsev said at a press conference.

He added that the majority of the fans, up to 20,000 people, are expected to come from Colombia.

"They [fans from Colombia] will come not only for the match between Colombia and Senegal, but also for the round of 16 fixture and the quarter-final... Brazil comes second in terms of the number of fans, about 9,000 tourists will come from this country. Australia is third," Maltsev said.

According to Maltsev, Samara will also welcome visitors from Mexico, USA, Germany, Costa Rica, England, Uruguay and China.

Russia's first-ever FIFA World Cup began on Thursday and will continue through July 15, with games set to be held at 12 stadiums across 11 cities. The 42,000-seater Samara Arena will host four group-stage matches, including the clash between hosts Russia and Uruguay on June 25, a round of 16 fixture and a quarter-final.