"This is a tough question [who will win the World Cup]. There are many contenders. There are Latin American teams – Argentina and Brazil. At previous World Cups, the German team has performed brilliantly, and the Spanish team has played a beautiful brand of football too. There will certainly be other contenders, but only the best will win," Putin said in an interview with China Media Group.

Hosts Russia will take on Saudi Arabia in the opening match of the World Cup on June 14 before facing their other two opponents in Group A, Egypt and Uruguay.

Russia’s first-ever FIFA World Cup will take place from June 14 to July 15 in 11 cities across the country, Moscow, Kaliningrad, St. Petersburg, Volgograd, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Saransk, Rostov-on-Don, Sochi and Yekaterinburg.