Russia reached the round of 16 after recording victories against Egypt and Saudi Arabia in their first two matches. Uruguay, drawn in Group A alongside Russia, also secured their passage to the knockout stages.

“Russia deserve credit for the way they are playing and they have been better than their opponents so far. They have been solid in defense and have looked threatening going forward. I like that. Our team is improving with every game,” Bushmanov said.

Russia will play Uruguay on Monday in their final group game.