Hosts Russia were eliminated from the tournament, as Croatia beat them 4-3 on penalties in Sochi on Sunday (AEST) to advance to the World Cup semi-finals. The match finished 2-2 after extra time. This is the best result Russia have achieved at the tournament since the break-up of the Soviet Union.

“I am very disappointed in the result, but on the other hand very proud of the guys, they fought till the end. It was a real knockout stage match against, to be honest, not the weakest team in the world. We looked decent. And the penalty shootout is a matter of luck, fate – whatever you want to call it. I want to sincerely thank the guys and congratulate all of us with such a great team,” Mutko said.

He also thanked all the Russia fans for their support at the tournament and added that now “everyone can see that Russia has a national team.”

Croatia will next face England at Moscow’s Luzhinki Stadium on Wednesday in the semi-finals.

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