"Mirziyoyev arrived in Moscow at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the opening ceremony of the 2018 FIFA World Cup," the press service said.

According to the statement, the president was greeted at the international airport Vnukovo-2 by the official mascot of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

"Mirziyoyev signed on the official ball of the World Cup. The head of our state together with his son Miralisher and grandson Miromon took photos with Zabivaka the Wolf," the press service added.

Earlier in the day, a number of foreign leaders arrived in Moscow to attend the opening ceremony, including the presidents of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Armenia and others.

From June 14 to July 15, Russia hosts the FIFA World Cup for the first time in history, with the matches set to be held in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Sochi, Yekaterinburg, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Volgograd, and Samara.