Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines:A New Frontier for Football: Russia, One Year After Zurich

The largest country on the planet is gearing up for the FIFA World Cup.

On 2 December 2010, the FIFA Executive Committee made an historic decision, naming Russia host of the 2018

FIFA World CupTM. Russia’s inspirational bid won the absolute majority it needed to secure world sport’s

greatest prize.
A star-studded Russian delegation attended the ceremony in snow-clad Zurich; illustrious names like: Igor

Shuvalov, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation; Vitaly Mutko, Russia’s Sports Minister;

Alexey Sorokin, Russia 2018 Bid CEO; Andrey Arshavin, captain of the Russian national team; Anna Netrebko,

world-famous opera singer; Valery Gergiev, celebrated conductor and artistic director of the Mariinsky

theatre; and Elena Isinbayeva, two-time Olympic champion and track-and-field legend. They came together from

different fields and different backgrounds, united by a single vision: to bring the FIFA World Cup to

Russia.

“I remember being incredibly nervous when the FIFA President, Joseph Blatter, was taking that piece of paper

out of the envelope. When you sing on the world’s greatest stages, you know that the outcome is in your

hands. But on that day in Zurich, we could only stand and watch,” says Netrebko. “We just held hands and

waited. I will remember the moment I saw the word ‘Russia’ in President Blatter’s hands for the rest of my

life. I know we will give the world an unforgettable tournament because Russia is an unforgettable country,

unique in the diversity of its people, its cultures and its opportunities.”

Andrey Arshavin shares his thoughts on that landmark moment in Russian sports history: “When I found out

that Russia was going to host the 2018 World Cup, my first reaction was disbelief. But the very next moment,

I just felt so proud: proud for my country, for myself and for Russian football. Hosting the World Cup will

be a huge boost for the game here. I have my own World Cup dream: to watch the games in my home city of

Saint Petersburg, and to see the final in Moscow.”

In choosing Russia to host the 2018 FIFA World CupTM, FIFA voted for the future of football. Holding the

tournament in the world’s largest country will reinvigorate the game across Russia, and push back the

boundaries of the global football community.

Valery Gergiev believes the FIFA World CupTM can inspire generations of sporting and social development in

Russia:

“I have been to some of the world’s top stadiums in cities like London, Madrid and Barcelona. Watching

football in an environment like that is as good as it gets, so I’m thrilled that soon we will have world-

class stadiums of our own here in Russia.

“The FIFA World Cup brings new possibilities to our country and we will feel the benefits for decades to

come. For me, the main thing is that Russian kids will have the chance to see their idols in action with

their own eyes, and their dreams of competing against them for Russia will feel that little bit closer.”

The nation is already buzzing with excitement. A survey conducted by Sport+Markt on behalf of FIFA found

that half of all Russians call themselves football fans. Over 60% are proud that Russia won the right to

host the FIFA World CupTM, and are confident that it will be a huge success. As 2018 ticks closer, that

passion will only intensify; and with such a sense of anticipation seven years out, visitors can expect a

vibrant atmosphere come kick-off.

The enthusiasm for the FIFA World CupTM in Russia has filtered down from the stands and onto the pitch –

even international football icons are excited by the prospect. Among them are Roberto Carlos and Samuel

Eto’o, both world-class stars now pursuing a career in the Russian Premier League with Anzhi Makhachkala.
» Brightbridge Wealth Management Headlines:A New Frontier for Football: Russia, One Year After Zurich