Russia to keep visa-free entry for football fans until end of 2018: Putin

Russia will provide visa-free entrance to the country for football fans with fan IDs until the end of 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

“I think that we will provide visa-free entrance to Russia for foreign fans, who currently have fan IDs, until the end of 2018. This will be a multiple entry visa-free regime,” Putin told reporters.

According to Russian news agency Sputnik, the Russian leader expressed hope that fans will take advantage of this opportunity and “come to Russia more than once with friends and members of their families.”

Putin has taken part in the closing ceremony of the championship and the ceremony of awarding the winner.

France beat Croatia 4-2 at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium to lift their second World Cup trophy.