Moscow - World football supremo Joseph Blatter met with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday, with news reports quoting him as saying that he has a lot of sympathy for Russia's 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid. Russia unveiled the bid last week, pledging full government support and to invest heavily into the relevant regions.
Other bidders include England as well as joint bids including Spain and Portugal. The ruling body FIFA will elect the hosts in December 2010.
Blatter was quoted as saying he is feeling "a whole-hearted affinity" for the bid and Putin stressed that a World Cup would "give a boost to the development of football in the post-Soviet space and in Eastern Europe."
The World Cup has never taken place in eastern Europe, which is more and more getting onto the world sport map.
The 2008 Champions League final was held in Moscow, Poland and Ukraine host Euro 2012, Moscow the 2013 world athletics championships and Sochi the 2014 Winter Olympics.
