Football royalty will descend on the State Kremlin Palace Dec. 1 to assist in the much-anticipated 2018 World Cup draw.
Among the names are Argentina’s all-time great Diego Maradona and Italian World Cup champion Fabio Cannavaro, FIFA announced on Tuesday.
Together the eight draw assistants represent seven World Cup winning nations.
Other stars include Laurent Blanc who won the World Cup with France in 1998, Brazilian two-time World Cup winner Cafu, Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan, Carles Puyol who won the 2010 World Cup with Spain, and English goalkeeper Gordon Banks.
Russia will be represented at the draw by 91-year-old Nikita Simonyan, who played for the Soviet Union team at the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.
Retired English footballer Gary Lineker and Russian sports broadcaster Maria Komandnaya will be the main conductors of the draw.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
