Title:Putin thanks ‘entire global football family’ for help in organizing 2018 FIFA World Cup

MOSCOW, June 13. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked FIFA and the international football community for assistance in arranging the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京感谢国际足联和国际足球界协助在俄罗斯安排2018年国际足联世界杯。

Speaking at the FIFA Congress in Moscow on Wednesday ahead of the World Cup opening, the Russian leader noted that preparations for such an illustrious sports event were a matter of interest not only for the host country but also for "specialists and enthusiasts from the entire global football family."

星期三在世界杯开幕前在莫斯科国际足联大会上发言，俄罗斯领导人指出，筹备这样一次杰出体育赛事不仅是东道国关心的问题，也是"来自全球足球大家庭的专家和热心者"的关切事项。

"It is good that this family has a remarkable tradition - to gather ahead of the World Cup in the city of the opening match and this gives us as the organizing country the possibility to thank you and all your colleagues for the support and assistance both in words and deeds over the past seven years that Russia has been preparing for one of the most popular and landmark events in world sports," Putin said.

"幸好，这个家庭有着杰出的传统 -- -- 在开幕赛城市举行世界杯之前齐聚一堂，这使我们组织国有机会感谢你和你的所有同事在过去七年里为俄罗斯在世界体育领域最受欢迎、最里程碑式的赛事所准备的言行上的支持和帮助，”普京说。

Further addressing the congress's participants, the Russian president stressed, "we have travelled together with you as one big team" down the entire road of preparing for the World Cup.

俄罗斯总统在进一步向大会与会者发表讲话时强调，我们在筹备世界杯的整条道路上，与你们一起旅行。

"We have given all our strength to ensure that this major football tournament takes place at the highest level and marks an unforgettable chapter in the life of everyone who becomes its participant - be it a devoted fan at the stadium or a TV viewer," Putin added.

"我们尽全力确保这次重要的足球锦标赛在最高一级举行，并且标志着每一个成为其参与者的人都能忘却的一章，不论是在体育场或电视观众的忠实粉丝，”普京补充道。

The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicks off on Thursday with the opening match in the Russian capital of Moscow between hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia.

2018年国际足联世界杯开赛后，俄罗斯和沙特阿拉伯在俄罗斯首都莫斯科举行开幕式。

Russia selected 11 host cities to be the venues for the matches of the 2018 World Cup and they are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and Samara.

俄罗斯选定11个主办城市为2018年世界杯足球赛，它们是莫斯科、圣彼得堡、索契、卡赞、萨兰斯克、加里宁格勒、伏尔加格勒、罗斯托夫-顿、尼日尼·诺夫哥罗德、叶卡捷琳堡和萨马拉。

The matches of the 2018 World Cup will be held between June 14 and July 15 at 12 stadiums located in the 11 mentioned above cities across Russia. Two of the stadiums are located in the Russian capital.

2018年世界杯足球赛将于6月14日至7月15日在俄罗斯上述11个城市的12个体育场馆举行，其中两个体育场馆位于俄罗斯首都。