Putin to attend Brazil World Cup final

Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the World Cup final in Rio de Janeiro on July 13, the Kremlin confirmed on Friday.

Putin will be at the match because Russia will host the next World Cup in 2018, his foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

After the game, Putin will take part in the closing ceremony, during which Brazil symbolically hands over its host nation status to Russia.

The Russian president is expected to stay in Brazil for a couple of days.

The Kremlin earlier confirmed he would participate in the July 15 BRICS summit of emerging economies, which will be held in the north Brazilian coastal city of Fortaleza.