Russia is resisting demands from Fifa to reduce the number of stadiums for the 2018 World Cup from 12 to 10.
Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president, who said last month that two of the 12 planned stadiums could be cut, was in Sochi over the weekend to discuss the issue with Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko.
“The conception, under which 12 stadiums in 11 cities will host World Cup matches, is not being changed,” Mutko said, according to the ITAR-Tass agency. “Fifa recommends 10 stadiums in nine cities, including two arenas in Moscow.”
Mutko said a final decision will be taken at a Fifa executive committee meeting in October.
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Mutko, who is a member of the executive committee, said deciding any later would cause problems because construction is scheduled to start soon at several arenas.
A Fifa delegation is to start inspecting the 2018 arenas today, beginning with the planned 45,000-seat stadium in the central Russian city of Saransk, Mutko said.
The World Cup finals in Brazil this year used 12 stadiums in 12 cities, and there has been speculation that a possible cut in venues for Russia could be aimed at avoiding the construction delays that plagued some Brazilian venues.
Neither Fifa nor Russia has said which stadiums are in danger of being cut, although Mutko has previously said that stadiums in the western city of Kaliningrad and southern city of Volgograd are proving the most difficult to construct.
On Sunday, the new Kazan Arena in central Russia became the first completed 2018 arena to host a game as Rubin Kazan drew 1-1 with Lokomotiv Moscow.
Russia’s original bid numbered 16 venues in 13 cities before being cut to a final list of 12 stadiums.
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