Friday 20 October 2017 16:15, UK
Disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has been invited to next year's World Cup by Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Blatter led football's governing body for 17 years until a corruption scandal forced him out of the sport.
FIFA's ethics committee gave Blatter a six-year suspension from all football-related activities in 2015, but he has every intention of attending next year's tournament as a spectator.
"I will go to the World Cup in Russia. I received an invitation from President Putin," Blatter told the AFP news agency.
"I don't know how long I will go for, whether I will be there for the opening match or the final.
"Because I can't work in football and I don't have an assignment to do, maybe I will only make a short visit."
Dmitri Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, said: "You know that Putin and Blatter have for a long time been, you could say, friends."
Blatter was found guilty of accepting an improper payment of 2m Swiss francs (£1.6m) from then-UEFA chief Michel Platini, who was banned for four years.
It was not initially clear whether Blatter's ban would prevent him from attending matches or events, but Platini was allowed to attend matches at Euro 2016 in an unofficial capacity.
And a FIFA spokesperson told Sky Sports News: "As long as he (Blatter) has no official function, this should be fine."
Swiss prosecutors are targeting Blatter in an investigation over alleged criminal mismanagement at FIFA.
The 2018 World Cup itself is the subject of ongoing Swiss probes into possible bribery and corruption that may have led to Russia winning hosting rights for the tournament.
However, Blatter is confident that the tournament will be a success next summer.
"I'm sure that the World Cup 2018 will be a great World Cup. Russia has to show that it can welcome the whole world. It's a big challenge," he said.
The World Cup begins at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on June 14, 2018.
