Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed a decree setting out how regions hosting the matches could tap the funds under the government’s World Cup expenditure programme.

The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics cost Russia an estimated $50bn including both staging costs and development and the World Cup will present an even bigger challenge as a major overhaul is needed for sports and  tourist and transport infrastructure in a number of under-developed regions in the country.

The program has identified 28 projects including modernising the water and heating systems in cities hosting matches.

It was previously estimated by officials that $20bn would be needed to prepare for the World Cup, with half expected to come from private investors and the other from regional government budgets.

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