Putin, FIFA president meet to discuss World Cup

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Monday to discuss World Cup preparations.

Putin had been scheduled to host Infantino at his residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi but he stayed in the capital following Sunday’s plane crash near Moscow which killed all 71 people on board.

Russian news agencies said Infantino offered his condolences to Putin over the plane crash.

On a trip to Vietnam last week, Infantino praised preparations for the World Cup that will start in June. He said that “we’ll experience the best World Cup ever this summer in Russia.”