Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov hinted during his participation in the Eastern Economic Forum at the possibility of Russian President Vladimir Putin attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, and will be jointly hosted by 16 cities across three North American countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Peskov told RIA Novosti agency regarding Putin’s potential attendance at the global tournament in the United States: “Why not? If the American president (Donald Trump) extends an invitation, the visit could happen.”

Earlier, Trump stated that he might invite Putin to attend the World Cup, scheduled to be held in the US, Canada, and Mexico, adding that the decision would depend on “how the situation unfolds at the time.”

These statements come after Putin became the first Russian leader to visit the state of Alaska, where he met Trump on August 15 last year, in a meeting that attracted wide international attention.