Disgraced former FIFA boss Sepp Blatter defied a ban to attend World Cup matches and arrived in Russia on Tuesday at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin. "I'm not here to comment the game. I'm here to enjoy the World Cup," Blatter told reporters before stepping inside a luxurious Moscow hotel. The 82-year-old is being investigated by Swiss prosecutors for alleged corruption during his 17-year reign as head of world football's governing body.

The Swiss national was suspended for six years by FIFA in 2016 from football-related activities over a 1.8-million-euro ($2 million) payment to former UEFA chief Michel Platini. Former FIFA spokesman Thomas Renggli told AFP that Blatter would meet Putin on Wednesday. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday he did not know whether any meeting had been planned.