FIFA head Sepp Blatter met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev here on Friday over Moscow's bid to host the 2018 or the 2022 World Cup.

"Football is the most popular type of sport," Medvedev said. "People love it everywhere. It's not surprising then that they love it in Russia."

"Even today, when it is minus 25 (degrees Celsius) outside, people are playing football," said the president as quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency.

Blatter has already discussed the World Cup bid with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin last October and voiced his support for Russia's move.

While on Friday, the top official of world soccer hailed the development of the sport in Russia while regretting Moscow's knockout from the 2010 South Africa World Cup.

The Russian bid, which was officially launched last October, has won the government's support, with a bidding commission chaired by First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov.

Russia has never hosted a major football tournament, although Moscow was the host city for the 1980 Olympic Games and the Black Sea resort of Sochi will stage the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Russia has seven competitors to host the 2018 World Cup, including England, Australia, Belgium and the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal, and the United States.

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