Moscow – Three Russian cities would host the semi finals of the soccer World Cup 2018, Secretary General of the FIFA Jerome Valcke said in Moscow on Tuesday.

Speaking after the first meeting of the steering council of the committee “FIFA-Russia-2018’’, Valcke said that the semi final games would be played in the stadiums with the capacity over 60,000 seats.

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said following the meeting that there were three stadiums in the country which matched the FIFA’s requirements: in Moscow, Yekaterinburg and St. Petersburg.

Of those three venues only Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium was fully ready, while the two others were being constructed, Interfax News Agency reported.

Mutko added that the seat price for the World Cup games would be about 4000-5000 Euros (between 5200 and 6500 U.S. dollars).

The minister also said that in 2012 the Russian State Duma, or the lower house of the parliament, would discuss a special law about the World Cup 2018.

The bid to host the World Cup has been contested by 13 Russian cities. The FIFA’s final decision on final venue of the World Cup 2018 is to be announced in October 2012.   (Xinhua/NAN)