Vladimir Putin to attend World Cup final

Russian president Vladimir Putin will make an appearance at the World Cup final next month.

The Kremlin has confirmed that Putin will spend a couple of days in Brazil before attending the final match of the tournament in Rio de Janeiro.

After the final whistle, Putin will play a part in the closing ceremony, where Russia, who will stage the next World Cup in 2018, will be handed the host nation status.

The competition in four years' time will represent the first occasion that Russia has staged the finals.