World football governing body FIFA have announced an array of stars who will participate in the Final Draw for the 2018 World Cup in Moscow on 1 December.
Big-name ex-footballers Laurent Blanc, Gordon Banks, Cafu, Fabio Cannavaro, Diego Forlan, Diego Maradona and Carles Puyol will be assisting draw conductor Gary Lineker, who will also be supported by Maria Komandnaya, at Moscow’s State Kremlin Palace, FIFA announced on their website on Tuesday.
According to FIFA, the draw assistants, together with trophy bearer Miroslav Klose, will represent the eight FIFA World Cup-winning nations. The eighth draw assistant is Russian football legend Nikita Simonyan.
“The Final Draw is an exciting moment for all of us football fans for obvious reasons. But it is also a magical one because it allows us to look ahead to the big emotions that await us during the World Cup while also bringing the spotlight to those who have made history,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said.
“It is a great line-up and I am delighted to have FIFA Legends from all of the former World Cup winning countries represented in the Final Draw show.”
A combined 13 different finals of the World Cup will be represented with the presence of the eight draw assistants in Moscow. Of the group, 91-year-old Nikita Simonyan represented his country at Sweden 1958, while Forlan played for Uruguay at the most recent tournament, Brazil 2014.
“It has been almost 20 years since my unforgettable World Cup experience, and taking part in the Final Draw is an incredible way of feeling closer to the excitement of that tournament again,” said France legend Blanc, who tasted success at the global finals on home soil in 1998.
Cafu, who played at four World Cups with Brazil, won twice and was also a draw assistant four years ago, said:. “The Final Draw is a magical moment when the whole planet joins in enthusiasm and expectation, so it makes me happy to be a part of that once again.
“I was fortunate enough to come to Russia several times over the course of this World Cup cycle and I am quite certain that the country will deliver yet another fantastic event in Moscow.”
