Former England striker Gary Lineker - who won the Adidas Golden Boot at Mexico 1986 - will conduct the Final Draw in Moscow’s State Kremlin Palace on 1 December, supported by Russian sports journalist Maria Komandnaya, FIFA announced on Friday.
They will be joined by eight draw assistants, one of whom is Russian football legend Nikita Simonyan. The remaining seven and the presenters of the show will be revealed in the coming days.
"We at FIFA are really pleased that Gary has accepted our invitation and that he will be with us for such an important occasion for the world of football. Following a football career as a legendary goalscorer, which was marked with a burning passion for the game, Gary continued in the same light as a football expert.
“His honest and open views together with his in-depth knowledge of the game greatly enrich the world of football journalism.
“It is, therefore, an honour that Gary will conduct the Final Draw for the World Cup in Russia," said FIFA Deputy Secretary General Zvonimir Boban.
Gary Lineker presents the BBC’s Match of the Day Premier League highlights programme as well as BT Sport’s UEFA Champions League coverage, the BBC’s UEFA EURO and World Cup coverage and was formerly the anchor of NBC and ESPN’s Premier League programming.
His assistant for the draw, Komandnaya, is one of the most well-known sports journalists in Russia, with over a decade of experience across a range of media outlets on radio and television, including FOX Sports, Match TV and Moscow FM.
