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Captain of the Russian national hockey team Alexander Ovechkin has become an ambassador for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, FIFA said.

“It's a huge honour for me to become a World Cup Ambassador. I'm really happy that the biggest football tournament in the world is taking place in our country for the first time,” Ovechkin said.

He added that football was his passion during high school. He regularly plays in charity matches.

Goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev and legendary pole vaulter Yelena Isinbaeva are the other ambassadors for FIFA 2018. The tournament will take place in 11 Russian cities in the summer 2018.