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Russia to host 2018 World Cup draw at the Kremlin on Dec. 1

FIFA has confirmed the draw for the 2018 World Cup is set to take place in the Kremlin on Friday, Dec. 1.

The date was already known but the choice of venue underlines the significance of the World Cup to the Russian government.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Kremlin is a fortified complex in the heart of Moscow that contains several cathedrals and palaces, one of which is the official residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The draw itself will be staged in the State Kremlin Palace, a building intended to house meetings of the Soviet Union's Communist Party but now used as a concert hall.