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28 March 2024

World Cup to host 21 leaders, from Putin to Merkel

Pic: Getty

Published
By AFP

A total of 21 world leaders, including Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel and Prince Albert of Monaco, have already confirmed they will travel to Brazil for the World Cup.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's office said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and 11 heads of state and government would attend the opening match between Brazil and Croatia on June 12 in Sao Paulo.

Among the guests will be the Emir of Qatar Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba and Bolivia's Evo Morales.

Russia's President Putin, whose country will host the next World Cup in 2018, has already announced that he will attend the final match set for July 13 at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

Others, including German Chancellor Merkel and US Vice President Joe Biden, will watch one or two match ups and will hold bilateral talks on the sidelines with Rousseff.

Here is the list released by Rousseff's office:

German Chancellor Angela Merkel - Germany-Portugal match, Salvador, June 16

Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, and Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo - Belgium-Russia match, Rio de Janeiro, June 22

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet - opening match in Sao Paulo on June 12 and Chile-Australia match in Cuiaba, June 13

Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic - Brazil-Croatia opening match and Croatia-Cameroon match, Manaus, June 18

Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa - opening match

US Vice President Joe Biden - US-Ghana match, Natal, June 16

Ghana President John Mahama - opening match

Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez - Honduras-France match, Porto Alegre, June 16

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands - Netherlands-Australia match, Porto Alegre, June 18

Russian President Vladimir Putin - final match, Rio de Janeiro, July 13

Uruguay's President Jose Mujica - opening match

Prince Albert II of Monaco - Argentina-Bosnia match, Rio de Janeiro, June 15 and South Korea-Belgium, Sao Paulo, June 26

Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani - opening match

Suriname President Desire Bouterse - opening match

Angola President Jose Eduardo dos Santos - opening match

Bolivian President Evo Morales - opening match

Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba - opening match

Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes - opening match

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta - semi final, location unknown, and final

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon - opening match