Russia 2018 World Cup mascot to be selected in October

Moscow, Sep 13 (IANS) A mascot for the 2018 football World Cup will be chosen on October 26, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko announced on Tuesday.

"We have three finalists after the voting, a wolf, a cat and a tiger. On October 26, the choice will be made. Public voting will be launched soon," said Mutko, who heads the World Cup's local organising committee, reports Tass.

The 2018 World Cup will be held between June 14 and July 15 in 11 Russian cities -- Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Sochi, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Kaliningrad, Rostov-on-Don, Yekaterinburg, Volgograd and Saransk.