Beltway Confidential

Putin won’t order them into battle, but Russian hooligans will pose problems at the World Cup

By Tom Rogan
Published June 8, 2018 6:15pm ET
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Putin won’t order them into battle, but Russian hooligans will pose problems at the World Cup
In this photo taken on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, police officers stop to check Spartak Moscow's supporters before the a Russian Premier League Championship soccer match between Spartak Moscow and Tosno in Moscow, Russia. Ahead of the World Cup, Russian authorities are cracking down on the hooligan culture in football. Groups which wreaked havoc two years ago report surveillance and threats from law enforcement. | (Pavel Golovkin/AP)

At most international soccer tournaments, the Russian government enables and occasionally directs Russian hooligans to attack opposing fans.

But things will be different at the 2018 FIFA World Cup which kicks off in Moscow on Thursday. Over the next month, 32 teams will seek the world’s most prestigious trophy. But this time the hooligans will be kept on a tighter leash.

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Russia Soccer Vladimir Putin World Cup 2026