Russia unveiled its logo for the 2018 FIFA World Cup from the International Space Station Tuesday night during a talk show based in Moscow, the host city for the games.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter joined other dignitaries on the launch show, which tossed to the space station crew. Broadcasting from orbit, three cosmonauts then used numbered cards to count down to the big reveal, a space-themed emblem. Back in the studio, children in soccer uniforms held a banner with the symbol as audience members waved Russian flags.
Meanwhile, the facade of the historic Bolshoi Theatre was illuminated with the logo in front of an audience in an outdoor ceremony.
This week, Blatter stood by plans to stage the Cup in Moscow despite calls by the West to remove Russia as host as punishment for its role in the Ukrainian conflict.
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