THE official emblem for the 2018 World Cup in Russia was unveiled in a ceremony Tuesday.

    FIFA president Sepp Blatter was joined by 2006 World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro and Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee Vitaly Mutko in a specially-arranged live event in Moscow to mark the first official milestone on the road to the tournament.

    The logo depicts the World Cup trophy in red and blue, colors from the Russian flag, with gold trim.

    Russian TV presenter Ivan Urgant hosted a special version of his late-night show, with his band wearing the official jerseys of the eight World Cup-winning nations as his studio was converted to look like a stadium.

    The emblem itself was unveiled by three astronauts in the International Space Station, who held up a copy of the logo to the camera.

    “Seeing the World Cup in our country was a dream for all of us,’’ cosmonaut Elena Serova said.

    “The launch of the Emblem is a wonderful event to kick things off and I’m certain that the World Cup will be a success here in four years,” Blatter said during the unveiling.

    Simultaneously with the logo’s appearance on TV, it was beamed onto Moscow’s iconic Bolshoi Theater as part of a light show.

    The World Cup in 2018 will take place across 11 different cities in Russia in June and July.

    (SD-Agencies)