Tens of thousands of people from Central and South America are spending part of their summer in Russia. They have gone to Moscow and 10 other Russian cities for the championship of international football, the FIFA 2018 World Cup. They have been cheering on football teams from across Latin America -- from Mexico and Colombia to Peru and Argentina.

Yet some of the many Europeans who are in Russia for the World Cup appear less excited. They said their friends at home told them they were foolish to go.

The French news agency AFP says the differences among football fans at the biggest event in sports is a sign of Russia’s slow move away from Europe since 2000. That is the year when Vladimir Putin became the country’s president. Russia is now welcoming new allies that happen to love football, a sport known as soccer in the United States. Central and South American media rarely report about Russian wrongdoing or poisoning cases.

Zbigniew İwanowski is with the Institute of Latin American Studies in Moscow. He noted that, "Russia's image is better in Latin America than it is in Europe and the US."

Colombian football fan Mauricio Miranda praised what he saw in Moscow. He said, "We didn't expect it to be this beautiful and the people are amazing."

Jo De Munter of Belgium, a public relations specialist, does not necessarily disagree. But he said his friends do. "I think Europeans are a bit afraid,” he added.

Europeans and Latin Americans are more likely to attend World Cup events held in their home countries because travel planning is easier and they know the area.

Aliqismet BADALOV,
“Khalq qazeti”