Putin was at the event in Sochi, which is due to host next year's Winter Olympics and Paralympics as well as matches during the World Cup, where FIFA President Sepp Blatter and Gazprom chief executive Alexei Miller officially sealed the deal, which is due to run from the start of 2015 until the end of 2018.

Vitaly Mutko, Russia's Sports Minister and a member of FIFA's ruling Executive Committee, also attended the ceremony.

"I am pleased that you have an agreement on working together," said Putin. 

"We have discussed for a long time, or rather you have discussed with Gazprom, one of our leading companies, how you can work together, not only in the light of World Cup preparations, but generally with FIFA support.

"The work you do is undoubtedly very important. I would even call it noble, because unlike many other associations that simply proclaim nice and well-intentioned goals, you actually work to achieve them and realise them.

"This has simply no precedent in humanitarian spheres and is of great value."

Russian President Vladimir Putin and FIFA chief Sepp Blatter held talks in Sochi after the deal with Gazprom was signed

The sponsorship allows Gazprom, which employs 393,000 people, to use the FIFA and World Cup logos in its advertising and makes it the exclusive sponsor in the oil, gas and fuels sectors.

Gazprom already has extensive involvement in football as a sponsor of the Champions League and as the financial backer of three-time Russian champions Zenit St. Petersburg, as well as sponsoring clubs in several other countries.

"Of course I am not only happy, it is also a great honour for me that you are with us today as we conclude a cooperation agreement with our new partner, Gazprom," said Blatter, addressing Putin.

"It's a great honour for us, it's an honour for football, and it's an honour for the forthcoming World Cup.

"Naturally, we know that you are currently busy with problems other than football, but we are especially pleased that you found the time to attend this ceremony today.

"For my part I would like to emphasise that today we are not concluding a sponsorship agreement, but rather a partnership one with Gazprom.

"We are aware of the many humanitarian and social projects that this Russian company has implemented. I am convinced that this is a good partnership that will not only help World Cup preparations, but also serve us well afterwards."

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