The Russian told news agency TASS that the stadium in Saint Petersburg, due to be used for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, where venues are tested ahead of the main competition the following year, will be finished by the deadline of December 2016.

It follows claims earlier this year that world football’s governing body was considering taking matches at the Confederations Cup, an eight-team tournament comprised of the host nation, the current World Cup holders plus the six continental champions, away from the city due to construction concerns.

Three other stadiums - Otkritie Arena in Moscow, Fisht in Sochi and Kazan Arena in Kazan – are due to stage matches at next year’s competition.

Plans for the venue have constantly been altered since building work began in 2007.

It is due to have a capacity of 69,000 and feature a retractable roof and removable football pitch, according to organisers.

Authorities in Saint Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city, have given FIFA assurances that the Stadium will be completed later this year.

“Financial expenditures are increasing, clearly because of the rising dollar rate, and that is creating additional expenses," Tyulpanov told TASS. 

"But when the stadium is finished, it’s going to be the best in Russia. 

“The stadium used to cost about a billion U.S. dollars but the price must have gone much higher by now.

"We will go there [Saint Petersburg] in May or June.

“The Confederations Cup situation will hopefully get clearer by that time.

"The arena has no world analogues - it is the only stadium at the northern geographic level to have a pull-out field and a movable roof.

“That creates additional complications.

“The city will host a Confederations Cup next year.”

Russia 2018 director general Alexei Sorokin, an outspoken critic in the past about the corruption investigation into FIFA and dismissed calls to strip the country of the tournament as “ridiculous”, also insisted construction would be finished as per the deadline.

“The municipal administration of Saint Petersburg provided FIFA with written guarantees that the stadium on the Krestovsky Island will be commissioned in time," Sorokin said in an interview with the Russian news agency.

"We have no reasons not to believe them."