FIFA has reached an agreement to broadcast the Confederations Cup on Russian television ©Getty Images

FIFA has reached an agreement to broadcast the Confederations Cup on Russian television after world football's governing body signed a last-minute deal with the 2SPORT2 consortium.

The tournament, which begins with the opening match on Saturday (June 17), will be shown on the state-controlled Channel One and Match TV as part of the deal.

It will also be broadcast on radio station RTR.

According to FIFA, the partnership will "ensure comprehensive TV, internet, mobile and radio coverage of the competition", which concludes with the final on July 2.

It comes after Russian officials had warned they may not show live coverage of the tournament after they claimed FIFA had elevated the price for the television rights.

FIFA have not revealed the exact fee Russian broadcasters will pay.

However, a similar deal has not yet been signed for the 2018 World Cup, which remains a concern within Russia and at FIFA.

The tournament begins with the first match at the St Petersburg Stadium on Sunday ©Getty Images
The tournament begins with the first match at the St Petersburg Stadium on Sunday ©Getty Images

"We are delighted to be working with such prestigious broadcast partners to transmit the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 on free-to-air television in the host country," Philippe Le Floc’h, the chief commercial officer at world football's governing body, said.

"Together, we will share unforgettable football moments and the special atmosphere in the stadiums with millions of fans across Russia in the build-up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup."

In April, Telesport President Peter Makarenko told insidethegames that Russian channels had paid $32 million (£25 million/€30 million) for the 2014 World Cup and the Confederations Cup in Brazil the previous year.

He accused FIFA of putting an "unreasonable" price tag on the television rights for the two tournaments and claimed they had demanded four times more than for previous tournaments.

FIFA have raised the price for the 2017 and 2018 competitions to around $120 million (£93.5 million/€113 million), Makarenko claimed.

Host countries tend to pay more for television rights for the two events, normally sold as a package, than when they are not staging the tournament, however.

The Confederations Cup is traditionally used as a warm-up for the following year's World Cup featuring the home nation.

This year's tournament features hosts Russia, World Cup holders Germany, Portugal, Chile, Mexico, Cameroon, Australia and New Zealand.