Russia, grouped with South Korea in this year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil, will play three tune-up matches in the days leading up to the big tournament and train at home before leaving for South America, a football official from Moscow said on Friday.

In a phone interview with Yonhap, the official with the Football Union of Russia said the country will host Slovakia on May 26 at a yet-to-be-determined venue, travel to Norway for another match there on May 31 and return to Moscow to play Morocco on June 6.

Russia and South Korea have been paired in Group H along with Algeria and Belgium, and will square off for their first group-stage match on June 17 in Cuiaba.

It will be Russia’s first World Cup in 12 years, and South Korea’s eighth consecutive World Cup. (Yonhap)