Vladimir Putin’s strained ties with leaders across the western world means the audience of presidents and prime ministers for the World Cup opener looks set to be a heavily former Soviet affair.

The Kremlin has released a list of those who will join Putin for Thursday’s opening ceremonies and it features a large helping of central Asian autocrats and the heads of the breakaway republics Abkhazia and South Ossetia, along with a smattering of foreign leaders from Africa and South America.