A top Russian senator says he has credible evidence of the United States plotting to "discredit" the 2018 World Cup his country is staging for the first time.

The claim came as Russia prepares to host the June 14-July 15 global showpiece in the heat of a diplomatic war with the West over disputes ranging from Ukraine and Syria to Moscow's alleged interference in the 2016 US presidential election.

The Federation Council upper house of parliament's new 'protection of state sovereignty commission' chief Andrei Klimov said: "The commission has received credible evidence showing that American government officials are directly steering their European colleagues into using the subject of sport to the utmost to discredit Russia in 2018.

AFP