Vladimir Putin’s government has been criticised for using the World Cup to bury bad news after it announced a rise in the pension age in the wake of Russia’s first victory of the tournament.

The announcement, which came immediately after Russia’s 5-0 victory over Saudi Arabia on Thursday evening, is likely to prove widely unpopular among the Russian public, who opinion polls show are deeply opposed to adjustments to the welfare state.

Dmitry Medvedev, the prime minister, said the proposed adjustments to the law would see the pension age for men raised from 60 to 65 and for women from 55 to 63.

There will also be an two percent increase on VAT from 18 to 20 percent.

Alexei Kudrin, a former finance minister widely seen as a leader of the liberal economic camp in the Kremlin elite, welcomed the news.