Ahead of the much-anticipated first-ever FIFA World Cup in the Gulf later this year, the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola has officially kicked off in Dubai, and it started off big.
The trophy, now in Dubai, will be headed first to each country in the GCC, with Oman next, a FIFA executive announced at the event.
At the unveiling were former World Cup winners Iker Casillas and Kaká, who each gave a rousing push towards the tournament by looking back at the highlight of each of their lives.
“It was the highlight of my career when I lifted this very trophy as captain of Spain in 2010. And it is exciting that someone will have that feeling in Qatar later this year. It fills me with great pride to join all of you today, as we kick off the journey of the FIFA World Cup Trophy, bringing it to the fans across the globe,” said Iker Casillas.
Kaká echoed that sentiment.
“It is an incredible honour to be part of the first stop of the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola. My first FIFA World Cup as a player was when I was just 20 years old, and it is still fresh in my mind – for me, it was a dream come true.”
Starting today, the tour is inviting fans to a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity to see the most recognised symbol in football and experience the real magic of the world’s largest and most anticipated single-sport event.
The tour will stop in 51 countries and territories, with a goal of visiting each of FIFA’s 211 member associations by 2030. With this tour, for the first time ever, the tour will visit all 32 countries that qualified for the FIFA World Cup, inspiring fans across the world through exclusive consumer experiences.
“The FIFA World Cup Trophy is one of the greatest symbols in sport,” said Romy Gai, FIFA’s Chief Business Officer. “Bringing it on tour gives us a unique opportunity to shine a spotlight on the fantastic communities around the world who love the beautiful game. The trophy tour – which will end back in Qatar, our amazing hosts – highlights our commitment to making football truly global as we realise the dreams of our fans and bring the joy and excitement of the FIFA World Cup to their doorsteps, together with our long-standing partner Coca-Cola.”
FIFA exec promises World Cup unlike any other
With World Cup Qatar 2022 is now only months away, FIFA’s Arsène Wenger is ready, he recently told Esquire Middle East.
This World Cup will be unlike any other, he promises.
“What distinguishes it is — it will be the most compact World Cup in history. This is the first time you have 32 teams in the same city. You could watch four games in the first 12 days. Not to mention, you will have 48 games in the first 12 days. Even in the first 16 days, you will have four games per day. That means it’s a possibility for fanatics to watch more football than usual,” he tells Esquire Middle East.
“Then I would say what is special as well is it’s the first time it happened in the middle of a European season. The players who go there have fewer fatigue problems. They will have already played 20 games,” he continued.
Organization will be key on all fronts, he warns.
“There will also be less preparation time for the national teams. They join on the 10th of November, and then on the 17th, the first teams start to play. They have only one week of preparation. So, that would be very interesting,” says Wenger.
“On the other hand, I believe the pluses are that it can be a fantastic world feast where you have 32 countries together in a very small space. As well, it will be very important to organize that well, so as not to have any disruptive behaviors.”