Ghana will be among the 32 countries to host the FIFA World Cup Trophy as the coveted trophy makes a tour around the world ahead of the World Cup in November.
The tour, sponsored by Coca-Cola kicked off in Dubai on May 12 and is expected to tour all the countries that have qualified for the 2022 World Cup to be staged in Qatar from November to December 18.
Though a comprehensive schedule for the tour is yet to be made known, the trophy will stop over in 51 countries and territories, accompanied by World Cup winners, Iker Casillas of Spain and Kaka of Brazil as part of efforts to whip up interest and enthusiasm for the tournament.
Countries
The countries that have qualified for the World Cup are:
- Africa: Cameroun, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia
- Asia: Iran, Japan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, winner of Asia play-off
- Europe: Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Winner of UEFA play-off
- North and Central America: Canada, Mexico, USA, Winner of play-off
- South America: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay
Tour
Embarking on its fifth tour, the World Cup Trophy Tour was initiated in 2006 when Germany hosted the Mundial.
The FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola is an extraordinary opportunity for people to take in a piece of football history and share their passion for the sport with each other.
In the past only some selected countries that had qualified for the World Cup had the privilege of hosting the World Cup Trophy tour, but for the first time, all qualified countries will get to host the trophy.
At a ceremony at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena to send the trophy on its way, the Vice President of Global Sports & Entertainment Marketing and Partnerships at The Coca-Cola Company, Brad Ross said: Starting today, Coca-Cola 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 FIFA World Cup.
“The FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola will stop in 51 countries and territories, bringing Coca-Cola and FIFA one step closer to the goal of visiting each of FIFA’s 211 member associations by 2030. 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.
“As football fans around the world gear up to support their teams, Coca-Cola is thrilled to offer fans the opportunity to experience the trophy ahead of the tournament.
“The real magic of the FIFA World Cup exists with fans believing in their teams and showcasing their passion for the game.
FIFA’s Chief Business Officer, Romy Gai, also said: “ Bringing the World Cup trophy, one of the greatest symbol of sports 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,” Mr Gai stressed.
Kaka described being on tour with the trophy as an incredible honour that caps the memory of a dream come true for him at his first World Cup.
“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,” Kaka said.
For Casillas, it was the defining moment of his career when he lifted the trophy as captain of the Spanish that won in 2010.
Added Iker Casillas: “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.”
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup is an iconic competition followed by billions around the world. FIFA is committed to providing additional opportunities to have a wider positive social and environmental impact, as well as to setting new benchmarks in the delivery of worldwide sporting and exciting fan-centric programmes, such as the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola, as an inspiration for all.
The FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola has a mission to support the development of sustainability efforts at each location visited by the tour. For the first time, consumer activations will be digitally led by Coca-Cola, reducing waste at each stop on the tour and minimising the consumption of water, energy, materials and other resources.
The Coca-Cola Company has had a long-standing relationship with FIFA since 1976 and has been an official FIFA World Cup™ Sponsor since 1978. Coca-Cola has had stadium advertising at every FIFA World Cup™ since 1950 and is a long-time supporter of football at all levels.
World Cup trophy
The FIFA World Cup trophy is awarded to the winners of the FIFA World Cup while remaining in FIFA’s possession. Made of solid gold and weighing 6.142kg, the trophy depicts two human figures holding the globe aloft. Its current design dates back to 1974. As one of the most recognised sports symbols in the world and a priceless icon, the original FIFA World Cup Trophy can only be touched and held by a very select group of people, which includes former winners of the FIFA World Cup and heads of state.
Due to the regulations state that the original trophy must remain in FIFA’s possession and cannot be won outright, the team winning the FIFA World Cup retains the authentic trophy temporarily and is then permanently awarded the tournament edition trophy, the FIFA World Cup Winner’s Trophy (which is gold-plated, rather than solid gold, and engraved with the year, host country and winners of the respective event).
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