With the FIFA World Cup coming up in a short 87 days, Coca-Cola is sponsoring a trophy tour beginning at the home of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland. The tour will visit each of the 32 nations who have qualified for the tournament finishing in Doha, Qatar just a few days before the first game of the FIFA World Cup, Qatar v. Senegal.
Colin Smith, FIFA’s Chief Operating Officer – World Cup, said, “By, for the first time, visiting all the nations that have qualified for the FIFA World Cup, the momentum of the Trophy Tour will continue to build, giving fans of all ages a taste of the excitement to come – and we hope they will join us in Qatar later this year for the ultimate celebration of the beautiful game.”
The trophy is awarded to the FIFA World Cup champion following the conclusion of the tournament, but it remains in FIFA’s possession following the award ceremony. While the winners are able to hoist the trophy briefly, a select few individuals are actually able to handle it. The trophy is made of solid gold and weighs in at a whopping 13 pounds.
After the awards are handed out and pictures have been taken, the trophy is returned to FIFA officials and a replica trophy is permanently awarded to the winners. The gold-plated trophy features an engraving of the year in which the tournament was held, the name of the host country and the winner of the tournament.
On the 2022 tour, the trophy will visit a total of 51 countries. The ultimate goal of the organization, however, is to visit all 211 member associations by 2030. The tour’s aim is to garner excitement toward the tournament and continue to grow the sport’s popularity worldwide.
This year, FIFA has also introduced a new campaign called Spotlight: Your Dreams. The new movement will feature FIFA legends at multiple stops along the tour who will be sharing their past, present and future dreams with fans. A “Dream Cam” will allow fans to create their own dream and see it in an augmented reality format.
The Spotlight: Your Dreams campaign will also feature artists who have been commissioned by FIFA to showcase their own World Cup inspired art. FIFA will also give fans the opportunity to participate in a social media contest by sharing their own World Cup dreams in the form of art with the winner being chosen at the end of the trophy tour.
With this tour, FIFA is bridging the gap between fans and the sport and athletes they love. Giving children the opportunity to meet and interact with their heroes as well as hear their stories can help motivate them to reach their own dreams the same way these incredible athletes reached theirs.