The world’s most revered and desired crown in team sports, the Fifa World Cup trophy, lands in Kenya Thursday for a two-day tour.
Coca-Cola in partnership with Fifa Tuesday announced that the iconic trophy will be accompanied by former Brazil defender Juliano Belletti, who won the World Cup in 2002 with the sleek Selecao led by the then irresistible Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo.
Belleti is a trophy tour ambassador who will accompany the trophy in its Kenyan tour Thursday and Friday.
The much travelled Belleti is an assistant coach of Brazilian side Cruzeiro and formerly played for Villareal, Barcelona and Chelsea under the self-proclaimed ‘’special one’’ Jose Mourinho.
“We are very excited to not only host the Fifa World Cup trophy but also one of the greatest footballers of all time and a football legend who played for key teams in Europe. Juliano is no doubt among the world-renowned players and football fans in Kenya can brace themselves for an experience of a lifetime when the trophy lands on the 26th of this month,” said Isabel Kariuki, Frontline Marketing Director, Coca-Cola East and Central Africa Franchise.
“By bringing Juliano Belletti here together with the Fifa World Cup trophy, we are hoping to inspire the next generation of footballers and hope that they can learn from his experience,” she added.
The trophy will be presented to President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House, Nairobi Thursday.. He is the only person in Kenya who will be allowed to hoist the trophy.
In fact, according to Fifa, the original World Cup trophy can only be touched and held by a select group of people including former winners and heads of state.
The public will get a chance to pose for a photo with the trophy at Kenyatta International Convention Centre on Friday.
Coca-Cola is giving away 3,000 tickets to consumers participating in the Fifa World Cup Buy and Win promotion where they will get a VIP viewing experience of the trophy at KICC.
This year, the World Cup Trophy will visit 51 football nations covering all Fifa confederations. The trophy will ultimately tour all 211 Fifa affiliate nations by 2030.
The trophy tour will be conducted in two phases. The first phase was launched in Dubai on May 12 and will run until the end of next month covering 22 countries. These will include Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and South Africa.
Phase two will take place from August to November and will cover, for the very first time, all the 32 World Cup qualified nations.
The trophy last toured Kenya in 2010 to much fanfare ahead of the first World Cup an African soil, in South Africa. Only President Kibaki was allowed to touch the trophy.
The famous trophy is made of solid gold and weighs 6.142kg. The trophy depicts two human figures holding the globe aloft. Its current design dates back to 1974.
The 2022 Fifa world Cup will be held in Qatar from November 21 to December 18. It will be the first World Cup to be staged in the Middle East.
Africa will be represented by five nations, namely, Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal.
“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,” said Brad Ross, Vice‑President of Global Sports and Entertainment Marketing and Partnerships, The Coca-Cola Company on May 12 in Dubai.
“The real magic of the Fifa World Cup exists with fans believing in their teams and showcasing their passion for the game.”
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