FIFA World Cup trophy to go on global journey from Moscow on September 9

MOSCOW, August 28. /TASS/. The much coveted FIFA World Cup trophy is set to embark on the global tour next week on September 9 from the Luzhniki Stadium in the Russian capital of Moscow, world’s governing football body FIFA announced on Monday. "The FIFA World Cup Original Trophy is going on a journey," FIFA said in its statement. "Ahead of the FIFA World Cup kick-off in Russia on 14 June 2018, the original has left its display cabinet at the FIFA World Football Museum in Zurich to embark on the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour." According to the statement, the trophy, which will be handed over next year to the new champions after the World Cup in Russia, "will travel through 24 Russian cities and visit more than 50 other countries around the globe, creating a uniquely festive atmosphere in the run-up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup and giving fans the opportunity to see the most coveted prize in world football." After hosting the Confederations Cup this summer, Russia is now in full-swing preparations to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Russia was granted the right for the football championship after clinching the bid in Guatemala in December 2010. The victory came following a tight race against a bid from England, a joint bid from Portugal and Spain and another joint bid on behalf of Belgium and the Netherlands. The country selected 11 host cities to be the venues for the matches of the 2018 World Cup and they are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Kazan, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and Samara. The matches of the 2018 World Cup will be held between June 14 and July 15 at 12 stadiums located in the 11 above-mentioned cities across Russia. Two of the stadiums are located in the Russian capital. Read more