The FIFA World Cup, a global event is falling upon the world again as it does every four years. Thirty-two of the highest skilled soccer countries in the world will battle it out starting this June. June 12, 2014 – July 13, 2014 is the month long event when the world soccer elite will showcase their skills and represent their respective countries. This time around the event will be hosted by Brazil, who is also the next summer Olympics host country. However, it’s all about the World Cup right now. Considered to be one of the favorites, as they always are historically having some of the best players to ever take the grass which include Pele, Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho. This time Brazil’s goal is to win it as the host country.
The World Cup Trophy is one of the most famous trophies in the entire world. According to FIFA.com “The authentic, one-of-a-kind FIFA World Cup Trophy is 36.8cm (14.5 inches) high, 6,175g (13.61 pounds) heavy, and made of 18-carat gold. The base contains two layers of semi-precious malachite while the bottom side of the Trophy bears the engraved year and name of each FIFA World Cup winner since 1974.” It’s not the biggest, nor the brightest, but it only gives you a chance at its glory once every four years, and not just anyone can try and win it, there are qualifiers to even get the chance.
But as tradition goes, before every World Cup the trophy takes a tour around the world, in its private Coca-Cola sponsored airplane. It will in total visit eighty-nine countries and take two hundred and sixty seven days to do so. The Trophy Tour began its journey in Rio de Janeiro on September 12, 2013. Departing from the famous Christ the Redeemer statue, the FIFA World Cup Trophy will travel around the world for nine months before returning to the country that will host the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which is Brazil. The total distance the trophy will travel during the tour will be 92,942 miles, more than three times the circumference of the earth.
At each stop, usually a player from that country’s soccer team will be present to welcome this iconic prize and fans will be able to take a close up picture of the authentic trophy that otherwise would be unattainable. They will also be able to have a chance to take their pictures and meet the official 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Mascot, Fuleco because he too, will accompany the trophy on various stops throughout its journey. The trip has already spread the soccer and World Cup fever throughout the world with kids and adults getting into the spirit in every way they can. By coloring their faces and juggling soccer balls with the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Colosseum in Rome and the Red Square in Russia as backdrops.
The trophy is due to arrive in the United States on April 14th-16th, 2014 and April 18th-20th, 2014. Then it will return back to its starting point on April 21st, 2014 to its host country: Brazil.
Every four years the World Cup unites the soccer fans of the world for one goal. To cheer on their team, to hope and sometimes pray that their country, like in any international event of unity, sportsmanship, pride, and skill will bring home the ultimate prize. In this case, the one-of-a-kind 18K gold statuesque trophy that no one can ever take away. Only four years later they can try and claim it for themselves.
