"Coca-Cola FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour" The championship trophy will be displayed at three locations across Japan.
The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and its Official Partner Coca-Cola have been conducting the "Coca-Cola FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour," showcasing the World Cup trophy around the world.
On April 27, the tour's dedicated aircraft arrived in Japan, and a ceremony was held at Haneda Airport in Ota Ward, Tokyo.
The tour began last September in Russia, the host country for the 2018 tournament. It is a grand-scale event touring 91 cities across 51 countries on six continents, with a total flight distance equivalent to approximately four times around the Earth. Japan is the 51st country and the final stop on the tour.
Attending the ceremony were Jorge Garduño, President of Coca-Cola Japan; Fatma Samoura, FIFA Secretary General; former Brazilian national team player Gilberto Silva; Kozo Tashima, President of the Japan Football Association; Takeshi Okada, former Japan national team coach and owner of FC Imabari; Mikhail Yuryevich , and Victoria Lopelyova, Host City Ambassador for the Russia tournament.
President Garduño stated, "The three-day tour ahead will offer soccer fans nationwide a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see the original trophy up close. As the long-awaited Russia tournament approaches, we hope they can get a taste of the atmosphere of this summer's exciting event ahead of time. This tour embodies that wish of ours."
Mr. Okada, who co-stars with actress Haruka Ayase in the company's commercials, joked, "Normally, Ms. Ayase would be happier to be here, but unfortunately she's too busy, so I came instead." He then expressed his hopes for the Japanese national team: "For us in soccer, this trophy represents the ultimate dream. Just when I thought I'd finally get to touch the real thing today, I was told only the World Champion gets to do that. It's disappointing and frustrating. I pray that in my lifetime, the day will come when a Japanese person can touch this trophy directly," expressing his hopes for the Japanese national team.
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On the stage in front of the specially painted aircraft, President Garduño and Mr. Silva unveiled the trophy. Mr. Silva, the only participant who has the right to touch it directly after winning the 2002 Japan-Korea World Cup, said, "It vividly brings back the happy memories of my last visit to Japan. My life has changed significantly since I first came to Japan," as he held the trophy high.
The trophy was publicly displayed at event venues in Tokyo, Osaka, and Shizuoka until April 30 before returning to Russia.
Coca-Cola Japan is running a World Cup campaign to coincide with the trophy tour. This includes selling "Coca-Cola Number Bottles" featuring designs inspired by the flags and numbers of the 32 participating countries, airing TV commercials, and running the "Number Bottle Challenge," where participants predict match results using these numbers.
Official website:
https://www.cocacola.jp/fwc2018/
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