The FIFA World Cup 2022 is set to kick off on November 21, and ahead of the huge sporting event, the FIFA World Cup trophy is in Riyadh for the very first time.
That’s right, there’s no need to wait until the final game of the FIFA World Cup to see the trophy because the actual FIFA World Cup trophy has come to the Kingdom for the first time.
The World Cup is a gold trophy that is awarded to the winners of the FIFA World Cup and is worth well over $100,000. Previously, the trophy was seen in Nakheel Mall.
Ali Bailoun, Visa’s General Manager for Saudi Arabia spoke to Time Out exclusively about bringing the World Cup trophy to Saudi Arabia: “This is part of our strategy, bringing the cup here shows that we’re supporting the youth and all different kinds of societies within the Kingdom.
“We’ve been sponsoring the FIFA World Cup since 2007. This is just one of the initiatives we’re doing in Saudi Arabia, and there will definitely be more leading up to the tournament in Qatar.”
Bailoun continued: “One of the reasons why we brought the trophy here was because football in Saudi Arabia is huge, more than half of the population is the youth and sports for them is something very big, so bringing the cup here is one of the key elements.”
The trophy will be headed to the UAE next for viewing, and then finally to Qatar where it will remain until a winner is crowned. Stay tuned to Time Out for the latest on any and all events in Riyadh.
With eight purpose-built state-of-the-art stadiums, there are opportunities to attend more than FIFA World Cup match per day. It’s been a highlight for the region since Qatar won the bid to host the tournament in 2010.
There will be shuttle flights between Dubai and Doha, so it’s going to be pretty simple for those in the region to hop across and take in the sights on the pitch, and off it.
We can’t wait for the tournament to kick off in the region for the very first time. For more information, click here.
