Phnom Penh Post - World Cup Trophy draws thousands of football fans

Thousands of football fans descended on the Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh as the FIFA World Cup Trophy was displayed in Cambodia for the first time ever.

Fans of the beautiful game in the Kingdom took advantage of the once-in- lifetime opportunity afforded by the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola to set eyes on the most valuable prize in football.

As a longstanding partner of FIFA, Coca-Cola has the exclusive rights to the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour, giving thousands of fans across the globe the opportunity to see the most coveted trophy in world sport ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

The special event kicked off with a stirring welcome performance by traditional Khmer drummers and Apsara dancers, creating a festive atmosphere as the World Cup Trophy was officially unveiled to Cambodians.

Cambodian football stars Thierry Chantha Bin and Sou Yaty joined the fans in attendance at the Morodok Techo Stadium to see the Original Trophy – made of solid gold and weighing 6.142kg – which is handed to the winners of the tournament.

While only 2,000 lucky participants had exclusive access to pose with the World Cup, the others were not in for disappointment. A concert following the trophy moment was open to the general public, with performances from DJs, live bands and local artists such as Lay Bunleng and Mina.

During its global journey, the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola will visit 51 countries and territories, including for the first time all 32 World Cup qualifying countries, making progress towards the goal of visiting all 211 FIFA member associations by 2030.

This is the fifth global FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola.