World football’s most coveted trophy, the Original FIFA World Cup™ Trophy touched down on Mzansi shores on Saturday, 28 May as Coca-Cola, in partnership with FIFA, brings the magical feeling of the FIFA World Cup™ to South Africa.
Coca-Cola hosted the arrival ceremony at the Lanseria International Airport in Johannesburg, where the Trophy was officially welcomed into the country by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr Nathi Mthethwa.
The arrival of the Original FIFA World Cup™ Trophy in South Africa marks the 12th global stop for the official Trophy that is currently on a 51 Football Nation Tour. The tour will see the trophy visit all 32 participating nations that have qualified for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ as Coca-Cola embarks on its journey of visiting all 211 FIFA Member Associations by 2030.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola has a mission to support the development of sustainability efforts by minimizing negative event impacts (such as spectator waste) and maximizing event benefits (such as promoting green initiatives) now and into the future.
Efforts include:
- Exploring a variety of options for offsets including planting more than 2000 trees across the globe.
- Implementing an efficient travel planning strategy, optimizing energy usage and reducing transport emissions.
- Utilizing sustainably sourced materials and products, and promoting sustainability awareness initiatives across the tour.
“The 2022 FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour promises to embed sustainability throughout this fantastic experience. As a global brand, we recognize the responsibility we have as market leaders to make a meaningful difference – to empower and protect the communities and the environment in which we operate. That is why we launched JAMII – a new Africa-focused sustainability platform that houses the Company’s existing and new sustainability initiatives. For this year’s FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour, we will be ensuring that our activations and events are waste-free. To achieve this, Coca-Cola in South Africa will work with a local recycling provider and include a paperless ticketing system at the fan experience. We’ll also use sustainably sourced materials and products, and we’ll continue to promote sustainability efforts during the tour and beyond.” said Phillipine Mtikitiki – Vice President of Coca-Cola’s South Africa Franchise.
The arrival of the original Trophy officially makes it the fifth occasion that Mzansi experiences the real magic brought by Coca-Cola through the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour, following the official Trophy’s presence in 2006, 2010,2014 as well as 2018, where thousands of fans were afforded an opportunity to create and treasure real magical moments with football’s most prized possession. Thousands of South Africans will yet again have the exclusive opportunity to experience the real magic and global excitement that comes with the FIFA World Cup™.
“The FIFA World Cup is the pinnacle of sportsmanship recognized globally for its unifying power across different divides. Importantly, this trophy also enables us to collectively support the global cause of inspiring the next generation of sportsmen and footballers, a discipline that many young people look up to both here in South Africa and globally,” Mtikitiki added.
Mtikitiki went on to highlight Coca-Cola’s unique theme for this year’s FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour. “Even more exciting is our theme for this year, which is Believing is Magic, stemming from Coca-Cola’s passion for sharing the joy of the FIFA World Cup™ with fans far and wide, including those who did not make it to Qatar 2022™. Just like how the FIFA World Cup™ brings people together, Coca-Cola is passionate about bringing people together to enjoy, refresh and experience real magical moments through football and an ice-cold Coca-Cola.”
“Every four years, fans around the world get to experience the true enchantment of the world’s most prestigious trophy, thanks to our long-time FIFA Partner Coca-Cola, who make dreams come true through the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour. We are thrilled to have the tour stop in South Africa – who have hosted the previous tours and the FIFA World Cup itself before – and we’re looking forward to creating more memorable experiences together with the local fans,” said Jean-François Pathy, FIFA Marketing Director.
The excitement of the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola will be felt across various stops in Johannesburg which includes an exciting fan experience at Soweto’s Maponya Mall on Sunday afternoon. Fans will have the opportunity to get close to the iconic FIFA World Cup™ Trophy, while enjoying entertainment from some of South Africa’s performing artists. In addition to the entertainment, fans will be immersed into a Coca-Cola football arena where they will meet their favourite football legends and celebrities.
