The World Cup trophy exited Kenyan borders and headed to Madagascar but there is one thing certainly clear-it is not to be touched by any one. On the flipside is an isolated night in 2014 in the history of world soccer when this norm never stood on its legs.
American pop singer Robyn Rihanna Fenty took a seat at the stands in Maracana Stadium in Rio De Janiero, Brazil, to watch the contest that was bringing together South American and European soccer powerhouses to a lock-horn.
Dressed in her black and white branded ‘Trapstar’ T-shirt and a cap, her eyes were a depiction of ecstatic soccer fan whose dream had come to fulfilment. At the Maracana were mixture of fans, some of them grieving Brazilians whose team had been knocked, and among them various nationals supporting two teams.
Germany, also known as ‘the German machine’ was locking horns with Messi-led Argentina- a team boasting of big names but has been brutalized in international stage.
Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain clad in blue shirts as their opponents, the ‘National Team’ were in their usual white and black colours. The match that began on a slow ‘boring’ pace would then see Argentina forwards such as Gonzalo Higuain waste clear chances to kill Germany in 2014 final.
But a response came from former Chelsea forward Andre Schurrle who crossed the ball into the box setting up Mario Goetze to head home gifting Germany victory by a solitary goal over the “White and Sky Blue.”
Back in the stands, attention of the fans was gripped by a young woman who unrolled her top revealing her chest and bra leaving those around her in shock. Those who knew her may have noticed her but those who did not perhaps never knew that she was actually the famous Rihanna.
What followed was a packed night of partying. German players had achieved what their predecessors could not achieve against the iconic Brazilian team in 2002 World Cup.
This had all began when she forced the now Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil to hand her his jersey as the players lined up for medals. She wore a German jersey and off she descended on the stares as the shirt swung on her thighs. Phillip Lahm, the German captain lifted the World Cup trophy to the applause of fans.
The American singer would then join the Germany party taking pictures and relishing the partying mood. Champagne followed and the trophy soon began moving from one hand to the next, at the behest of FIFA guidelines that safeguards its handling.
Rihanna would then be pictured with the World Cup trophy sandwiched by German players Lucas Podolski and Bastian Schweinsteiger. The duo planted a peck on the pop star’s cheeks. The American then made a confessional of how it felt ‘precious’ to touch the coveted golden trophy.
“I touched the cup, held the cup, kissed the cup, took a selfie with the cup!!! I meeeaan...... what is YO bucket list looking like bruh?” Said Rihanna, as revealed in Daily Mail.
She was perhaps oblivious to the fact that she had made a costly mistake against the previous FIFA rules. According to the rules, only heads of states, selected FIFA officials and players who have won the World Cup (at that time) are allowed to handle the trophy.
But recently, the world governing body included another group of the visually impaired which it said relied on their sense of touch as exceptions who can also touch it.
German players being accompanied with their wives and children was all but doom and gloom for the FIFA restrictions as close relatives also seized the opportunity to toy with the trophy.
As the World Cup trophy tour 2018 is ongoing, almost everyone is aware of the rules barring people from touching the trophy. But the reason behind the ban still remains mysterious. Nonetheless, American pop star Rihanna remains in history as one of the few unauthorized people who defied all odds to touch and toy with the World Cup trophy.
