Coca Cola partners with FIFA to bring World Cup trophy to Kenya

Kenya is among the nine African countries selected to receive and host the FIFA World Cup trophy as part of an exclusive tour ahead of the tournament in Qatar on November 21-December 18.

Football’s greatest prize, the 6.1 kilogram 18-karat gold original FIFA World Cup trophy is coming to Kenya courtesy of the Coca Cola Company and will be on display in the Capital Nairobi on May 26 and 27.

“We are excited to bring the FIFA World Cup trophy to Kenya to give millions of Kenyans an opportunity to experience the magic of the event even if the country did not qualify for the tournament,” said Vice President, Coca-Cola, East and Central Africa Debra Mallowah.

“Coca-Cola has a strong footprint in Kenya where we have operated for over 70 years, supporting, and promoting local sports and talent across different disciplines. We are thrilled to share this iconic moment with our consumers, stakeholders, and football fans in Kenya. Football is a sport that unites us all in a unique way, and this will be a moment for all of us to enjoy and be part of this global, iconic experience,” Mallowah added.

Coca Cola has launched a consumer promotion that will see five lucky fans win a fully paid trip to Qatar to watch a World Cup match live.

The FIFA World Cup Buy and Win promotion will run for two months from April 11, to June 30. To participate, you are required to purchase 1Litre, 1.5Ltr or 2Ltr Coke, Fanta or Sprite, check the code under the cap and SMS the code to 40111. Winners will receive an SMS with details of how to collect their prize.

There will be over 500,000 prizes to be won during the promotion, with consumers getting the opportunity to win VIP tickets for the viewing experience of the trophy in Nairobi, along with the grand prize of a fully paid trip to Qatar.

“This is one of our biggest activities this year and our commitment is to ensure that consumers in every corner of this country have access to our products to enable them participate in the promotion that could see some of them get a lifetime opportunity to win a trip to Qatar to watch a world cup match live as well as the opportunity to view the trophy once it lands in Kenya in May, ” Frontline Marketing Director East and Central Africa Isabelle Kariuki said.

The FIFA World Cup Trophy is awarded to the winners of the FIFA World Cup while remaining in FIFA’s possession.

The trophy is made of solid gold and weighs 6.142 kg, created as a composition of two human figures holding the globe above them.

Its current design dates to 1974. As one of the most recognised sports symbols in the world and a priceless icon, the trophy can only be touched and held by a very select group of people that includes former winners of the FIFA World Cup and Heads of State.

Because regulations state that the trophy shall remain in FIFA’s possession and cannot be won outright, the team winning the World Cup retains the authentic trophy temporarily and is then permanently awarded a replica, the FIFA World Cup Winners' Trophy (gold plated, rather than solid gold, and engraved with the year, host country and winner of the respective event.

The Coca-Cola Company has been in partnership with FIFA formally since 1974, starting an official sponsorship since 1978. At every FIFA World Cup since 1950, Coca-Cola has had adverts at every stadium.

The partnership goes through the year 2030, as the company continues to support the wide array of FIFA-organised events around the world. These include FIFA’s Youth, Women’s- and Men’s Tournaments.

Trophy tours started in 2006, and Coca-Cola has activated the FIFA World Cup Trophy by offering millions of fans around the world the chance to witness the beautiful Trophy.

Facts about the FIFA World Cup Trophy

• Only sitting Heads of State are allowed to touch the trophy during its tour.
• Trophy was renamed FIFA World Cup Trophy in 1970 after a new one was designed.
• The base of the trophy has two layers of semi-precious malachite, with the bottom side bearing the engraved years and names of each FIFA World Cup winner since 1974.
• World Cup winners are not awarded the trophy permanently. They retain the trophy only until the post-match celebration is done. They are then awarded a gold-plated replica rather than the solid gold original.
• It is 36 centimetres tall.
• The trophy weighs 6.1 kilogrammes.

This article has been written by Robert Abong'o.