The FIFA Museum: The History of Football At Your Fingertips

The FIFA World Football Museum, located in the heart of Zürich, is the ultimate collection of football memorabilia, and celebrates the rich history of football across the world. This past August, Kai Abbott had the pleasure of visiting the museum while in Zürich, and was awestruck by the sheer amount of history and heritage inside the 35,000 square foot museum. Here are some of the highlights, and summary of the visit…

Football’s Greatest Prize

Without a doubt, the most breathtaking experience in the whole museum is getting up-close and personal with the FIFA World Cup, football’s greatest prize. Introduced in 1974, this 18 carat gold trophy was designed by Italian architect Silvio Gazzaniga, replacing the prior model of the World Cup, which is also on display in the museum. Standing at 14.4 inches tall, and weighing 14 and a half pounds, the trophy, also known as the Jules Rimet Cup, is circled with bands of malachite at its base. Also at the base, are the names of all prior winners of the current World Cup trophy, which begs the question, of who will have their name inscribed on the cup this December?

Reliving World Cup Memories

What truly the beating heart of the museum, is the FIFA World Cup Gallery, where history is brought to life with displays dedicated to each and every tournament, showcasing extraordinary objects from tournaments past. One of these panels like the one shown below, dedicated to the infamous 2010 World Cup in South Africa, displays some of these incredibly nostalgic objects, including Spanish goalkeeping legend Iker Casillas' boots, the Jabulani World Cup ball, the famously deafening Vuvuzela instrument played by fans in the stadiums, and a shirt worn by Spanish left-back Joan Capdevila during the group stage against Switzerland.

Immersing Yourself Into the Stadiums

One of the most fascinating features of the FIFA World Cup Gallery, is the Curva Nord, a section located right next to the World Cup Cinema, containing the seats from every World Cup Final stadium. From London's Wembley in 1966, to Rio de Janiero's Estadio de Maracaña in 2014, the exhibit has them all. With surround sound speakers around you playing commentary from some of the World Cup's greatest moments, it truly makes the experience feel as if you are right there in the moment.

The Beautiful Game At It's Finest

A quick walk upstairs from the World Cup Gallery, sees you walk into a completely different world in the museum, called the Fields of Play Gallery, where visitors can find stories about trailblazers who had to break social and cultural barriers to get onto the pitch, giving you a new perspective on the game. The biggest of the displays in the gallery, is the Galaxy of Balls; a series of footballs collected from around the world, that show you, no matter your circumstances, you can never be without a football.

A 10 out of 10 Experience

The FIFA Museum is the ultimate celebration and recognition of everything that has to do with football. For any fan or person who simply enjoys in the game in any remote way, the museum is a library of passion and football history that no other place on Earth can capture. The FIFA Museum demonstrates the impact that football has globally, and how something as simple as kicking a football can move billions. A real must see for anyone, football interested or not.