WORLD CUP HYPE: FIFA & COCA-COLA LAUNCH BIGGEST EVER TROPHY TOUR FOR 2026
The FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola is back, bigger than ever! The trophy will visit 75 cities across 30 nations ahead of the 2026 tournament in North America.
Coca-Cola and FIFA are teaming up once again for the sixth FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour. This means fans all over the world get a chance to see the real FIFA World Cup™ Trophy before the FIFA World Cup 2026™. And get this—the 2026 World Cup is going to be huge, hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with more teams, games, and celebrations than ever.
Coca-Cola, a longtime FIFA partner, gets exclusive rights to the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour. It all starts on Jan. 3, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The trophy will then hit 30 FIFA member countries, making around 75 stops over 150 days. Football fans get this rare opportunity to see the trophy.
Mickael Vinet, vice president at Coca-Cola, said, Football brings people together, no matter where you're from. He added that the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour has connected fans to the excitement of the game for 20 years. As the trophy heads to the biggest World Cup ever, they're celebrating the passion, loyalty, and togetherness that make football the world's favourite sport.
The tour will stop in all three 2026 host countries, plus future host nations like Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil. Each stop will feature cool stuff for fans, like brand experiences, football challenges, and content with FIFA legends.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola. Over the years, more than 4 million fans in over 182 markets have been part of it.
Romy Gai, FIFA’s Chief Business Officer, noted that the FIFA World Cup Trophy is a global symbol and Coca-Cola is a well-known brand. He said their partnership has united fans with the magic of the World Cup for two decades. The trophy has already visited 182 of FIFA’s 211 member countries, and this tour will be special as they celebrate the tour's 20th anniversary and prep for the biggest FIFA World Cup ever in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
For over a century, Coca-Cola has been a symbol of optimism and refreshment. As the world gears up for the FIFA World Cup, Coca-Cola will keep fans refreshed with local favourites and drinks like Coca-Cola and Powerade.
Also, the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola promotes good causes in local areas. Coca-Cola will partner with local teams to help with sustainability plans, like collecting and recycling packaging.
CRISTIANO RONALDO PROTESTS AL-HILAL'S BENZEMA DEAL BY SKIPPING AL-NASSR LEAGUE MATCH
Cristiano Ronaldo is fuming. Discover why the Al-Nassr star skipped his last match and is now threatening to leave Saudi Arabia.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been the main attraction in the Saudi Pro League ever since he landed in the Middle East three years ago. Now, for the first time, it looks like he’s actually thinking about leaving. He’s frustrated. He feels the playing field isn’t level, and it’s starting to get to him.
Here’s the deal: Four clubs in the league—Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, and Al-Ahli—get their backing straight from the state. But Ronaldo sat out Al-Nassr’s match against Al-Riyadh on Monday night. Why? He was protesting. He found out Al-Hilal was about to sign Karim Benzema from Al-Ittihad, and that was the last straw. From Ronaldo’s perspective, Al-Hilal keeps getting more freedom to splash cash than everyone else. They’re the current champions, and Ronaldo still hasn’t managed to win his first Saudi title.
Saudi officials tried to calm him down. According to Diario AS, they reached out and argued that most of Al-Hilal’s extra spending comes from Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, not the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Al-Hilal just brought in Kader Meite for €30 million, Saimon Bouabre for €23 million, and now Benzema. Al-Nassr, on the other hand, only managed two free transfers this winter. Sure, they spent a lot more in the summer, but that didn’t seem to matter to Ronaldo.
Reports from Portugal, cited by AS, say Ronaldo’s not ruling anything out—not even leaving Saudi Arabia this summer. That’s despite just signing an extension with Al-Nassr until 2027.
And honestly, he has a point. Since he arrived, Al-Hilal have spent €647 million, while Al-Nassr have shelled out €410 million and Al-Ittihad €365 million. These numbers probably don’t include salaries—and let’s face it, nobody’s making more than Ronaldo. He’s supposed to return on Friday when Al-Nassr face Al-Ittihad, but right now, no one really knows if he’ll play or if he’s planning his next move.
N’GOLO KANTE SKIPS TRAINING AS AL-ITTIHAD BLOCK HIS MOVE TO FENERBAHCE OFFICIALLY
N’Golo Kante has gone on strike at Al-Ittihad after a paperwork error blocked his move to Fenerbahce. Can he still sign by Friday?
N’Golo Kanté didn’t show up for Al-Ittihad training on Tuesday, and it’s not hard to see why. He was all set to head to Fenerbahçe, but the deal fell apart at the last minute—apparently because Al-Ittihad messed up some paperwork. Kante was supposed to fly to Istanbul and sign, but thanks to this administrative slip, he’s stuck in limbo. There’s still a shot at reviving the transfer sinceKanté Turkey’s transfer window stays open until Friday, February 6.
Kante was one of the first big European names to jump to the Saudi Pro League, joining Al-Ittihad in 2023 after seven years with Chelsea. He’s been a key player in Jeddah, helping Al-Ittihad win the 2024-25 league title and the King’s Cup.
Then, in the middle of the January window, word got out that Fenerbahce wanted him. The Turkish club were eager to add a World Cup winner to their squad. The plan was to swap Kante for Youssef En-Nesyri, who’d head to Saudi Arabia. Everything seemed set until deadline day, when news broke that an error by Al-Ittihad in the Transfer Matching System stopped the transfer cold.
Fenerbahce didn’t hold back. They blamed Al-Ittihad directly, saying they’d done everything right: agreements with the players, medicals, paperwork, all wrapped up on time. But Al-Ittihad entered something wrong in the system, and that was that. Fenerbahçe even asked for an extension and reached out to FIFA, but nothing moved. In the end, the deal died, and Fenerbahçe put out a statement saying they understood the frustration and would keep working to strengthen the squad.
Meanwhile, Kante’s making his feelings clear. According to Ben Jacobs, he skipped training on Tuesday, still hoping the move to Fenerbahce can happen. Santi Aouna says talks between the clubs aren’t dead yet. L’Equipe is reporting that Kanté doesn’t want to play for Al-Ittihad while he waits for FIFA’s decision. With the Turkish window open until Friday, there’s still a glimmer of hope for Kante, though En-Nesyri’s move is off the table for now.