The Brazilian 2002 FIFA World Cup™ winner Roberto Carlos and more than 150 guests celebrated the opening ceremony of the “FIFA World Football Museum presented by Hyundai” on Friday evening. The special exhibition for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ at the Hyundai Motorstudio on New Arbat Avenue in Moscow celebrates the tournament through the passion and devotion of the fans and tells the event’s history through the players who have left an indelible mark on it in the past.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup™ Winner’s Trophy, alongside the Jules Rimet Cup, the original trophy for the World Cup, were unveiled next to each other during the opening ceremony. The World Cup Winner’s Trophy will be on display on 9, 16, 23 and 27 June (dates are subject to change).

“It is very meaningful to open the exhibition of the FIFA World Football Museum here in Moscow, the capital of the host country Russia and home of the Hyundai Motorstudio Moscow”, Wonhee Lee, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor said. “We worked together to give football loving fans from Russia and the rest of the world a very special first-hand experience during this FIFA World Cup tournament.”

FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura said: “We are fortunate to be witnessing history in the making with the 2018 FIFA World Cup. I consider it FIFA’s duty to constantly shed a light upon what brought us here: all of those who wrote the history of football and of the FIFA World Cup. And it is important to remember that football fans are a fundamental part of this history. I am delighted to see all of these elements celebrated by the FIFA World Football Museum and our dear partner Hyundai in this fantastic exhibition here in Moscow.”

The museum is now open to the public for 42 days until 20 July 2018, and the entry is free.

The exhibition will feature selected world football heritage objects from the FIFA World Football Museum including objects belonging to players like Pele, Diego Maradona, Lev Yashin, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, along with 64 adidas Telstar Official Match Balls used for kick-off of every game at Russia 2018.

Also, guests can enjoy videos submitted by fans from around the world during the “Hyundai World Football Heritage” digital competition, which took place from 15 April to 18 May. Each film showcases the unique fan cheering culture of the 32 participating countries. Visitors can also view an array of rainbow themed jerseys from the 32 participating teams.