Thursday 07 September 2017, 12:47

World Cup Magazine: 1977 memories & Noboa’s dream

With Russia 2018 drawing ever closer, the monthly FIFA World Cup™ Magazine video takes you to the heart of the tournament and its host country through a series of fascinating features.

Top of the bill in this month’s edition is Ecuador international Christian Noboa, who speaks about overcoming a tough start in Russian club football to become a hero at several sides. “Nothing can compare to a World Cup,” says the Brazil 2014 veteran. “Playing in one in Russia would be a dream come true.”

We also hear from Russia’s only representative at the recent FIFA Interactive World Cup Grand Final in London on his run to the quarter-finals and the rising importance of eSports in his country.

Elsewhere, residents of Volgograd speak proudly of why their hometown is known as Russia’s “city of heroes”, while Parkour athletes in Saint Petersburg explain why the spectacular discipline is thriving in the 'Venice of the North'.

A passionate Lokomotiv Nizhny Novgorod fan also takes us through his remarkable collection of football memorabilia, while Tom Tomsk coach Valery Petrakov shares his memories of helping the Soviet Union win the inaugural edition of the FIFA Youth Championship (now the FIFA U-20 World Cup).