As a FIFA Legend, Carles Puyol is using his influence for good. The former Spain defender and FIFA World Cup™ winner is supporting FIFA’s efforts to make Russia 2018 smoke-free, appearing in a video that plays on the giant screens in all stadiums.

“There are many numbers that defined my career,” states Puyol in the opening scene of the video. Different numbers then flash across the screen – 693 games, 2 FIFA Club World Cups, 1 FIFA World Cup – in between highlights of Puyol’s distinguished career.

“But one that defined my life,” he asserts at the end, revealing a shirt with the number 0 on it to represent 0 cigarettes. His final appeal? “Stay healthy, don’t smoke.”

FIFA has long been committed to countering the use of tobacco as part of its social responsibility programme. In 1986, FIFA announced it would no longer accept advertising from the tobacco industry and since 2002, FIFA World Cups have been smoke-free.

FIFA’s Tobacco-Free Policy for FIFA Events follows the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO) for mega-sporting events and aims to protect the right of non-smokers to breathe clean air that is not contaminated by carcinogens and other harmful substances.

In Russia, based on this policy and according to Russian legislation, FIFA and the LOC have put measures in place to inform spectators once they enter the first gate that smoking is prohibited. This applies for all indoor and outdoor areas, and there are no designated smoking areas in any stadium. FIFA's ultimate goal is to provide all spectators a safe and healthy environment.

Key dates in FIFA's work towards smoke-free sporting events:

1986: FIFA announces it will no longer accept advertising from tobacco-industry sponsors.

1999: At the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in the USA, FIFA supports an anti-smoking campaign launched by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

2002: FIFA supports a smoke-free campaign launched by WHO and the HHS. World football’s governing body is consequently bestowed with the WHO Director General’s Award for an anti-smoking campaign.

2002: Korea/Japan becomes the first smoke-free FIFA World Cup, meaning it has no links whatsoever to tobacco. Every FIFA World Cup since has followed suit.

2010: FIFA, the LOC and other stakeholders develop and adopt the ‘Stadium Code of Conduct,’ which describes the applicable measures and policies for stadium visitors and staff, including prohibition of smoking in the stands and around the pitch.

2011: FIFA provides input to the European Healthy Stadia Network for policy position and enforcement guidelines for UEFA, concerning a smoke-free UEFA EURO 2012.

2013/2014: The FIFA Confederations Cup and FIFA World Cup in Brazil take place as tobacco-free events.

2015: World No Tobacco Day celebrated as 'World Smoke Free Day' at the FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015.

2017/2018: Both the FIFA Confederations Cup and the FIFA World Cup in Russia are tobacco-free events.