The Palestra hosts the World Cup trophy: ‘It’s a central part of the city’
As part of a 38-stop tour across North America, local soccer fans got to come close with the World Cup trophy on Thursday at the cathedral of college basketball.
Only the best of the best hoist the World Cup trophy, but local soccer fans got to come close with the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour on Thursday.
The trophy was displayed at the Palestra from as part of its 38-stop tour across North America.
But why was the cathedral of college basketball hosting soccer’s most famous trophy?
The longtime plan was for Coca-Cola, which presents the trophy tour, to work with officials at the University of Pennsylvania on the display. Originally, the event was going to be at Penn Park, but it moved inside because of the rainy forecast.
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Mike Nelson, commercial director for local distributer Liberty Coca-Cola, said the event being held inside the Palestra adds to the building’s nearly 100-year history.
“We wanted to work with our local partners to ensure that we have access for more people,” Nelson said. “We had youth groups here this morning. We had many community groups. And we had over 3,000 people that signed up to come and see the trophy online, and this was the perfect fit.
“The staff here was great. The accommodations are great, and it’s a central part of the city,” Nelson said.
Despite the weather, there were food trucks and a fan market selling merchandise outside the arena.
Inside the Palestra, there were several activities, including a shootout simulation and lifesize foosball, where fans got to be the players. There were other photo opportunities, but the trophy was the main attraction.
Valentina Hernandez, a 20-year-old from Philadelphia, has been a soccer fan her whole life, but never expected to see the World Cup trophy in person. The excitement for lifelong fans like Hernandez and for casual watchers alike is building for the World Cup, which begins next month in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, including in Philadelphia.
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Hernandez, who works at a sneaker store, said she has seen the excitement build with the jerseys and other items they have in stock for the World Cup.
“I’m really telling people about it, to go out there and see what’s going on, and I feel like a lot of people have been looking forward to it,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez has tickets to the Brazil vs. Haiti game on June 19 at Lincoln Financial Field, but for other fans, like 33-year-old Parsa Namaki Araghi, the ticket prices were too high.
Namaki Araghi, who is from Arak, Iran, and now works at Drexel, said getting to see the trophy up close was “a great opportunity,” even though he expected it to be a replica.
When the first of the six matches in Philly kicks off on June 14, Namaki Araghi said he’ll be among the fans enjoying it at the local bars and fan events.
“I love sports, but football” — meaning soccer — “is my most favorite sport since being a kid,” Namaki Araghi said. “So this is the biggest stage of football. … It’s beautiful. It brings everyone together.”
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“[The World Cup is] bringing the world to Philadelphia,” Nelson said. “We’re able to celebrate here, and everything that’s happening in Philadelphia over the next couple of months, the celebration of the 250th birthday of our country, bringing the entire world here to celebrate and watch six great matches in the Philadelphia Stadium is the reason why we wanted to be here to celebrate.”
Nine nations will compete in five group stage matches this summer, plus two more in a knockout game on July 4. Here’s what you need to know about those countries — and what those fans need to know about Philly. Click here for more.