Algerian Radio
The sixth tour of the football World Cup trophy made a stop in Algiers on Sunday for a two-day visit.
Led by former German international Jurgen Klinsmann, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) delegation was welcomed upon arrival in Algiers by the President of the Algerian Football Federation (FAF), Walid Sadi, who was accompanied by certain national team players, namely goalkeeper Luca Zidane, defender Zinedine Belaïd, and attacking midfielder Ibrahim Maza.
The World Cup trophy will be exhibited at the Coupole of the Mohamed-Boudiaf Olympic Complex (Algiers), where football enthusiasts will be able to observe it up close and even take souvenir photos.
Indeed, this tour offers thousands of fans across the world the opportunity to see the original World Cup trophy up close, as a prelude to the next World Cup, scheduled from June 11 to July 19, 2026, in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Having started on January 3rd in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the tour of the original World Cup trophy will visit 30 FIFA member associations, with 75 stops over more than 150 days, thus offering fans around the world a unique opportunity to admire the most coveted trophy in world football.
The tour notably includes the three host countries of the 2026 World Cup, as well as the future host countries of the 2030 and 2034 World Cups and the 2027 Women's World Cup.
At each stage, local communities will benefit from unique interaction opportunities, ranging from immersive brand experiences and interactive football challenges to exclusive content with FIFA legends.
The year 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour. During this period, more than four million supporters from 182 territories around the world have participated in the event.
In five editions, the trophy has stopped in 182 of the 211 FIFA member associations.
Made of solid 18-carat gold, the Cup measures 36.8 cm high with a weight of 6.175 kg and a diameter of 13 cm at the base. The latter features two horizontal bands of semi-precious green malachite, restored for the last time in 2005, the trophy having been coated on that occasion with a new layer of gold.
As of the 2006 edition, FIFA decided to no longer hand over the original trophy to the winning team. Before that, the federation that won the competition could display the cup in its trophy gallery for four years, before returning it to FIFA during the following edition.
Since Germany 2006, the winning team can only handle the original trophy during the official presentation ceremony. They must then return it to FIFA, which immediately gives them a faithful replica of the original trophy, rather than after four years.
As a reminder, this is the third time the World Cup trophy has visited Algeria. The first two times were on the occasion of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Algeria qualified for the 2026 World Cup by finishing comfortably at the top of qualifying Group G with a total of 25 points, seven points ahead of its direct pursuer, Uganda.
The "Greens" are reconnecting with the World Cup after missing the last two World Cups: 2018 in Russia and 2022 in Qatar.
The last Algerian participation dates back to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil with a brilliant qualification for the Round of 16, beaten by the future winner of the event, Germany (2-1 after extra time).
This is the fifth time in its history that Algeria will take part in the World Cup, following the 1982, 1986, 2010, and 2014 editions.
At the 2026 World Cup, Algeria will play in Group J alongside Argentina (title holders), Austria, and Jordan.
