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IKER CASILLAS TO ACCOMPANY WORLD CUP TO OPENING CEREMONY

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, MOSCOW.

 

As the 21st edition of the World Cup kicks off this Thursday in Moscow, one of the star performers of the previous editions, Goalkeeper Iker Casillas will be the footballer to accompany of the official trophy to the Luzhniki Stadium.

A few minutes before Russia and Saudi Arabia kick-off, Casillas who is a FIFA Legend and 2010 FIFA World Cup winner with Spain will bring on to the pitch the FIFA World Cup Original Trophy in its newly designed travel case designed by Louis Vuitton. Casillas will be accompanied by Russian supermodel and philanthropist, Natalia Vodianova.

“The people of Russia are very excited to welcome the FIFA World Cup. I am proud to represent my country on this day and the dream that the FIFA World Cup Trophy represents,” Vodianova.

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The celebrated FIFA World Cup Original Trophy measures 36 cm in height, weighs 6.175 kg and is made of solid 18-carat gold with a base of semi-precious malachite. To accommodate this prestigious prize, Louis Vuitton has produced a special-order travel case – handmade by master craftsmen at the historic Asnières workshop near Paris.

The World Cup trophy and the box that will encase it into the stadium on Thursday

The case created for Russia is covered in beautiful, lightweight yet hard wearing, laser-engraved Monogram Titanium. The trunk’s eight corners are protected with Louis Vuitton’s celebrated natural cowhide leather, and the lock and six clasps are made in ruthenium, a strong dark-grey metal, which has the chemical symbol Ru and was named after this year’s FIFA World Cup™ host.

 

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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