The FIFA World Cup trophy isn't like hockey's Stanley Cup — winning teams don't get to take it home for a year. The team's victorious status is engraved onto the trophy; the team takes home a replica.
So the trophy that St. Louis-area soccer fans can get an up-close look at on Friday has seen a lot of soccer history.
The World Cup trophy will be available for viewing and photos at Westport Plaza's Green Space from noon until 8 p.m. Friday. Free tickets are available here.
The trophy tour next will stop in Kansas City on Saturday and Sunday outside the entrance to KC Live! on Market Street between 13th and 14th streets. Hours are from noon to 8 p.m., and free tickets are available here.
Matches in the 2026 World Cup, which features the men's teams of qualifying nations, will happen at venues in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City will host six matches, beginning with a contest between Algeria and perennial World Cup contenders Argentina on June 16.
Yet with ticket prices higher than in past tournaments, a selfie with a trophy is as close as some fans will get to the action.
"They're going to have a whole bunch of opportunities for people to participate in the games, even if they can't actually be at Arrowhead Stadium," Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe said at a press conference previewing Friday's trophy viewing at Westport Plaza.
The FIFA Fan Festival in Kansas City includes seven concerts, including the Chainsmokers (June 13), Flo Rida (June 19) and Tech N9ne on June 12 and July 11.
St. Louis City SC will also sponsor a series of World Cup happenings.
"There'll be thousands and thousands of people that come to the market that actually don't get in the game," Kehoe added, "but are just going to be a part of the excitement around it. And you see that with a lot of major events."
Soccer-minded organizations in St. Louis are organizing events keyed to World Cup matchups. STL Santos, a group of Spanish-speaking and immigrant supporters of City SC, will host watch parties at Ballpark Village for matches featuring Mexico and South Africa on June 11, Brazil and Morocco on June 13 and Colombia and Portugal on June 17.
Information about other events will be available closer to the start of the tournament.
Fans say 'Yikes!' to ticket price hikes
Ticket prices to World Cup matches vary based on venue, the teams involved and how deep into the tournament a match falls. FIFA quietly added a new tier of higher ticket prices last week, listing some seats for the U.S. team's first match at $4,105.
After winning an online raffle for the chance to buy tickets in a FIFA presale, Alejandro Zeballos, who serves as chief of staff for STL Santos, said the most affordable tickets he saw available were about $140 after taxes and fees. A small number of seats in the tournament's opening round were priced as low as $60.
The cheapest tickets to early-round matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar were just $11.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has cited high demand as the source of increased ticket prices.
Zeballos, who plans to see a few matches at Arrowhead Stadium and one in Toronto, said the ticket prices can't erase the enthusiasm for the marquee event in men's soccer.
"A lot of us will have sacrificed a lot to make this happen and be a part of the World Cup. So it does make it more of a privilege to go see these things. But I think the excitement is still there," Zeballos said. "This is an event that happens once every four years, and to many of us it's the biggest event in the world. So it would take a lot to quell some of that excitement."
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