Sports Desk:

The FIFA World Cup trophy arrived in Bangladesh on Wednesday morning as part of its global tour. The iconic trophy landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka aboard a special flight.

The visit is part of the “FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola”, and accompanying the trophy is legendary Brazilian midfielder Gilberto Silva, a member of Brazil’s World Cup-winning squad in 2002.

The trophy was received at the airport by Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) president Tabith Awal, who was joined by Bangladesh national team captain Jamal Bhuiyan, BIDA chairman Ashik Chowdhury, and NBR chairman Abdur Rahman Khan. Under tight security, the trophy was then escorted from the airport to the Radisson Blu Hotel.

Unlike the previous visit in 2022, the trophy will not be open to the general public this time. There will be no large-scale exhibition or concert at venues such as the Army Stadium. Considering the overall situation in the country, the organisers have opted for a scaled-down programme.

Only selected winners of Coca-Cola’s “Under the Cap” campaign will have the opportunity to see the trophy up close and take photographs with it later in the day.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be the biggest edition in the tournament’s history. For the first time, the event will be hosted jointly by three countries — the United States, Mexico and Canada. The tournament will begin on June 11 and conclude on July 19.