Valderrama to kick off Mumbai leg of World Cup
: Five legendary football players -- Fernando Morientes, Marcel Desailly, Jorge Campos, Emmanuel Amuneke and Carlos Valderrama -- will kickoff the Mumbai leg of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Trophy Experience on September 6. The event will mark “30 days to go” for India’s first FIFA tournament as hosts.
The legends will also take part in an exhibition match at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
“The FIFA U-17 World Cup in India will be a milestone in the history of football. I look forward to joining the Trophy Experience, which will bring the excitement of this landmark event even closer to Indian fans,” said Colombian legend Carlos Valderrama.
There are great expectations in Colombia ahead of the first participation of our team since Nigeria 2009,” he added. Carlos Valderrama played in three editions of the FIFA World Cup in a decorated career spanning more than two decades.
Fernando Morientes featured in two editions of the FIFA World Cup for Spain and is fondly remembered for his three UEFA Champions League trophies with Real Madrid.
Marcel Desailly was part of the French side that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and went on to captain Les Bleus to two FIFA Confederations Cup titles in 2001 and 2003, winning numerous other trophies along the way.
REVOLUTON
Striker-turned-goalkeeper Jorge Campos revolutionised the art of goalkeeping and was Mexico’s undisputed first-choice custodian in successive editions of the FIFA World Cup – USA 1994 and France 1998.
A former Nigeria international at the 1994 FIFA World Cup and Olympic gold medalist in 1996, Emmanuel Amuneke started a successful coaching career that saw him leading the Golden Eaglets to glory at the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2015 in Chile.
The FIFA U-17 World Cup will be the first ever FIFA-sanctioned tournament to be held in India and will see the nation take part in a FIFA event for the first time.