With less than two months before the FIFA World Cup kicks off in Russia, the tournament trophy landed in Japan Friday as its traditional tour across the globe winds down.
The trophy arrived at Haneda airport, welcomed with a ceremony attended by FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura and former Brazil defender and 2002 World Cup winner Gilberto Silva, among others.
"We'd like to get even closer to this trophy in Russia," Japan Football Association President Kozo Tashima said.
The golden trophy is visiting 91 cities in 51 countries on a world tour that began its international leg in January. It will travel to Osaka on Saturday and Shizuoka on Sunday before returning to Russia to be showcased in more cities in May.
