It is India’s first ever FIFA tournament which will be hosted from October 6 to 28. (Source: Indian Football Team Twitter)
India will be hosting FIFA legends Carlos Valderrama, Fernando Morientes, Marcel Desailly, Jorge Campos and Emmanuel Amuneke at the Trophy Experience on September 6 in Mumbai to mark 30 days before the start of the U-17 FIFA World Cup 2017.
India have already hosted Carles Puyol, Esteban Cambiasso and Nwankwo Kanu as part of the lead-up to the tournament. They will play in an exhibition match at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai to celebrate what is poised to be the biggest football tournament in India’s history.
An iconic star of Colombian and South American football, Valderrama, “El Pibe”, has played in three editions of the FIFA World Cup in a decorated career spanning more than two decades.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. 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. The striker-turned-goalkeeper 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 who played at the 1994 FIFA World Cup and won Olympic gold in 1996, Amuneke has embarked upon a successful coaching career that saw him lead the Golden Eaglets to glory at the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2015 in Chile.
🇨🇴🇪🇸🇫🇷🇲🇽🇳🇬🛬🇮🇳
Mumbai is set to host a quintet of FIFA Legends as part of the #FIFAU17WC Trophy Experience!
ℹ️➡️http://t.co/CblVdb59dB pic.twitter.com/HQTZy401z2— FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) 28 August 2017
“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. There are great expectations in Colombia ahead of the first participation of our team since Nigeria 2009,” said FIFA legend Valderrama.
Expressing his delight at the prospect of hosting five FIFA Legends during the Trophy Experience, LOC Chairman and AIFF President Praful Patel said: “Starting today, we’re just a month away from the biggest football tournament our country has witnessed. Immense effort has gone into the preparation, both on and off the pitch, and we’re really close to seeing it all bear fruit. Today, as part of the ongoing Official Trophy Experience, we mark the final milestone in the run-up to the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017. In a month’s time, we hope to see spectators turn out in large numbers and play their part in putting India on the global footballing map.”
