FIFA today announced the appointment of the Ambassadors for the 2018 FIFA Fan Fest, the official public viewing of the FIFA World Cup. Legendary football players Aleksandr Kerzhakov – top striker of the Russian national team and in the Russian league history – and Marcel Desailly – FIFA World Cup champion with France in 1998, will promote the FIFA Fan Fest and motivate football fans from all over the world to visit, free of charge, the 11 unique locations organised by FIFA in close collaboration with the 2018 FWC Host Cities.
Aleksandr Kerzhakov and Marcel Desailly will also make several guest appearances at the selected locations of the FIFA Fan Fest during the tournament. The announcement was hosted by Yana Churikova, Russian journalist and 2018 FIFA World Cup Ambassador, and took place in the State Kremlin Palace, the same location where the Official Draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup will be carried out on Friday, December 1.
“It is a great honour for my country to be hosting the 21st edition of the FIFA World Cup next year and I am convinced that the FIFA Fan Fest will contribute greatly to the overall experience for the attending fans,” confirms Aleksandr Kerzhakov.
“All our 11 Host Cities have the opportunity to put the Russian culture and hospitality in the spotlight at their FIFA Fan Fest that will be accessible free of charge. I am looking forward to checking this out for myself in my role as 2018 FIFA Fan Fest Ambassador.”
“During my football career, I played in several different countries in front of impressive crowds. I hope to see these fans from all over the world again at the FIFA Fan Fest locations to celebrate football together”, says Marcel Desailly.
“It is amazing to feel the excitement building here in Russia for the FIFA World Cup and what better way to be part of the action than as FIFA Fan Fest Ambassador.”
The FIFA Fan Fest provides the opportunity to enjoy an authentic FIFA World Cup experience. Since the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany the FIFA Fan Fest has become part of the Official Programme and continued for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa and the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, with almost 30 million people attending these events over these past three editions.
“We are thrilled to have Aleksandr Kerzhakov and Marcel Desailly join us as FIFA Fan Fest Ambassadors,” said Jean-François Pathy, FIFA Director Marketing Services. “They are both emblematic figures in the world of football and have extensive FIFA World Cup experience with Marcel Desailly even being crowned FIFA World Cup winner in 1998. Their enthusiastic and warm personalities embody perfectly the values of the FIFA Fan Fest. With only a few months to go until the opening match of the FIFA World Cup, we are looking forward to enjoying amazing football, lively atmosphere and wonderful entertainment at all our FIFA Fan Fest locations.”
In their new appointment as FIFA Fan Fest Ambassadors, Desailly and Kerzhakov follow in the footsteps of FIFA Legend Ronaldo, who was the FIFA Fan Fest Ambassador for the 2014 edition in Brazil.