“A new and fascinating role”: Diego Forlán joins FIFA World Football Museum as international ambassador

The new FIFA Museum International Ambassador Diego Forlán
The new FIFA Museum International Ambassador Diego Forlán

Diego Forlán has been announced as the FIFA World Football Museum’s official international ambassador. The winner of the adidas Golden Ball as the best player of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ will help safeguard as well as celebrate football’s rich heritage and culture on the global stage.

“I am very proud and honoured to get the chance to represent the world’s home of football history. My passion and excitement for this new mission is huge. We have already started to create wonderful ideas. Exciting, big new projects are coming up and I can’t wait to start working on them,” says Forlán. “Taking the responsibility to represent football heritage and culture is something significant and meaningful that I can completely identify with, and being able to use my voice to bring the FIFA Museum to a broader audience excites and thrills me a lot. It’s a new and fascinating role for me!”

Forlán meets fellow FIFA Legends
The 42-year-old former world-class striker will promote FIFA Museum’s exhibitions and cultural programme not only in Zurich, but also worldwide. He will also be involved in creating and sharing engaging content around football history and culture on its digital channels @fifamuseum. “Part of my mission will be to exclusively interview other FIFA Legends about their most precious football memorabilia. Based on this idea, we are also working on developing exhibition formats that will be something completely new for football fans from all around the world.”

Diego Forlán at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ © Imago
Diego Forlán at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ © Imago

“Big move and major milestone”
“We are delighted to bring Diego Forlán to the FIFA Museum team as our international ambassador,” says Marco Fazzone. The museum’s Managing Director adds: “Diego wrote football history himself. He is one of the unforgettable faces in the history of the World Cup. He was not only a great footballer who broke records, won awards and played in various football cultures in nine different countries all around the world, we have also got to know him as a very smart, thoughtful and sincere person who wants to use the global cultural phenomenon of football as a lever for social responsibility and change. This is a big move and another major milestone for our organisation. We could not have found a better person for this role than him.”

Iconic hairband on display
Forlán joins former Switzerland goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbühler as an official ambassador for the FIFA Museum. The Uruguayan’s original iconic hairband from South Africa 2010 is already showcased in the permanent exhibition in Zurich.

History-maker and World Cup hero
Between his debut in 2002 and his retirement in 2015, Forlán scored 36 times for La Celeste, including six goals at FIFA World Cups. At the 2011 Copa América in Argentina, which Uruguay won, Forlán earned his 79th international cap, breaking the record held since 1986 by goalkeeper Rodolfo Rodríguez. At the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013, he became the first Uruguayan to win 100 caps, while at the 2010 World Cup, he finished as joint top scorer with five goals, including the goal voted the best of the tournament, and won the adidas Golden Ball for best player.

At club level, Forlán played in his home country Uruguay (Peñarol), Argentina (Independiente), Brazil (Internacional), Spain (Villarreal, Atlético Madrid), England (Manchester United), Italy (Inter Milan), Japan (Cerezo Osaka), India (Mumbai City) and Hong Kong (Kitchee).

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