The Exhibition

Football. Fútbol. Fußball. Voetbal. Calcio. Jalkopallo. Kora. Soccer. The names vary, but the game’s the same. And it’s played everywhere. In every village and city in every country on every continent.

That’s why when you enter the exhibition of the FIFA Museum you are greeted by giant video screens showing football from locations around the world. It is a worthy beginning of an exhibition that is dedicated to a game that continues to connect and inspire the world.

Enhance your visit with our free audio guide, available in eight languages. Click here for details.

The Rainbow

The Rainbow is a 35-metre showcase of national team shirts celebrating the global appeal of association football. All 211 member associations of FIFA are represented in The Rainbow.

Member associations and players are represented in the inner circle of The Rainbow by their national team shirts. The shirts are not arranged alphabetically or according to their place in the world rankings, but according to their colour - like a rainbow.

The outer ring pays tribute to the fans – the lifeblood of the game. In every country, their passion is what makes football the most popular sport in the world.

The Timeline

The Timeline is 13 metres long, but it needs that length to trace the history of the game of association football from its origins in the British Isles to its pre-eminent position in the sporting world today. Using the dates on which the member associations joined FIFA, it illustrates the growing enthusiasm for association football throughout the world.

A key feature of The Timeline is the panel that charts the changes to the Laws of the Game. From the original 13 to the current 17, not a single sentence remains unaltered. The Timeline is also the story of new tournaments that have shaped the history of association football, such as the FA Cup in 1871/72 in club football or the Copa América for nationl teams in 1916. Naturally, the World Cups organised by FIFA, in all their variations, are also prominently represented.

In 1947, a match was played between Great Britain and Europe in Glasgow, to celebrate the return of the four British associations to FIFA. The game was dubbed the “Match of the Century”. The commemorative plate now on display in the Timeline was presented by FIFA President Jules Rimet to the Great Britain captain George Hardwick.

The Foundations

The Foundations is the smallest room in the museum, yet one of the most significant. It tells the story of the creation of FIFA in 1904 and the mission of the founding fathers: that FIFA will develop and control international football. The aims of the founders are enshrined in the ten articles of the original statutes.

How those aims were put into practice is the focus of the six pillars which dominate the room. From humble beginnings in a small corner of Europe, the scope of FIFA’s work has expanded, and today its global reach and work can be explored in the giant interactive world map on the main wall.

One of the star exhibits in the FIFA Museum is the first minute book of the International Football Association Board. Dating from 1886, it is one of five that record the changes to the Laws of the Game at the annual meetings of the IFAB. The minutes of each meeting are signed by the delegates who attended.

Apart from the current FIFA World Cup Trophy, the most valuable item in the FIFA Museum is a piece of semi-precious lapis lazuli rock. It is the original base of the Jules Rimet Cup, that was stolen with its new base in Brazil in 1983. The original base, replaced with a bigger on after the FIFA World Cup 1954, was found in the FIFA archives in 2014. It now supports a replica of the Jules Rimet Cup, the exact origin of which is unknown.

The FIFA World Cup Gallery

The FIFA World Cup Gallery is the largest room in the museum and is dedicated to the two most important competitions run by FIFA – the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup. It is the beating heart of the museum.

The history is brought to life through displays dedicated to each tournament, showcasing extraordinary objects from football’s past: a shirt from the first finals in Uruguay, a tracksuit worn by Pelé at the 1958 finals, the kit and gold medal won by April Heinrichs, the first woman to lift the Women’s World Cup.

Pride of place goes to the two trophies themselves, both of which have a permanent home within the museum. The FIFA World Cup trophy made its debut at the 1974 World Cup, after Brazil were allowed to keep the Jules Rimet trophy after winning the title for a third time in 1970. The FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy dates from 1999, when it was introduced for the finals in the USA.

Tactical diagram drawn by Germany coach Tina Theune-Meyer in preparation for the semi-final against the USA at the FIFA Women’s World Cup USA 2003. Germany won the match 3-0 and went on to win the title for the first time.

In 1978, many people still didn’t have colour television. And on black-and-white TV, dark colours were hard to tell apart. So when the blue shirts of France met the red of Hungary in Mar del Plata, someone had to change. That someone was France – but an error by their team supervisor led to both teams arriving with white shirts. The match was delayed for 40 minutes before the arrival of France’s replacement kit, provided by local club Atlético Kimberley.

The Cinema

Before taking the lift to the first floor, an emotional highlight of any visit can be experienced in the Cinema. On the unique 180° screen visitors can watch the two short films "The Final" and "The path of Champions".

"The Final" is an original short film made up entirely of footage from finals of the FIFA World Cup.

"The path of Champions" follows the teams at every FIFA Women’s World Cup to discover who beat the odds to become world champions.

Outside the cinema is the Curva Nord. It is named after some of the world’s most famous stands. It contains seats from stadiums which have staged great World Cup moments, including London’s Wembley in 1966, Munich’s Olympiastadionin 1974, and Cape Town’s Green Point in 2010.

eFootball: The Virtual Pitch

eFootball is a compelling part of global football culture. The boundary between simulation and reality is becoming increasingly blurred and every day around the world, millions of living rooms are transformed into virtual pitches.

With hundreds of millions of fans living out their passion for the beautiful game virtually, eFootball is here to stay. The exhibition presents how the FIFA series and FIFA’s eFootball tournaments are part of the global phenomenon that is eSports.

In the eFootball universe, gamers compete individually, as members of eSports teams and in national teams. Get to know the different FIFA tournaments and champions and take a selfie with the biggest prize in eFootball: the FIFAe World Cup Trophy.

Technological developments are closing the gap between real life and the virtual world. Discover how the appearance of footballers in the game changed over time and let yourself be transported into the game to celebrate a goal with the stars. Take deep dive into the fascinating world of eFootball in our immersive video installation.