Football fans queued in Miami to have a picture taken with the sport's most coveted prize: the World Cup trophy.
The trophy was displayed on Monday as part of a one-day-only opportunity for fans as the city hosted its first match of the 2026 football tournament later that evening. It was part of a permanent Fifa exhibit at Miami's Freedom Tower.
Named Unidad – The World's Game, the exhibit is designed to celebrate the connectedness of football, “from recreational games played just down the street to the highest professional levels”, according to the Fifa Museum's site. It occupies nearly 700 square metres across two floors in the Freedom Tower, a historic landmark in downtown Miami – a city known for its reggaeton vibe and pastel colours.
The exhibit allows fans to test their knowledge and also put on a pair of virtual reality goggles to experience the journey of the first World Cup in 1930. But perhaps the most eye-catching installation is its Rainbow of Colours.
The wall is lined with the kits of all of Fifa's 211 member countries, including Brazil's yellow shirt, Argentina's blue-and-white vertical stripes, and the UAE's white shirt and red collar.
Fifa has set up a companion exhibit in New York for the 2026 World Cup, but the location in Miami is permanent and located down the road from the Fifa fan fest.
The fan fest is one of 13 open-air gathering places across the cities hosting the World Cup. Miami's fan fest brings a distinct flair to Bayfront Park that includes an amphitheatre and a separate stage where fans can watch football matches.
Stalls dot the oceanside park, including one selling Panini football cards, a David Beckham-themed interactive zone presented by Home Depot, and food kiosks offering dishes such as roast meat served in cones and freshly opened coconuts with drinking straws.
Fans can be seen wearing the colours of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay, reflecting the city's vibrant South American population. About 71 per cent of the city's population is Hispanic or Latino, according to the most recent data from the US Census Bureau.
But a large contingent of fans from Saudi Arabia has also made their voices heard in Miami. They could be seen wearing the team's classic green kit, singing and marching along Miami's famed Ocean Avenue. Others displayed the Saudi flag on their car bonnets.
