Over 50,000 People Took Photos With FIFA World Cup Trophy in St. Petersburg

ST. PETERSBURG (Sputnik) - More than 50,000 people took photos of the FIFA World Cup Trophy in St. Petersburg while the iconic prize was on display in Russia's second largest city, the trophy tour organizers told Sputnik on Monday.

The trophy was present at a concert held at the city's central Palace Square on its arrival on May 26. It was then put on display near the St. Petersburg Stadium, which will host seven matches of this summer's FIFA World Cup.

"More than 50,000 city residents took the chance to take a photo with the legendary trophy. In addition, around 300,000 spectators of the concert at Palace Square saw the World Cup Trophy earlier," organizers said.

The prize is awarded to the winners of the FIFA World Cup while remaining the property of the organization. It is made of 18-carat gold with a malachite base and depicts two human figures holding the Earth. According to FIFA regulations, only the winners of the tournament and heads of state are allowed to touch the trophy.

The World Cup Trophy set off on the tour from Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium on September 9 and traveled across 16 Russian cities before beginning the international leg of its journey and visiting a total of 51 countries across the globe. After returning to Russia, the trophy visited seven cities before arriving in St. Petersburg. Currently, the gold award is on display in Moscow. The trophy has completed the longest tour in FIFA's history, having covered more than 16,500 miles in 123 days.

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Russia will host its first World Cup from June 14 to July 15. The fixtures will be played at 12 stadiums across 11 cities.