Maldives will host the FIFA World Cup Trophy next month as part of its world tour ahead of the upcoming tournament in Russia, the international governing body of football has revealed.

According to FIFA’s schedule, the World Cup Trophy will be in Maldives capital Male from January 24-25.

However, an official from the Football Association of Maldives (FAM) told local daily Mihaaru that the Male leg of the tour has not been finalised yet. Discussions are still underway, he added.

In 2006, FIFA and long-term partner Coca-Cola took an ambitious first step on a remarkable new journey by taking the original FIFA World Cup Trophy and flying it around the world in the build-up to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

Since 2006, every new edition of the FIFA World Cup has brought with it the promise of a new Trophy Tour — an exciting and exclusive experience since the trophy is otherwise only displayed at the FIFA World Football Museum in Zurich, during the FIFA World Cup Final Draw and at the final match of every FIFA World Cup.

In September 2017, the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola kicked off in Russian capital Moscow. The tour stayed in Russia until December before going global to cover over 50 countries across six continents. It returns to the host country in May just ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Football is the most popular sports in the Maldives.

The island nation, known for its pristine beaches and world-class tourism, is also popular amongst global sports stars.