Football Fever: Experience Football’s Cultural Impact Through Play
The FIFA Museum is set to unveil "Football Fever: Play. Compete. Repeat." a new exhibition space opening on 17 December and running until 31 August, which offers visitors an unprecedented opportunity to interact with football like never before.
The immersive experience explores the interplay between football and pop culture and how the sport has influenced toy design, comic culture, entertainment trends, artistic expressions, and social movements. This new space invites guests to do more than just observe - it encourages them to actively engage with the exhibition by playing a variety of football-related games, discovering firsthand how football extends beyond the pitch.
At the heart of this interactive journey is the skills.lab Cube, a cutting-edge installation that allows visitors to take football training practices directly into the museum. Spanning 16m² of artificial turf within a 4m x 4m space, this 3m-high system offers a 360° environment where visitors can test their football skills through challenging games focusing on first touch, ball control, passing accuracy, and spatial awareness.
Beyond the skills.lab Cube, the exhibition features an array of interactive gaming experiences, including football billiard, a 1994 FIFA World CupTM themed pinball machine, vintage and modern gaming consoles, and multiple skill-testing games.
The exhibition also offers a diverse range of objects that illuminate football's remarkable ties to pop culture. Visitors will discover extraordinary pieces that showcase the sport's remarkable reach, including a toy set featuring women's football legends like Megan Rapinoe and Sam Kerr, original Captain Tsubasa mangas, and an AC Milan shirt worn by the iconic Dutch forward legend Ruud Gullit plus an accompanying figurine.
"Football Fever represents our deepest commitment to telling stories that extend far beyond what’s happening on the pitch," said Marco Fazzone, Managing Director of the FIFA Museum. "This new exhibition space reveals how football is intrinsically woven into the fabric of global culture, influencing everything from children's imagination to international entertainment."