São Paulo – The Soccer Museum in São Paulo (pictured above) will show 2018 FIFA World Cup matches. It’s inviting Arab descendants living in Brazil to watch their home countries’ games. The Museum, which is set within the Pacaembu Stadium, will show all games except those happening on Mondays, on which it is closed.
The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce is a partner for the project. It will help with promotion and provide Arab snacks during the opening match – Saudi Arabia vs. Russia – at noon on Thursday (14). Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco are the other Arab teams that have qualified for the Cup.
On Friday (15), Egypt will play Uruguay at 9 am and Morocco will take on Iran at noon. Tunisia will play England at 3 pm on the 18th, a Monday. (All Arab teams’ Group Phase matches are listed at the end of this story).
The executive director of the Soccer Museum’s managing organization ID Brasil, Eric Klug, believes the Arab communities in Brazil are interested in soccer and will want to come to watch the games. He points out that many Brazilian coaches and players work in Arab countries, and that the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be played in Qatar – an Arab country.
Klug claims that like music and other cultural manifestations, soccer brings people together in a very immediate way. “This will be a great opportunity for nations and cultures to come together through soccer,” he said.
Arab Chamber president Rubens Hannun also believes in soccer as a driver of integration. “We have a relevant Arab community here, and soccer is a key element for integration,” he told ANBA, stressing that the sport is enjoyed by Brazilians and Arabs alike. According to him, the Chamber’s mission includes promoting and supporting culture and sports as well as economic activities.
The Soccer Museum sought out the Arab Chamber for this partnership, and it is also in touch with other organizations and the diplomatic representations of other nations in Brazil. It plans to bring other communities in to watch World Cup matches.
According to Klug, talks are ongoing with Germany, Mexico, Portugal and England. Besides having people come to watch the games, the Museum is looking to have organizations or consulates carry out some type of additional action, like serving typical dishes.
The Soccer Museum is also hosting the exhibit A Primeira Estrela: o Brasil na Copa de 1958 (The First Star: Brazil in the 1958 World Cup), from June 5 through September 9, to mark the 60th anniversary of Brazil’s first time winning the Cup, which happened in 1958.
Featuring an interactive audiovisual installation, the show revisits the Brazilian national team’s world cup performances from 1958 until now. A special projection in the tunnel to the old Pacaembu dressing room simulates the 1958 finals, with footage from different European TV channels and audio from Brazilian radio broadcasts.
Admission to the Museum costs BRL 12 (full) or BRL 6 (half). Scheduled visits by school student groups are free of charge. The Soccer Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9 am to 6 pm (tickets available until 5 pm).
Quick facts
Check out the dates and times of games involving Arab teams
in the 2018 FIFA World Cup (Group Phase)
Thursday, June 14
12 noon – Saudi Arabia X Russia
Friday, June 15
9 am – Egypt X Uruguay
12 noon – Morocco X Iran
Tuesday, June 19
3 pm – Egypt X Russia
Wednesday, June 20
9 am – Morocco X Portugal
12 noon – Saudi Arabia X Uruguay
Saturday, June 23
9 am – Tunisia X Belgium
Thursday, June 28
3 pm – Tunisia X Panama
Find out more:
https://www.museudofutebol.org.br/
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
