Live Matches, Missing Trophies, and Messi’s Boots: FIFA’s World Football Museum in World Cup Mood

A decent hologram

Something's missing from the FIFA World Football Museum in Zurich, Switzerland, during World Cup month – the World Cup. Still, there’s an immediacy of excitement to its absence; a hologram makes a great sub, and other events kick in to compensate: live screenings of all World Cup games, and free entry to anyone who shows up during the World Cup in a national team shirt.

FIFA's showcase museum at its Zurich HQ has taken stick in the past – it cost £114 million to create and lost over £24.5 million in its first year of 2016 – hardly a banner year for FIFA. Still, on a recent visit, like a true England fan, I put disillusionment behind me and indulged in a best-case scenario ticket. I wasn't disappointed.

First, FIFA neatly sidesteps the boring cases-of-trophies and sweaty-signed-shirts syndrome that prevails in many stadium museums. Instead, in an example of high tech coming-of-age, this museum indulges in modern media, yet skillfully showcases football, not the medium itself.  

Will England get a new
show case in 2018? 

Put yourself in the
World Cup picture!

On entry (and directional flow is managed with a severity only the Swiss can muster) you’re surrounded by 2 storey video scenes of street and beach soccer,. 

On the next level, you can (usually) see the World Cup, follow football’s history, and play the commentator or the referee in very cool virtual settings. 

Life size football pinball

Football pinball wizard

Messi's boot:
A mere 740 SF

The mandatory movie is action-packed and fast-paced, cleverly blending top games and players, past and present, with admirable flow of both the film and the visitors, who are politely herded through the theater into a large glass elevator towards the next level. 

Here, you can test your soccer skills by dribbling, shooting, and curving balls around dinging, buzzing obstacles in life-size, football pinball machines. In keeping with the museum's clever balance between traditional and virtual reality, you can also listen to World Cup anthems in impossibly soundproofed open seats; play good old fashioned table foosball, or set the kids up with crayons for an impromptu football art project.

Traditional games meet hi-tech 

This is Switzerland, so when the game inevitably ends in a shop, prices are exorbitant. Still, where else can you buy golden signed Messi boots or gold-look World Cup keyrings? 

No, nothing beats being at the game – but this place is well worth a visit either in World Cup season, or in the long bleak wait for another hologram to replace the hallowed trophy.

Getting there: The FIFA World Football Museum is right beside the Enge Zurich train station, and 2 stops away from the harbour on the number 5 tram. Public transportation is best as there’s no parking onsite.

Cost: 24 Swiss Francs for adults;  14 for children 7-15; under 6 – free