India's first FIFA World Cup is just around the corner. Ok, it's not THE World Cup as we know it, but it definitely is a historic moment for India to host and take part in a FIFA global event.
The Under-17 World Cup will kick off on October 6 and will go on till October 28. As we head into the final weekend ahead of the tournament, we present to you some elements (and some not-so-important trivia) of the event that you could show off when the tournament kicks off:
The trophy
Jane Powell and Thomas Fattorini designed and manufactured the trophy in England in 2004. Made of copper-based brass alloy, zinc, copper, sterling silver and stainless steel, the current design has been in use since the 2005 edition of the tournament.
While the frame represents the two teams battling it out on the pitch for the ball, the international nature of the event is depicted by the globe in the shape of a football, at the top, which is a common feature among all of FIFA’s event trophies.
The trophy had toured all six host cities for the 'Trophy Experience', through which more than a million Indians got to have a glimpse of this holy grail.
The mascot
A clouded leopard called 'Kheleo' was unveiled to hundreds of fans and media persons at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on February 10. The name is derived from two words khel, the Hindi world for play, and 'leo' from leopard.
The clouded leopard is an endangered species found in the Himalayan foothills and is the state animal of Meghalaya. Tigers and elephants have been overused as mascots in Indian sporting events, so the the organisers had considered species like the snow leopard, another endangered species, and the parakeet, before settling for the clouded leopard.
Kheleo, which was visible at every promotional event leading up to the tournament, will be present at every match.
The slogan
The significance of the slogan was noted by FIFA when launching the slogan for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. “The official slogan is more than a tagline,” the statement read. “It represents the underlying mindset and theme running through all aspects of the tournament organisation.”
This tournament's official slogan is 'Football takes over'. On launching the slogan, tournament director Javier Ceppi said that in recognition of the increasing excitement about the beautiful game in India, ‘Football Takes Over’ was the “first and most fitting choice” for the tournament. This slogan was selected to emphasise how a first FIFA event is engulfing the nation.
The slogan for the last edition held at Chile in 2015 was “A party on our pitch”. Ours does not sound so cool now, does it?
The match ball
Remember Teamgeist, Jabulani and Brazuca that were iconic match balls of the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups? Well, this time, we have Krasava. Having been used in the Confederations Cup in Russia this year, it will also be the official match ball of this U17 event.
'Krasava!' is a Russian term used by football fans to express admiration for a player who dazzles on the pitch.
Manufactured by Adidas, the ball has a red design with jagged lines running through it, to resemble a Russian Ruby and the metaphorical jewel of the game. The panel shape is said to offer an enhanced grip and in-flight visibility.
The song
We may not have Shakira to belt out Hips Don't Lie or Waka Waka, but Bollywood singer-producer Pritam composed a Hindi number titled 'Kar Ke Dikhla De Goal' to be used as the tournament's official song. It was written by lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya.
Sunidhi Chauhan, Neeti Mohan, Babul Supriyo, Shaan, Papon and Mika are the singers who have lent their voice to the track, while actor Abhishek Bachchan opens with a rap cameo.
Watch out for another cameo at the end of the video.
The emblem
The official emblem is a mix of elements—the Indian Ocean, the banyan tree, the kite and the starburst, which is an interpretation of the Ashoka Chakra. They are combined to take the form of the tournament trophy.
The Indian Ocean serves as the base of the emblem. The banyan tree (India's national tree) and the kite (symbolising soaring aspirations) form the frame. The starburst at the top represents the variety of festivals in India.
The structure
Unlike the senior World Cup, in which there are 32 teams, the U17 version has only 24 teams. And, since there is a round of 16 before the quaterfinal stage, not only will the top two teams from each of the six groups advance, but also four best third-placed teams.
Another key difference between the two tournaments is that knockout matches for the teen event will not have extra time after the 90 minutes. Should a game end in a draw after 90 minutes, the two teams will will have to fight it out on penalties.
Since the tournament is in India, matches will be conducted in hot and sultry conditions compared to European and American climates. Foreign teams that have toured India for friendlies before have found it difficult to play in Indian conditions and there have been water breaks during play. Match officials during this tournament will assess the situation and there could be such stoppages during games, something that is unheard of in other FIFA events.
The schedule
Group stage
Group A (New Delhi) - India, USA, Colombia, Ghana
Group B (Mumbai) - Paraguay, Mali, New Zealand, Turkey
Group C (Goa) - Iran, Guinea, Germany, Costa Rica
Group D (Kochi) - DPR Korea, Niger, Brazil, Spain
Group E (Guwahati) - Honduras, Japan, New Caledonia, France
Group F (Kolkata) - Iraq, Mexico, Chile, England
October 6:
Colombia vs Ghana- 5pm
New Zealand vs Turkey- 5pm
India vs USA- 8pm
Paraguay vs Mali- 8pm
October 7:
Brazil vs Spain - 5pm
Germany vs Costa Rica - 5pm
Iran vs Guinea - 8pm
DPR Korea vs Niger - 8pm
October 8:
New Caledonia vs France - 5pm
Chile vs England - 5pm
Honduras vs Japan - 8pm
Iraq vs Mexico - 8pm
October 9:
Ghana vs USA - 5pm
Turkey vs Mali - 5pm
India vs Colombia - 8pm
Paraguay vs New Zealand - 8pm
October 10:
Costa Rica vs Guinea - 5pm
Spain vs Niger - 5pm
DPR Korea vs Brazil - 8pm
Iran vs Germany - 8pm
October 11:
France vs Japan - 5pm
England vs Mexico - 5pm
Honduras vs New Caledonia - 8pm
Iraq vs Chile - 8pm
October 12:
Mali vs New Zealand - 5pm
Turkey vs Paraguay - 5pm
Ghana vs India - 8pm
USA vs Colombia - 8pm
October 13:
Costa Rica vs Iran - 5pm
Guinea vs Germany - 5pm
Niger vs Brazil - 8pm
Spain vs DPR Korea - 8pm
October 14:
France vs Honduras - 5pm
Japan vs New Caledonia - 5pm
Mexico vs Chile - 8pm
England vs Iraq - 8pm
Round Of 16
October 16:
R1. [2A] vs [2C] 5pm, New Delhi
R2. [1B] vs [3A/C/D] 8pm, New Delhi
October 17:
R3. [1C] vs [3A/B/F] 5pm, Goa
R4. [1E] vs [2D] 5pm, Guwahati
R5. [1F] vs [2E] 8pm, Kolkata
R6. [2B] vs [2F] 8pm, Goa
October 18:
R7. [1A] vs [3C/D/E] 5pm, Mumbai
R8. [1D] vs [3B/E/F] 8pm, Kochi
Quarter finals
October 21
Q1. [R2 winner] vs [R5 winner] 5pm, Guwahati
Q2. [R6 winner] vs [R7 winner] 8pm, Goa
October 22:
Q3. [R4 winner] vs [R3 winner] 5pm, Kochi
Q4. [R1 winner] vs [R8 winner] 8pm, Kolkata
Semi finals
October 25:
[Q2 winner] vs [Q4 winner] 5pm, Guwahati
[Q1 winner] vs [Q3 winner] 8pm, Mumbai
Third place
October 28: 5pm, Kolkata
Final
October 28: 8pm, Kolkata