Football fans in Hong Kong now have a World Cup destination of their own. The FIFA Museum opened its doors at Times Square in Causeway Bay on Thursday, marking the first time the museum has established a presence in East Asia and timing its arrival perfectly with the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Canada, Mexico and the United States next month.

The six-month exhibition spans eight zones and takes visitors through the history of the world’s most popular sport.

Rare artefacts on display include 1938 World Cup medals, the first official FIFA mascot Willie, and the original vinyl recording of “Un’ Estate Italiana” – the inaugural World Cup official song. A dedicated ball display traces every official match ball from 1970 to the present day.

The exhibition draws on items connected to some of the game’s most celebrated figures, among them Pelé, Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sun Wen and Son Heung-min, as well as women’s football icons including Alex Morgan, Alexia Putellas and Saki Kumagai.

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Italian World Cup winner Marco Materazzi, who lifted the trophy in 2006, served as guest of honour at the opening ceremony. He was joined by the museum’s managing director Marco Fazzone and Football Association of Hong Kong, China general secretary Charles Cheung.

Designed to attract visitors from Hong Kong, Greater China and beyond, the exhibition aims to engage the city’s football community while inspiring younger generations through shared family experiences.

Standard tickets are priced at HK$180, with concessionary tickets at HK$140. VIP packages are also available. Tickets can be purchased at arena-tix.com or through Klook, Cityline, Ctrip, Trip.com, Get Your Guide, Ticketflap and Eventbrite.