The FIFA Museum, which details the history of international football and culture, welcomed 273,000 visitors in 2023, the highest number since it opened in Zurich, Switzerland eight years ago.
A further 350,000 online visitors explored the museum’s digital exhibitions, with an additional six million fans globally engaging with the museum’s cultural and educational content.
Last year featured the guest exhibition ‘Paolo Rossi, un Ragazzo d’oro’ in collaboration with the Paolo Rossi Foundation, as well as special exhibition ‘211 Cultures. One Game’, which explored the footballing cultures of each of FIFA’s 211 member associations.
Rounding off the year was a collaboration with the Design Museum in London, ‘Designing the Beautiful Game’, which examined the relationship between football and design throughout history. The exhibition will run until spring.
“We are delighted to have connected with a vast community of football and culture lovers, both in person and through our digital platforms. The year 2023 was highly successful in carrying out the FIFA Museum’s mission and responsibility to share the magic of football with the entire world,” said managing director, Marco Fazzone.
“In addition to our permanent exhibition, we highlighted milestones in women’s football, showcased 211 football cultures, explored the intersection of design and the beautiful game, expanded our global outreach and embraced technological innovation. The surge in visitor numbers, along with our international resonance and growth, underscores our unwavering commitment to celebrating and safeguarding football heritage and culture on a truly global scale.”
The FIFA Museum also embraced digital in 2023 with the launch of its first virtual reality experience. Using state-of-the-art technology, the experience is able to transport visitors to the Estadio Centenario in 1930 to witness the atmosphere during the first FIFA World Cup. It also takes guests on the journey of the SS Conte Verde, the ship that took the then-FIFA president Jules Rimet and teams from Europe and Brazil to the tournament in Uruguay.
The museum also hosted public screenings of every match of last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Additionally, the museum offers free entry to its exhibitions in Zurich for school classes, with more than 7,000 school children exploring its education programme in 2023.
The FIFA Museum also expanded its international reach in 2023 by opening its first permanent exhibition abroad. In collaboration with premium experiences company Legends, the feature is located in Madrid and is dedicated to the history of the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“The opening of our first permanent exhibition outside of Zurich was a significant milestone for the FIFA Museum – a crucial step in our global strategy that allows us to share football history, heritage and culture with an even broader audience worldwide,” added Fazzone.
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