Ronaldo to grace the Confederations Cup closing ceremony
Saint Petersburg: Football fans heading to the stadium on Sunday are looking forward to an exciting FIFA Confederations Cup final between Chile and Germany, but the prelude is set to be no less memorable.
The closing ceremony will highlight the beautiful city, honour previous winners and feature two-time FIFA World Cup-winner Ronaldo, according to a FIFA statement.
Football will also play an important role in the spectacle, as enormous footballer puppets representing the countries that have won previous editions of the tournament will be paraded on the stage. After that, one of the most famous players ever to win the Confederations Cup, FIFA legend and two-time FIFA World Cup winner Ronaldo, will bring the coveted winners’ trophy out into the stadium.
"I'm delighted to be back at the Confederations Cup," said Ronaldo, who won the 1997 edition in Saudi Arabia. "But, more importantly, it's great to come back to Russia. I've no doubt the country will organise an incredible World Cup next year," said the former Brazilian striker.
The clock tower on the Peter and Paul Fortress will begin the spectacle by sending the audience back in time to 1897 when the Venice of the North was at the heart of the golden age of ballet in the country. Russian icon Nikolay Tsiskaridze, rector of the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, will lend his unique expertise for this section.
The entire ceremony is inspired by the idea of a carnival procession, when one act is quickly followed up by another. Almost 1,500 people will be involved – performers, musicians and dancers from different cities – and spectators will be treated to a mix of classic and modern dance, pantomime, circus acts and hip hop.
