"With the growth in the
practice and popularity of this sport, we are at that tipping point where, during the weekends and in the summer, you see soccer moms taking kids to practices and games," he says. In fact, Padua
maintains that soccer is the most-practiced sport among kids 8 - 12.
The sponsorship will spread across several brands -- Powerade, Coke Zero and Fanta. Coke will also sponsor the Trophy Tour, which will take the solid gold trophy across 86 countries in 225 days. The global impact of the event far outweighs any other sporting events. The last World Cup had a total of 26 billion non-unique visitors, Padua points out. "You are talking about 250 Super Bowls -- one right after the other -- during one month," he says.
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