“Bringing this iconic display to East Boston gives people the opportunity to come together, enjoy the neighborhood’s vibrant waterfront and skyline views, and share in the excitement of the FIFA World Cup,” Rich Davey, Massport CEO, said.
A new world record could be set in Boston just in time for the FIFA World Cup, and it’s so big that soccer fans flying into Logan International Airport will likely be able to see it from their planes.
The Massachusetts Port Authority will unveil a 45-foot-tall soccer ball at Piers Park II in East Boston next month in hopes of breaking the Guinness World Record for World’s Largest Soccer Ball, Massport said in a press release.
The current record for largest soccer ball — 38 feet and 11.8 inches — was set in Doha, Qatar in 2013, the port authority said.
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The Boston installation is so big that passengers flying into Boston Logan Airport “will likely be able to see it,” Samantha Decker, assistant director of media relations at Massport, told Boston.com.
The larger-than-life soccer ball will be located at Piers Park II from June 12 to June 18, Massport said.
Massport will host a “Community Day” from noon to 4 p.m. on June 13 “featuring family activities, games, and entertainment. World Cup matches will not be televised,” the port authority said.
The soccer ball is a part of a city-wide initiative to bring FIFA pride to Boston, the port authority said.
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The FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11, with seven games planned for Gillette Stadium — temporarily renamed as Boston Stadium for the tournament — in Foxborough.
“Bringing this iconic display to East Boston gives people the opportunity to come together, enjoy the neighborhood’s vibrant waterfront and skyline views, and share in the excitement of the FIFA World Cup,” Rich Davey, Massport CEO, said.
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