As we draw closer to the opening of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the prized trophy is currently making its way across the globe on a world tour. Per tradition, the trophy will fly to the 32 countries qualified for the World Cup from mid-August to mid-October to allow many to view it. To carry out this mission, a Titan Airways Airbus A320 has been painted in special colors once more to celebrate.

Currently in Berlin

On Sunday, the FIFA World Cup trophy landed in Berlin and will remain there until Tuesday before jetting off to Brussels. To ensure everyone knows what is onboard, the aircraft has been repainted in a special red, white, and black livery. The tail features an image of the trophy with a black background and a red fuselage with a white nose that includes the branding of sponsors Coca-Cola. At each destination, dignitaries and the wider public are allowed to view the trophy as a way to build excitement ahead of the World Cup.

The tour will cover all 32 qualified countries, starting in Switzerland on August 19th before flying to South Korea, Japan, Australia, Ghana, Senegal, and back to Europe once more. After stops in France, Wales, and England, the trophy will finally close out its tour in Mexico on October 17th.

The aircraft

World tours are a long and complicated affair, with hundreds of people needing to move around the globe with valuable cargo every few days. For this season's FIFA mission, British charter carrier Titan Airways was chosen as the aircraft provider. An Airbus A320-200, registered G-POWM, was repainted in August to start the next two months on the road.

Notably, Titan Airways is no stranger to this type of mission. The carrier was in charge of the trophy tour in 2018 as well, flying to 51 countries and 78 airports. The Boeing 737 was modified internally as well, with a large press area in the front created for interviews and pictures with the trophy, followed by 130 economy seats. Further back, the cabin had 38 business class seats in a 2-2 layout, along with mood lighting and fresh upholstery.

While we don't have the specifics of the 2022 aircraft, we can assume that many similarities in the configurations have been carried over. Titan Airways beat five others to win the contract in 2018, meaning there is no shortage of competitors for the high-profile trophy tour. For now, keep an eye out as this A320 flies to football fans globally with under 50 days to the World Cup, another huge event for airlines.

Have you seen the special edition World Cup A320? Let us know in the comments!