World Cup Trophy to tour Canada in April and May ahead of summer showcase.

The FIFA World Cup Trophy will visit seven Canadian cities from April 9 to May 26 as part of a 75-stop global tour; the 48-team World Cup runs June 11 to July 19.

The World Cup Trophy will travel to Canada in the weeks before the summer tournament. The tour stops include Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Montreal, Halifax, Ottawa and Toronto. Organizers say the visits run April 9 through May 26 as part of a 75-stop FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour. The tournament itself, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, is scheduled for June 11 to July 19. Tour details: - Dates and stops in Canada are April 9–11 in Vancouver, April 12 in Calgary, April 13 in Winnipeg, May 22 in Montreal, May 23 in Halifax, May 24 in Ottawa and May 25–26 in Toronto. - The 75-stop FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour began Jan. 3 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with former Italian player Alessandro Del Piero appearing with the trophy. - The trophy currently awarded was first handed out in 1974 after a design competition won by Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga; it replaced the earlier Jules Rimet Trophy. - The trophy is made of 18-karat solid gold, stands about 14.5 inches tall, weighs about 13.6 pounds, and has a base with green malachite bands that have been restored and re-plated. - The tour is sponsored by Coca-Cola, and organizers say tickets are free and were made available through Coca-Cola’s Canadian website beginning Thursday at 10 a.m. ET. Summary: The tour offers scheduled public viewings of the FIFA World Cup Trophy in seven Canadian cities ahead of the June tournament. The tour runs through May 26 in Toronto, and the World Cup is set to take place June 11–July 19.