A stunning series of portraits of the world’s greatest living footballers, including current stars such as David Beckham, Michael Owen and Thierry Henry, will be on-display in London this summer at the world premiere of a unique exhibition that brings football and art together for the first time.

The FIFA 100 exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, which is open to the public from Wednesday 2nd June to Tuesday 31st August, is being held in celebration of the 100th anniversary of FIFA, football’s governing body.

The list of the 125 greatest living players who feature in the exhibition was specially selected by Pelé, widely regarded as the world’s greatest ever footballer. In addition to a host of current stars, the exhibition includes portraits of football legends such as Sir Bobby Charlton, Johan Cruyff, Eric Cantona and Pelé himself.

The unique exhibition has been created by Duet Asset Management and Eyestorm, the premier publisher and retailer of signed limited edition prints. Together, they have selected and commissioned a group of renowned artists to create a collection of original and memorable images. The list of artists includes Marc Quinn, Martin Parr, Robert Davies, Marc Hom, Lord Lichfield and Helena Christensen.

Joseph S. Blatter, President of FIFA, says: “The FIFA 100 is special collection of images which portrays a panorama of the greatest players of the past and present for FIFA’s centenary. The exhibition is a fitting complement to the wide range of FIFA’s activities as we celebrate one hundred years of service to the world of football. Not only do these images pay tribute to the individuals photographed, they also honour the game, its history and the spirit our sport represents. We hope the FIFA 100 Exhibition will inspire generations of football fans to come.”

XXX, Director of the Royal Academy of Arts, says “We are delighted to be hosting the FIFA 100 Exhibition as it is a unique and memorable collaboration of the world’s greatest footballers and photographers that will appeal to a wide audience.”

Don Smith, Managing Director of Eyestorm, says “This is a fantastic project that will be of interest to both football fans and art lovers. The exhibition gives people the opportunity to view and buy portraits of their footballing heroes as seen through the eyes of the world’s most renowned artists and photographers.”

The standard entrance fee for the exhibition is £8. Entrance is free for children under 8 and there are concessions for senior citizens, students and children (see notes to editors for full pricing information). The exhibition is being held at the Royal Academy of Arts, 6 Burlington Gardens, London, W1. It is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm. Advance tickets are available via Ticketmaster (Tel:xxx).

Further information on the FIFA 100 exhibition at 6 Burlington Gardens is available at www.fifa-100.com.

All portraits featured in the FIFA 100 exhibition are available to buy. To purchase a limited-edition signed portrait, or for further exclusive merchandise, visit www.eyestorm.com.

For further information, interview requests and photography, please contact:
Henry Chappell or Victoria Fuller at Pitch PR
Tel: 020 7494 1616
Mobile: 07775 585 437
e-mail: henry@pitchpr.co.uk

Location:
Royal Academy of Arts
6 Burlington Gardens
London W1

Opening Dates / Times:
Wednesday 2nd June to Tuesday 31st August
Open daily from 10 am to 6 pm