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RUSSIAN BILLIONAIRE DONATES HISTORIC OLYMPIC GAMES’ FOUNDATION DOCUMENTS TO MUSEUM
BY DAN PALMER.
The historic manuscript in which Baron Pierre de Coubertin laid out plans to revive the Olympic Games has a new home in Lausanne after being donated by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov.
It will be housed in the Olympic Museum in the Swiss city nearly 130 years after it was first created.
Usmanov, the President of the International Fencing Federation, has been revealed as the person who bought the manuscript at auction in New York City in December.
The business tycoon paid $8,806,500 (£6,764,543/€7,916,191), a price more than eight times higher than the $700,000 (£770,000/€900,000) it was estimated to go for.
According to Sotheby’s which hosted the auction, this was the highest amount ever paid for a piece of sports memorabilia.
Written over 14 pages, the manuscript contains Coubertin’s speech in which he outlined his plan to bring back the Olympics in the modern world.
He was just 29 when he spoke at the Sorbonne in Paris, during the fifth anniversary of the Union of French Athletic Sports Societies on November 25, 1892.
In the same building two years later, the decision to revive the Olympics was confirmed and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was born.
Pages from the manuscript have never been put on public display before.
“Today we are witnessing history,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.
“At one level, we are witness to this historic document, the manuscript of the speech that laid out the philosophical foundations of the Olympic Movement.
“On another level, we are witnessing a historic moment, with this manuscript returning to its Olympic home, the place where it belongs.”
Bach won an Olympic gold medal in Usmanov’s sport of fencing at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.
He told the Russian: “This donation today goes well beyond the handing over of a manuscript to The Olympic Museum.
“Your generosity is making this unique moment possible, a moment that reminds us so vividly of the mission of the Olympic Games to unite the world in peaceful competition.
“It is thanks to your generosity that we can reflect on our history today and celebrate this direct link to our founding father.”
The manuscript is written on the back of blank registration forms for the 1889 International Congress on Physical Education, which Coubertin co-organised.
It is written in French, using sepia ink.
“I hope that you will help me as you have helped me thus far and that, with you, I shall be able to continue and realise, on a basis appropriate to the conditions of modern life, this grandiose and beneficent work,” Coubertin writes.
“The re-establishment of the Olympic Games.”
Certain pages will be displayed first at the Muesum, which are said to include “intriguing revisions”.
The full document will go on permanent display at a later date.
“This manuscript is the manifesto for the
modern Olympic Games,” said Usmanov.
“Pierre de Coubertin had a vision of a world united by athletic pursuits and not divided by confrontations and wars.
“I believe that the Olympic Museum is the most appropriate place to keep this priceless manuscript.”
The document went missing between the two World Wars.
Frenchman Marquis d’Amat searched for it in the 1990s and eventually located it from a collector in Switzerland.
A 12-minute bidding war took place in New York before Usmanov came out on top.
The previous record for sports memorabilia was a New York Yankees baseball jersey worn by Babe Ruth, which went for $5.4 million (£4.1 million/€4.8 million) last year.
-insidethegames
BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK
Africa emerged as the most successful confederation in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with an unprecedented 90 percent of its representatives advancing to the Round of 32.
Nine of the 10 African teams that started the tournament secured places in the knockout phase, giving the Confederation of African Football (CAF) the highest qualification rate among all six continental confederations.
The African nations progressing to the Round of 32 are South Africa, Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde, Senegal, Egypt, Ghana, DR Congo and Algeria.
Only one African team failed to survive the group stage, underscoring the continent’s growing competitiveness on football’s biggest stage.
CAF’s 90 per cent success rate placed it ahead of South America’s CONMEBOL, which saw 83.33 per cent of its teams advance, and Europe’s UEFA, whose members recorded an 81.25 per cent qualification rate.
The figures represent a significant shift in the global football landscape, where European and South American nations have traditionally dominated World Cup competitions.
The expanded 48-team format appears to have provided African countries with greater opportunities to showcase their progress, and they responded with a series of impressive performances throughout the group stage.
Cape Verde emerged as one of the tournament’s surprise packages by reaching the knockout rounds for the first time, while South Africa, DR Congo and Algeria also celebrated historic advances.
Senegal made history by becoming the first African nation to score five goals in a World Cup match, while Morocco continued the momentum generated by their remarkable semi-final run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In contrast, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) endured a difficult campaign, with only 22.22 per cent of its teams progressing. The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) recorded a 50 per cent qualification rate despite having the advantage of three host nations.
Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) failed to place any team in the Round of 32.
World Cup Round of 32 Qualification Rates by Confederation
- CAF (Africa): 90%
- CONMEBOL (South America): 83.33%
- UEFA (Europe): 81.25%
- CONCACAF (North and Central America/Caribbean): 50%
- AFC (Asia): 22.22%
- OFC (Oceania): 0%
The statistics show Africa’s growing influence in world football and raise hopes that the continent could produce its strongest collective performance ever in the knockout stages of a FIFA World Cup.
With nine teams still in contention, Africa enters the Round of 32 with more representatives than any other confederation and a genuine opportunity to challenge for the latter stages of the tournament.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK.
Ecuador will look to continue their strong record against Concacaf opposition when they face Curaçao in a Group E encounter at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The South Americans enter the match having won their last two World Cup meetings with teams from the Concacaf region and will be eager to maintain that trend as they chase a place in the knockout rounds.
For Curaçao, however, the fixture represents an opportunity to create history.
The Caribbean nation is one of the tournament’s debutants and is still searching for its first World Cup victory. After suffering a heavy defeat to Germany in their opening match, Curaçao will be desperate to demonstrate the resilience and determination that earned them a place at the expanded 48-team tournament.
A victory would make them the first of the World Cup 2026 newcomers to register a win and would provide a significant boost to their qualification hopes.
Ecuador are expected to rely on their experience at this level, but they know underestimating Curaçao could prove costly. The underdogs have already shown flashes of attacking quality despite their difficult introduction against Germany.
As the group stage begins to take shape, both teams understand the importance of securing points. Ecuador are chasing progression, while Curaçao are chasing history.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK.
As Morocco edge closer to the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup 2026, captain Achraf Hakimi finds himself at the centre of two parallel narratives; one being football excellence and the other by legal proceedings that continue to cast a shadow over his career.
On the pitch, the 27-year-old has never appeared more influential.
Morocco’s 1-0 victory over Scotland not only moved the Atlas Lions within touching distance of the Round of 32, it also elevated Hakimi into the record books as the African player with the most FIFA World Cup appearances.
The Paris Saint-Germain defender made his 12th World Cup appearance, surpassing the previous mark jointly held by Cameroonian legend François Omam-Biyik and Ghana’s all-time leading scorer Asamoah Gyan.
It is a remarkable achievement for a player who made his World Cup debut as a teenager in Russia in 2018 and has since become one of the most recognisable faces of African football.
For Hakimi, the record is another milestone in a career already decorated with major club honours and individual accolades, including the African Footballer of the Year award. It also reinforces his status as one of the driving forces behind Morocco’s rise as a global football power.
His influence was most vividly illustrated at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Morocco became the first African and Arab nation to reach the semi-finals of the tournament. Hakimi’s composure, leadership and attacking flair helped transform the Atlas Lions into one of the competition’s most compelling stories.
Four years later, he remains the heartbeat of a Moroccan side determined to prove that their success in Qatar was no one-off achievement.
The signs have been encouraging. Morocco opened their campaign with an impressive 1-1 draw against five-time champions Brazil before defeating Scotland to move within a point of qualification. A draw against Haiti in their final group match would be enough to secure passage to the knockout rounds.
Yet while Hakimi’s football achievements continue to accumulate, events away from the game have ensured that public attention remains divided.
The defender is facing the prospect of a criminal trial in France following allegations of rape first reported in 2023. Hakimi has consistently denied wrongdoing and has sought to challenge the legal process through the courts.
French media reported this week that an appeals court rejected a challenge to his referral to criminal court, clearing the way for a future trial.
Responding publicly, Hakimi reiterated his innocence and welcomed the opportunity to present his version of events.
“Today, a story that isn’t mine is being told at the expense of my family, my life, and above all, the truth,” he wrote on social media platform X.
“I’ve been waiting for this trial since day one. And now I’m looking forward to it. Finally, I’ll be able to speak out.”
The legal proceedings remain ongoing, and no trial date has been announced.
For now, Morocco’s captain appears determined to keep his focus on football.
That ability to compartmentalise challenges has become a defining characteristic of elite athletes, particularly those operating under intense global scrutiny. With millions watching every move, Hakimi has continued to perform at the highest level for both club and country.
His record-breaking appearance against Scotland demonstrated once again why he remains indispensable to Morocco’s ambitions. Whether surging down the flank, organising teammates or inspiring supporters, Hakimi has become the symbol of a generation that has redefined expectations for African football.
As the World Cup enters its decisive phase, Morocco’s hopes of another deep run rest heavily on the shoulders of their captain.
The legal questions surrounding Hakimi will ultimately be settled in court. On the field, however, his contribution to Moroccan football is already firmly established.
And as the Atlas Lions pursue another place in World Cup history, their captain continues to add chapters to a legacy that has made him one of Africa’s most accomplished footballers.
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