On 15 June, Swiss football legend Stéphane Chapuisat visited the FIFA Museum, offering guests a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable afternoon. Invited to mark the start of the new FIFA Club World Cup™ and as part of the Football Summer programme at the FIFA Museum, the Swiss football legend met a diverse crowd – and many smiling faces.

From the moment he arrived, it was clear just how admired Chappi still is. Many visitors wore Borussia Dortmund or Swiss national-team jerseys, some with his name and number proudly displayed. Even though Chapuisat retired from professional football in 2006, his popularity remains strong – not just among Dortmund fans, but far beyond.

No wonder – after all, Chappi can look back on an extremely successful career at both club and international levels. In 218 Bundesliga matches for Borussia Dortmund, who are participating in this year’s FIFA Club World Cup, he scored 102 goals and won the Champions League in 1997. With the Swiss national team, meanwhile, he took part in the FIFA World Cup 1994™ in the United States and earned 103 caps, scoring 21 goals. In addition, Chapuisat was named Swiss Footballer of the Year four times.

But back to his appearance at the museum. In addition to BVB and Swiss national-team jerseys, many other club colours were also represented. This was thanks to Wear Your Colours Day, a special Football Summer initiative that offered free admission to anyone sporting the jersey of their favourite club.

Regardless of what fans were wearing, the former Dortmund striker took his time during the meet-and-greet, engaging with the crowd in his signature relaxed style and clearly enjoying himself as he posed for photos, signed autographs and chatted with fans.

In a short talk, he shared personal insights into his career, including memories of matches against Bayern Munich, his time at Dortmund and his respectful relationship with fans from rival clubs. One line in particular captured the spirit of the event: “Back then, I was on the pitch and the fans were in the stands, but we shared those moments. Even if we didn’t know each other, we experienced them together. And events like this bring those memories back.”

In the skills.lab Cube, which is part of the current “Football Fever” special exhibition space, Chapuisat then took on five volunteers, showing he hasn’t lost any of his technical ability.

To round off the action, Chapuisat joined the crowd in the Champions Lounge to watch the live screening of FC Bayern Munich v. Auckland City FC. In a relaxed atmosphere, the legend continued to answer questions and entertained the audience with anecdotes from his playing days.

All in all, the event highlighted football’s enduring power to connect people, foster respect and inspire shared passion across generations – all of which (and more) was embodied by the guest of honour.