Sneijder and Rivaldo arrive in Moscow for Nikita Simonyan award ceremony

Wesley Sneijder, Rivaldo, Christian Panucci, Dunga and Alejandro Gomez have travelled to Moscow for the October 12 ceremony marking Nikita Simonyan’s centenary.

The former international players are among the guests at the award presentation named after the Spartak Moscow and Soviet national team footballer. Sport-Express reported their arrival, which was also reported by Vyberu Sport.

The guest list spans several generations of major international competitions. Rivaldo won the Ballon d’Or and the Champions League, while Sneijder reached the 2010 World Cup final. Panucci won the Champions League twice. Dunga was a World Cup winner in 1994, and Gomez was part of the winning team in 2022.

Organisers plan to present awards in nine categories. That number honours the number nine shirt worn by Simonyan. The reports about the visiting players identify ceremony guests and do not announce the winners.