Fifa's regional delegation will collect the trophy in Timaru today and bring it to Oamaru, where football fans will get an opportunity to see the glittering prize up close at the Oamaru A&P Showgrounds from 3.30pm to 5pm.
It is in Dunedin tomorrow, with the first opportunity to view it in the Octagon from 8am to 9am.
The roadshow shifts to the University of Otago (11.30am to 1.30pm) and the Edgar Centre (3.30pm to 6pm), where there will be other attractions, including a 16m by 8m inflatable football field, a giant inflatable goal, a kicking wall and those ubiquitous photo boards that allow fans to stick their head through and get a picture taken with various famous footballers.
While the roadshow will not challenge the actual tournament for excitement, it should still be very popular with children and the young at heart, Fifa's regional sales and marketing manager, Caroline Walker, believes.
The roadshow will stop in Balclutha, Gore and Invercargill on Thursday, and Queenstown and Cromwell on Friday. It also stops briefly at Lumsden Primary School.
Walker (nee Kidston), coincidentally, is one of four former Kavanagh College pupils actively involved in helping organise the tournament.
Matt McLennan is the national operations manager, former All White Andy Boyens is a tournament ambassador, and Nick Ferry's company, Smile Dealers, is providing photographic technology for the nationwide tour.
Aaron Joy, the general manager of the southern region's organising committee, said the roadshow was an opportunity to capture the public's imagination and spread awareness about the tournament.
''What we want to do is make people aware of what the under-20 tournament is all about,'' he said.
''It is the No 1 event for world scouts to source the next tier and the Messis of this world. All of those sort of guys got selected at the Under-20 World Cup.''
The tournament is expected to attract a global television audience of 100 million. The draw takes place in Auckland in February and will also be televised.
Otago Stadium is hosting seven games and Joy expects ''each host city will be very busy'' finalising arrangements within a day or so of the draw.
Venue pack tickets went on sale this week. They are available only to official football fans, but anyone can sign up on Fifa's website and buy the packs.
Walker said prices for tickets to all seven Dunedin games start at $87 for an adult, $30 for a child and $204 for a family. Tickets for an area aimed at students will sell for $57.
