Happy Birthday Wembley! The iconic stadium turns 90 on Sunday 28 April. You can take part in a host of celebratory events tomorrow (Saturday 27 April), including a chance to have your photo taken with the FA Cup and official Nike match ball, which will be travelling through London, stopping off at landmarks including the London Eye and Buckingham Palace.

A wax figure of FC Barcelona’s top goal scorer, Lionel Messi, was unveiled today at Wembley Stadium, the venue for next year’s UEFA Champions League Final.

The figure, which portrays Messi in his signature goal celebration pose, cost £150,000 and took four months to create. It will go on display at Madame Tussauds from 24 September, alongside a figure of Messi’s Real Madrid rival, Cristiano Ronaldo.

The London 2012 football kits for 10 Puma-partnered African countries were unveiled at the Design Museum earlier this year. It was the perfect opportunity for us to look at the exhibition for our World in London blog project. Cameroonian artist Barthelemy Toguo was chosen to design his country’s kit, which features a lion’s head.

“This imposing animal is emblematic of Africa, simultaneously expressing forcefulness and serenity,” said Toguo. “It also suggests an ability to overcome any adversary, which is relevant to the nature of a sporting challenge.”

Cameroon’s men’s football team won the country’s first Gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, when they beat Spain in a penalty shootout. This year, the men’s team have been knocked out of the competition, while the women’s team have qualified for the 2012 Games.

You can buy tickets for the Olympic Football Tournaments at www.tickets.london2012.com

Do you know anywhere else you can see Cameroonian culture in London? Let us know in the comments below.

This week’s photo by cassijones features the statue of football legend Bobby Moore outside Wembley Stadium. Bobby was captain of the England team who won the 1966 World Cup.

If you’re a football fan and you dream of walking through the player’s tunnel onto the hallowed turf, take a Wembley Stadium Tour. You can also have your photo taken while celebrating with a replica FA Cup. The stadium seats 90,000 fans and will host the football finals during the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Add your pictures of London adventures to the Visit London Flickr Group and we could be featuring you next week!

London’s Hyde Park is hosting a free football festival this week. Our Major Events Marketing Manager Beckie Crane went along to find out more…

On a beautiful summer afternoon, I visited the much-anticipated Champions Festival, a free festival in Hyde Park celebrating all things UEFA Champions League Final.

With the Men’s Final between Barcelona and Manchester United taking place on Saturday at Wembley Stadium and tickets literally like gold dust, it was my opportunity to grab a little bit of the action.

I had my picture taken with the trophy and only had to queue for about half an hour. Then I visited the Museum of Champions, which took me on a journey through time, detailing all of the most exciting moments in UEFA history.

One of the best things I picked up was a passport from the Adidas area, which was then stamped at each location and entered me into a competition to win tickets to the final.

The festival is a great day out for every football fan. I’m even thinking of heading back there for the legends match on Saturday before the big game. I suggest you do the same.

The free UEFA Champions Festival in Hyde Park runs until Saturday 28 May 2011

The UEFA Champions League cups have gone on show outside London’s City Hall.

Both the men’s and women’s trophies are being displayed in the back of a black London taxi. You can see them today and tomorrow from 10am until 7pm.

The cups are on a London-wide tour before heading to Hyde Park for the free UEFA football festival, which opens on Saturday.

Organised by UEFA, the eight-day festival will include:

• Live football areas
• Five-a-side tournaments
• Master classes
• Entertainment and bars

There’ll also be a chance for fans to get up close to the UEFA Champions Trophy at a “travelling museum”.

The men’s UEFA Champions League Final takes place at Wembley on 28 May, while the women’s final is at Craven Cottage on 26 May.

The Hyde Park football festival runs from 21-28 May 2011

I took my boyfriend (a dedicated football fan) on a tour of Wembley Stadium at the weekend. I’m not usually interested in football but I really enjoyed the tour. Our brilliant guide Stevie showed us around the stadium, shared behind-the-scenes gossip and taught us a lot about footballing history.

Highlights of the one-and-a-half hour tour included:

• The crossbar from the 1966 World Cup
• A replica of the World Cup Jules Rimet Trophy. The original was stolen in 1966 and later found under a hedge by a dog named Pickles
• The 1km-long walkway around Level 5, where FA employees jog in their lunch breaks
• The VIP suite decorated in “Windsor purple”, which leads to the royal box
• The holding room for trophies. The silversmith is given just six minutes after a game to engrave the name of the winning team
• The press room where up to 180 journalists gather to interview managers and players
• The England dressing room, complete with players’ shirts, which is also used by bands performing at the stadium

I found the huge stadium building awe-inspiring and it was fun getting privileged access to backstage areas. Even if you’re not into football, I’d recommend booking your own 90 minutes at Wembley.

Wembley Stadium tours run every day except 25 and 26 December. Adult tickets cost £15.

Daniele Tenerani got in touch this week to tell us about this video. Three weeks ago, Daniele visited London, and had a great time filming some different parts of the city.

Here’s the results: a great little film that takes you from Covent Garden to Little Venice, to the terraces at Upton Park and the banks of the Thames.

To see more great London videos, check out our YouTube channel.

Football fans and Visit London employees gathered on the banks of the Thames near Tower Bridge earlier today to show their support for the England 2018 Football World Cup Bid.

After being entertained by John Farnworth, the world freestyle champion, and official football world record holder, we cheered as the FIFA Inspection Boat passed under an open Tower Bridge, and were happy to see members of the FIFA committee waving back.

Show your support for the 2018 World Cup Bid at www.england2018bid.com