The trophy cherished by football fans around the globe has not always looked the same. This piece traces its history and all the features that define it today.
The World Cup, a coveted symbol for fans everywhere, has a fresh owner in memory and meaning alike. It has long been the focal point of the sport, yet the story of the most precious trophy and its evolving traits deserves to be told. Here is everything you need to know about it.
Match schedules and details for the 2018 World Cup in Russia are part of the narrative, illustrating how the event brings together cities, teams, and audiences in a shared frenzy of anticipation and competition.
THE STORY: FROM THE TROPHY TO THE CUP
The Jules Rimet Trophy was the original prize awarded to World Cup winners. It carried the name of Jules Rimet, a former FIFA president who played a key role in creating the competition. Crafted in gold plated sterling silver with a blue lapis lazuli base, it stood 35 centimeters tall and weighed 3.8 kilograms. The design featured an octagonal cup held aloft by a winged Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, captured in a moment of triumph.
During World War II the trophy found a temporary sanctuary in a shoebox under the bed of Ottorino Barassi, then vice-president of FIFA and president of the Italian Football Federation. He hid it to keep it safe from confiscation by occupying forces.
The Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen twice. The first theft occurred on March 20, 1966, during an exhibition in London. A week later the trophy was discovered by a dog named Pickles, lying in some bushes in Upper Norwood and wrapped in newspapers. In 1970 Brazil won it for the third time, which granted them the right to keep the trophy. Seventeen years later, however, the trophy was stolen again in Rio de Janeiro and never recovered. It is believed that the thieves melted the statuette down, and the Brazilian Football Federation commissioned a gold replica to replace it. In 1974 the FIFA World Cup Trophy was introduced and has continued to be presented ever since.
HOW MUCH DOES IT WEIGH, WHO DESIGNED IT AND HOW MUCH IS IT WORTH?
The World Cup Trophy was designed by Silvio Gazzaniga and produced by Bertoni of Milan. It stands about 36.8 centimeters tall and weighs roughly 5 kilograms of solid 18 carat gold, with a diameter featuring two concentric rings of malachite. The overall trophy mass is around 6,170 kilograms, and it depicts two human figures welcoming the planet Earth. Contemporary estimates place its value at approximately 250,000 dollars.
The inscription on the base reads FIFA World Cup, and the names of the nations that have won each edition are engraved along the base so they are not visible when the trophy is displayed upright. This ensures the medal-like record of past champions remains legible when rotated for display and remembrance.
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Notes indicate that the content draws from ongoing coverage and historical records within the sport press. This overview presents a concise account of the trophy’s past and present significance for fans and players alike, with context for the modern celebration of the world’s most watched sporting event. (Goal)