The FIFA World Cup trophy, since its inception, has been the object of desire for every football-playing nation in the world, more than 200 of them currently, and their epic struggles on the field to win it has produced some memorable moments.
But being one of the most recognizable sporting symbols in the globe and consequently, the high value associated with it has also brought its fair share of unwanted attention to the iconic piece of silverware. This has made the FIFA World Cup trophy the centerpiece of some intriguing plots off the field as well.
FIFA World Cup trophy iterations
Over the years, there have been two different iterations or designs of the FIFA football World Cup trophy. First iterations was The Jules Rimet Trophy and second i.e. present iterations is new version called the FIFA World Cup trophy.
A brief Comparative discussion of two variants
Look here a brief Comparative discussion about these two variants of the FIFA World Cup trophy. The History and Composition of FIFA World Cup Trophies.
| The Jules Rimet Trophy (1930 – 1970) | FIFA World Cup trophy (1974 – Present) |
| This variant was used from 1930 to 1970 | This variants had came in to the picture since 1974 till present. |
| Brazil won it outright courtesy of becoming the first country in the history of the competition to become three-time champions (1958, 1962 and 1970). | This redesigned trophy, called the FIFA World Cup trophy, is the one used today and has been handed to the winners every four years, starting 1974. |
| The journey of the FIFA World Cup trophy started with Jules Rimet, the third president of world football governing body FIFA. He laid down the plans for a football World Cup in 1928 and subsequently passed a vote the following year to hold the first edition in Uruguay in 1930. | It was commissioned to Italian artist Silvio Gazzaniga. The FIFA World Cup trophy is 36.5 cm tall and is made of 6.175 kg of 18 karats (75%) gold. It has a circular base, 13 cm in diameter, made of two layers of malachite. |
| The task of designing a trophy for the competition was commissioned to Abel Lafleur, a French sculptor who would later go on to compete in art competitions held during the Los Angeles 1932 Olympics. | The design sees arching lines from the base spiral up and forms the base for a golden replica of the world. The trophy is hollow from the inside. |
| The trophy, originally dubbed Victory and commonly called the Coupe du Monde (French for World Cup), was 35cm in height and weighed 3.8kg. It was constructed with gold-plated sterling silver and it had a blue base made of semi-precious stone called lapis lazuli. | The trophy has the words FIFA World Cup engraved on its base. |
| There were gold plates attached to each of the four sides of the base, on which the winning countries’ names were engraved after each edition. | After the 1994 FIFA World Cup, a plate was added to the bottom of the trophy on which the names of winning countries are engraved in vertical order. |
| In 1946, it was renamed the Jules Rimet Trophy in honor of the erstwhile FIFA president’s 25th anniversary in office. | After 2014, it was changed and names were rearranged in a spiral to accommodate more winners. |
| Uruguay became the inaugural champions and kept the trophy in 1930 but Italy took it back to Europe in 1934 and kept it by defending their title in 1938. | Unlike the Jules Rimet Trophy, the original FIFA World Cup trophy cannot be won outright anymore. |
| Ottorino Barassi, an Italian who was serving as the FIFA vice-president at the time, quietly removed the trophy from the vault of a bank in Rome and hid it in a shoebox under his bed during the entirety of the II World War. The trophy stayed safe under Barassi’s bed until the World Cup returned after WWII in 1950 in Brazil. Barassi, who was integral to Italy hosting the 1938 edition, also spearheaded the operations for hosting the 1950 edition. | The new regulations state that FIFA World Cup trophy remains in FIFA’s possession, secured at its Zurich headquarters, barring ceremonial requirements like the Trophy Tour and during the FIFA World Cup main draws and the final presentation. |
| In 1954, the old base of the Jules Rimet Trophy was replaced with a taller one to accommodate names of more winners. | |
| On March 20, 1966,in England the trophy disappeared from its display cabinet while a Sunday church service was being conducted in another part of the building. The thief reportedly never touched rare stamps, estimated to have been worth over three million Pounds at the time, and fled with just the trophy, which at the time was valued at 30,000 Pounds. | |
| Pickles, the dog who found the stolen FIFA World Cup in 1966, with owner David Corbett. Corbett eventually went on to hand the trophy over to the local police station and was detained for a while on suspicion that he might have been involved in the theft. He, however, had an alibi and got the clean chit. | |
| Both Corbett and Pickles, became national heroes. Pickles, who had gotten England out of a serious mess, went on to become a big celebrity and eventually a TV star. Thanks to the duo, particularly Mr. Pickles, England captain Bobby Moore got to hoist the original Jules Rimet Trophy at London’s Wembley Stadium as England won the World Cup on home soil after beating Germany in the final. It remains the Three Lions’ only World Cup win to date and Queen Elizabeth II herself presented the trophy to Sir Bobby Moore. Pickles, along with Corbett, were also invited to the England team’s celebration banquet after winning the trophy. | Instead, the FIFA World Cup winners from each year get to permanently keep a gold-plated bronze replica, referred to as the FIFA World Cup Winners’ Trophy, for every tournament they win. |
| After Brazil won the World Cup for the third time in 1970, they were awarded the Jules Rimet Trophy permanently as it was stipulated that the first team to win the Cup thrice would get to keep the trophy perpetually. | One such replica was also given to Nelson Mandela before South Africa hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2010. It was the only instance of an individual receiving an official replica of the trophy to date. |
| The original trophy, however, was stolen for a second time in 1983 from the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. The original Jules Rimet Trophy was never recovered and it was claimed that it had been melted down into gold bars. | Additionally, only a select group of people, including heads of state and former World Cup winners, are allowed to touch the original FIFA World Cup trophy. |
Most exclusive points about FIFA World Cup trophy
- It is one of the most expensive trophies in sporting history, valued at more than $20 million.
- Both trophies were made with a combination of metals and rare stones.
- First awarded to-
- Jules Rimet Trophy gone to Uruguay (1930)
- FIFA World Cup Trophy gone to Germany (1974)
- Most wins Brazil (5 times)
Winners list
In this table Organizing and Winner countries are listed below.
| Sr. No. | Year | Organizing country | Dates | Winner Country |
| 1. | 1930 | Uruguay | 13-30 July | Uruguay (1st title) |
| 2. | 1934 | Italy | 27 May -10 June | Italy |
| 3. | 1938 | France | 4-19 June | Italy |
| 4. | 1950 | Brazil | 24 June – 16 July | Uruguay (2nd title) |
| 5. | 1954 | Switzerland | 16 June- 4 July | West Germany |
| 6. | 1958 | Sweden | 8-29 June | Brazil (1st title) |
| 7. | 1962 | Chile | 30 May-17 June | Brazil (2nd title) |
| 8. | 1966 | England | 11-30 July | England |
| 9. | 1970 | Mexico | 31 May – 21 June | Brazil (3rd title) |
| 10. | 1974 | West Germany | 13 June – 7 July | West Germany (2nd title) |
| 11. | 1978 | Argentina | 1-25 June | Argentina |
| 12. | 1982 | Spain | 13 June – 11 July | Italy (3rd title) |
| 13. | 1986 | Mexico | 31 May – 29 June | Argentina (2nd title) |
| 14. | 1990 | Itlay | 8 June – 8 july | West Germany (3rd title) |
| 15. | 1994 | United States | 17 June – 17 July | Brazil (4rd title) |
| 16. | 1998 | France | 10 June – 12 July | France |
| 17. | 2002 | South Korea & Japan | 31 May – 30 June | Brazil (5th title) |
| 18. | 2006 | Germany | 9 June – 9 July | Italy (4th title) |
| 19. | 2010 | South Africa | 11 June – 11 July | Spain |
| 20. | 2014 | Brazil | 12 June – 13 July | Germany (4th title) |
| 21 | 2018 | Russia | 14 June – 15 July | France (2nd title) |
| 22. | 2022 | Qatar | 20 November-18 December | ————- |
| 23. | 2026 | Canada, Mexico & U.S. | june- july 2026 | ————- |
| 24. | 2030 | —– | ——– 2030 | ——– |
Is the FIFA trophy real gold ?
FIFA trophy is made of 30,875 Carats of 18 karat (75%) gold. Its value approximately US $ 20 millions. Its base is 13 cm in diameter containing two layers of malachite.
Where is FIFA World Cup trophy kept?
The original trophy is safely kept in the FIFA World Football Museum in Zurich, Switzerland.
Who has the most World Cup titles?
Brazil has the Five FIFA World Cup titles. After Brazil, Germany & Italy has four FIFA World Cup titles.
What is the coolest trophy in the sport?
The iconic FIFA World Cup is the most prestigious trophy in sports. Its estimated value $20 million and made of 18 carat gold.
Is the FIFA World Cup Trophy given permanent?
No, FIFA World Cup trophy doesn’t given permanently. Winner country provided a replica of real trophy.
Who designed the current FIFA World Cup Trophy?
The current FIFA World Cup Trophy is designed by Italian artist Silvio Gazzaniga.