THE FIFA World Cup is one of the most-viewed sports events in the world.
In today’s final, the winner out of Argentina vs. France gets to lift the prestigious World Cup trophy.
What is the World Cup trophy called?
The current trophy is called the Fifa World Cup Trophy.
Before Fifa awarded teams with a different trophy called the Jules Rimet trophy.
It was named after the Fifa President who founded the tournament in 1929.
However, in 1974, a new gold trophy was made and was first lifted by Germany as World Cup winners against The Netherlands.
West Germany scored two goals thanks to Paul Breitner‘s penalty and a goal from Gerhard Muller.
These goals helped make a comeback against The Netherlands who had a penalty scored by Johan Neeskens in the second minute of the final.
The Fifa World Cup Trophy has been lifted by many great footballers such as Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, and Fabio Cannavaro among many others. It weighs in at a hefty 6.2kg.
Fifa’s regulations now state that the trophy, unlike its predecessor, cannot be won outright, with the winners of the tournament receiving a bronze replica.
How much gold is in the World Cup trophy?
The trophy is solid gold and depicts two figures holding up the world.
With the base removed, it still weighs over 5kg and the gold is 18-carat.
It was designed by Italian artist Silvio Gazzaniga and beat competition from 53 other submissions.
How much does the World Cup trophy cost?
When it was first created, the trophy cost around $50,000.
However, over time its value increased and is now estimated to cost around $20 million.
Where is the original World Cup trophy?
As we said before, the original was called the Jules Rimet Trophy and was used between 1930 and 1970.
Before 1946, it was called Victory, however, the name changed in honor of Jules Rimet.
Famously stolen in 1966 and then found by Pickles the dog, Bobby Moore lifted the trophy in England’s only World Cup triumph.
Rimet had stipulated before his death that if a team won the tournament three times they could keep the gong – and Brazil managed to achieve that feat in 1970.
Sadly the trophy was stolen again in 1983 and it is widely believed that the thieves melted it down.
