Unforgettable World Cup Moments: 1974, the birth of the FIFA World Cup Trophy

With the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States due to get underway on June 11, we are looking back at the history of the World Cup trophy, also known as the Jules Rimet trophy.

It was known as this until 1970, and has a shimmering gold appearance, representing national pride, individual and team dreams, and above all, it represents an event that truly brings the world together.

After all, the World Cup is the biggest sporting event that there is, with quite literally billions watching around the globe.

However, many do not know that the current World Cup trophy is not actually the first one that was made back in 1930, as this article details why that is the case.

Brazil given original Jules Rimet trophy

The original Jules Rimet trophy was given to the Brazilian team in 1970 after they won the World Cup.

Commissioning for a new trophy was subsequently introduced from 1970 onwards, as Brazil had satisfied the initial contract of the Jules Rimet trophy.

These original guidelines stated that the first nation to win the World Cup three times could keep the trophy, and Brazil was able to keep it in perpetuity.

Therefore, Brazil essentially became the sole owner of the Jules Rimet trophy.

Change of name to ‘FIFA World Cup trophy'

However, since the Jules Rimet trophy was no longer going to be used, the name of the trophy also changed.

It changed to the official name that it still holds today in time for the 1974 World Cup – the ‘FIFA World Cup trophy’. 

The trophy would then be used from 1974 onwards, and it underwent a bunch of changes compared to the original.

What is the FIFA World Cup trophy made of?

The World Cup trophy was put together using 13.61lbs of 18-karat gold, around 75%.

It also has a plate on the underside of the trophy which has the words ‘FIFA World Cup’ on it, and the names of the winning teams can be seen on the plate.

However, with it being on the bottom, this means that you cannot see the names of the winning teams when the trophy is upright, ensuring the trophy can stand there in all its glory without any engraving details. 

Silvio Gazzaniga's design

53 professional sculptors from all over the globe submitted designs to FIFA for the new trophy, but the job was awarded to an Italian artist Silvio Gazzaniga.

However, the new World Cup trophy still had to be made to fit the specifications outlined by the original artist, and so, it would be sent over to a company named GDE Bertoni.

This company was based in Milan, and they were able to successfully create the trophy as per Gazzaniga’s original design.

Interesting facts about the FIFA World Cup trophy

The FIFA World Cup trophy is hollow

One of the more interesting things about the World Cup trophy is that it is in fact hollow, and there is a very precise reason for why this is the case too.

According to reports, since the trophy has more than 13lbs of 18-karat gold on the surface, if it was indeed solid in the middle, the trophy would weigh somewhere in the region of 150-180 lbs.

This is essentially the weight range of an average adult male, so this does make sense! And we are sure that the players are thankful for this as well.

Just imagine trying to lift a trophy of that weight above your head after winning the World Cup – impossible! So despite the appearance of the World Cup trophy, do not be fooled, it is not solid gold throughout the entire trophy. 

The FIFA World Cup trophy is…

• 14.4 inches (36.5 cm) tall
• made from 13.61 lb (6.175 kg) of 18-carat gold
• stands on a malachite base 5.1 inches (13 cm) in diameter

The FIFA World Cup trophy is not given to the winning teams

In the past, the Jules Rimet trophy was always given to the winners, yet the new trophy, as has been the case since 1974, is not.

Instead, they are given a replica that is actually bronze beneath all of the gold plating.

And as it happens, the original is not even given at the winning ceremony, it is only there in view at the beginning of the final match, but it is quickly replaced with the bronze replica so that it is there when the match has finished.

There is only one other instance in which the World Cup trophy is visible on the pitch during the tournament, the opening game, but of course, there is no ceremony after these games.

Therefore, there is less of a rush to whip the trophy away quickly and put in its replacement.

Germany the only team to win the new FIFA World Cup trophy three times

Most World Cup titles in history
Brazil	1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002	5
Germany (incl. West Germany)	1954, 1974, 1990, 2014	4
Italy	1934, 1938, 1982, 2006	4
Argentina	1978, 1986, 2022	3
France	1998, 2018	2
Uruguay	1930, 1950	2
England	1966	1
Spain	2010	1

Germany (including West Germany) are the only team to have claimed the new FIFA World Cup trophy a total of three times.

They won the tournament in 1974, 1990, and 2014, in Brazil of all places!

FIFA World Cup trophy has a reported value of $20m

The 18-karat gold that was used in its design cost around $161,000 USD (note that this cost has been adjusted for inflation, and this would be the cost of the materials in 2018).

According to reports, the trophy is worth approximately $20m USD (as of 2022), making it the most valuable trophy in sport by a ridiculous margin.

FIFA World Cup trophy permanently kept at World Football Museum, Zurich

As stated previously, the World Cup trophy is not given to the winners of the tournament anymore, and a major reason for this is because the previous Jules Rimet trophy, which was given to Brazil on a permanent basis in 1970, was stolen in 1983.

This was actually the second time that the trophy had been stolen, but unfortunately, this time it was never recovered. It was stolen from the Brazilian Football Confederation headquarters, located in Rio de Janeiro, despite the fact that the trophy was encased in bulletproof glass.

Because of this incident, the World Cup trophy is kept permanently in Zurich at the FIFA World Football Museum. There are very limited instances in which the trophy actually leaves this location. These include being present for the World Cup finals draw, the opening game of the World Cup, the World Cup final, and the World Cup trophy tour. So besides these occasions, what you are actually looking at is the bronze replica that is gold-plated.

Then again, we can understand FIFA’s decision to do this after what happened to the Jules Rimet trophy in 1983.