The FIFA World Cup Trophy is football’s most recognisable prize: an 18-carat gold sculpture designed by Silvio Gazzaniga, standing 36.8 cm high and weighing 6.175 kg. But the trophy lifted by champions is not permanently kept by them — the original returns to FIFA, while the winners receive a separate trophy.
Every four years, the World Cup final ends with one of football’s most powerful images: the winning captain raising the trophy above his head. It is a small object compared with the size of the moment, but no prize in football carries more meaning.
The story behind the World Cup Trophy is more complicated than many fans realise. There have been two main men’s FIFA World Cup trophies: the original Jules Rimet Trophy, used from 1930 to 1970, and the current FIFA World Cup Trophy, first awarded in 1974. The women’s tournament also has its own separate FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy, with the current version first awarded in 1999.
The modern trophy is made of gold and malachite, but its value is not simply about precious materials. Its importance comes from history, design, scarcity and ritual. Winners lift it, millions photograph it, but the original remains under FIFA control.
Quick facts: the FIFA World Cup Trophy
|
Detail |
Current FIFA World Cup Trophy |
|
Competition |
Men’s FIFA World Cup |
|
First awarded |
1974 |
|
Designer |
Silvio Gazzaniga |
|
Maker |
Bertoni / Stabilimento Artistico Bertoni |
|
Material |
18-carat gold |
|
Interior |
Hollow |
|
Base |
Two green malachite bands |
|
Height |
36.8 cm |
|
Weight |
6.175 kg |
|
Base diameter |
13 cm |
|
Design |
Two stylised athletes lifting the world |
|
Original kept by |
FIFA / FIFA Museum in Zurich |
|
Do winners keep it permanently? |
No |
|
What winners receive |
A separate FIFA World Cup Winner’s Trophy or copy |
The key specifications — 18-carat gold, hollow interior, 36.8 cm height, 6.175 kg weight, 13 cm base diameter and malachite bands — come from Gazzaniga’s own trophy history.
What is the World Cup Trophy?
The phrase “World Cup Trophy” usually refers to the men’s FIFA World Cup Trophy, the gold sculpture awarded to the winners of the FIFA World Cup. This is the trophy seen at modern World Cup finals, including the one lifted by Argentina captain Lionel Messi in 2022.
Strictly speaking, however, the World Cup has not had one single trophy throughout its history. The original prize was the Jules Rimet Trophy, first awarded in 1930. It was later replaced by the current FIFA World Cup Trophy, which was introduced for the 1974 tournament after Brazil won the Jules Rimet Trophy permanently in 1970.
The women’s game has a separate trophy: the FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy. Its current version was first awarded at the 1999 tournament in the United States and replaced the trophy used in earlier Women’s World Cups.
Who designed the World Cup Trophy?
The current FIFA World Cup Trophy was designed by Silvio Gazzaniga, an Italian sculptor from Milan. He created the trophy while working with the Bertoni company, later known as GDE Bertoni.
FIFA needed a new trophy because Brazil had won the World Cup for a third time in 1970. Under the rules attached to the Jules Rimet Trophy, that meant Brazil was allowed to keep the original trophy permanently. FIFA therefore launched a competition to create a replacement. Gazzaniga’s design was selected from 53 projects submitted from 25 nations.
The trophy was officially adopted by FIFA in January 1972 and first awarded at the 1974 World Cup in West Germany. Franz Beckenbauer, captain of the winning West Germany side, became the first player to lift the new trophy.
What is the World Cup Trophy made of?
The current FIFA World Cup Trophy is made from 18-carat gold and has a base with two green malachite bands. It is not solid gold all the way through: Gazzaniga’s own trophy history describes it as hollow inside. That matters because a completely solid gold trophy of this size would be far too heavy to lift comfortably.
The trophy is made using the lost-wax casting technique, an ancient method used for metal sculpture. Its height is 36.8 cm, its weight is 6.175 kg, and the base has a diameter of 13 cm.
How big and heavy is the World Cup Trophy?
The FIFA World Cup Trophy is 36.8 cm tall, or about 14.5 inches. It weighs 6.175 kg, or about 13.6 lb.
That makes it compact enough for a captain to lift above his head, but heavy enough to feel substantial. Its size is part of its power: the trophy is not huge, but the meaning attached to it is enormous.
What does the World Cup Trophy design mean?
The FIFA World Cup Trophy is not a traditional cup. It has no bowl, handles or drinking-vessel shape. Instead, it is a sculpture.
Its design shows two stylised human figures lifting the Earth. Gazzaniga’s concept was based on the image of triumphant athletes and the world itself. The result is a trophy that turns football victory into a global symbol: the winners are not simply holding a prize, they are holding the world.
This makes the modern trophy very different from the Jules Rimet Trophy. The older trophy used classical imagery, depicting Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. Gazzaniga’s trophy belongs to a more modern visual language: dynamic, international and instantly recognisable on television.
Do World Cup winners keep the trophy?
No. Modern World Cup winners do not keep the FIFA World Cup Original Trophy permanently.
The winning captain lifts the original trophy during the post-final ceremony, but the original remains FIFA property. FIFA Museum says that after the 2026 tournament, the FIFA World Cup Original Trophy will return to Zurich, while the 2026 FIFA World Cup Winner’s Trophy will go to the new world champions.
This is a major difference from the Jules Rimet era. The Jules Rimet Trophy could be awarded permanently to a country that won the World Cup three times. The current FIFA World Cup Trophy cannot be kept forever, even if a country wins it multiple times. Gazzaniga’s trophy history says the current trophy will continue to be used until the available engraving spaces are filled.
Where is the World Cup Trophy kept?
The FIFA World Cup Original Trophy is normally associated with the FIFA Museum in Zurich. It leaves for selected official events, including trophy tours, draws and the World Cup itself.
For the 2026 World Cup, FIFA Museum said the Original Trophy had left its showcase in Zurich for the Trophy Tour, while the 2026 Winner’s Trophy had also left the museum for the tournament. During the tournament, both trophies are in the host countries of Mexico, Canada and the USA. After the tournament, the Winner’s Trophy goes to the champions and the Original Trophy returns to Zurich.
That separation is important: the trophy seen in the biggest ceremony is the original, but the object the winning association ultimately receives is different.
How much is the World Cup Trophy worth?
The World Cup Trophy is valuable in two very different ways.
In material terms, it contains 18-carat gold and malachite. Its gold value changes with the market price of gold, so any fixed estimate can quickly become outdated.
In cultural terms, it is effectively priceless. The original FIFA World Cup Trophy is not a normal commercial object. It is a FIFA-owned sporting artefact, a global symbol and the central prize of the world’s most watched football tournament.
So while its metal content can be estimated, its real value is not measured like jewellery. It comes from scarcity, history and the fact that only a tiny group of footballers ever get to lift it as world champions.
The Jules Rimet Trophy: the original World Cup prize
Before the current trophy, World Cup winners received the Jules Rimet Trophy.
It was originally called Victory and was later renamed after Jules Rimet, the FIFA president closely associated with the creation of the World Cup. The trophy was designed by French sculptor Abel Lafleur and depicted Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.
The Jules Rimet Trophy was made from gold-plated sterling silver and stood on a lapis lazuli base. Published reference records usually give its height as about 35 cm and its weight as about 3.8 kg.
It was first awarded to Uruguay after the inaugural World Cup in 1930. It then passed between world champions for four decades, surviving war, theft and travel before being awarded permanently to Brazil in 1970.
What happened to the original World Cup Trophy?
The Jules Rimet Trophy has one of the strangest histories of any sporting prize.
During the Second World War, Italy held the trophy as the 1938 world champion. According to the famous account, FIFA vice-president Ottorino Barassi hid it in a shoebox under his bed to protect it during the war.
Its most famous disappearance came in England in 1966. A few months before the World Cup, the trophy was placed on display at Stanley Gibbons’ Stampex exhibition at Central Hall, Westminster. It was insured for £30,000, despite an official valuation of £3,000. On Sunday 20 March 1966, thieves forced open the display case and escaped with the trophy.
A ransom demand followed. A parcel sent to Football Association chairman Joe Mears contained a removable part of the trophy and a demand for £15,000. Police later arrested Edward Betchley, who was convicted of demanding money with menaces.
The trophy was recovered a week later in one of football’s most unlikely stories. On 27 March 1966, David Corbett was walking his dog, Pickles, near Beulah Hill in south London. Pickles began sniffing at a newspaper-wrapped parcel, which turned out to contain the missing Jules Rimet Trophy.
Four months later, England won the World Cup at Wembley and Bobby Moore lifted the recovered trophy.
Brazil then won the World Cup for a third time in 1970 and kept the Jules Rimet Trophy permanently. But in 1983, it was stolen again from the Brazilian Football Confederation in Rio de Janeiro. This time it was never recovered.
The secret replica
The 1966 theft also created another twist in the trophy’s history. After the scare, the Football Association had a replica made for public appearances.
In 1997, FIFA bought what was thought to be a Jules Rimet trophy at Sotheby’s for £254,500. Researchers later used X-ray computer tomography to examine it and confirmed it was a replica rather than the original. WIRED reported that the object was likely made of cast pewter or bronze rather than the gold-plated sterling silver of the original, and that it is associated with the National Football Museum in Manchester.
For UK readers, that makes the Jules Rimet story especially rich: the trophy was stolen in Westminster, found in south London, lifted at Wembley, and its surviving 1966-era replica became part of football memory in Manchester.
World Cup Trophy vs Jules Rimet Trophy
|
Feature |
Jules Rimet Trophy |
FIFA World Cup Trophy |
|
Used |
1930–1970 |
1974–present |
|
Designer |
Abel Lafleur |
Silvio Gazzaniga |
|
Main material |
Gold-plated sterling silver |
18-carat gold |
|
Base |
Lapis lazuli |
Green malachite bands |
|
Height |
About 35 cm |
36.8 cm |
|
Weight |
About 3.8 kg |
6.175 kg |
|
Design |
Nike, Greek goddess of victory |
Two athletes lifting the world |
|
Permanent ownership? |
Brazil kept it after third win |
Never permanently awarded |
|
Current status |
Stolen in 1983 and never recovered |
Original retained by FIFA |
The comparison shows how much the World Cup’s symbolism changed. The Jules Rimet Trophy looked like a classical victory statue. The current trophy looks like a global sporting icon.
Who is allowed to touch the World Cup Trophy?
Access to the World Cup Trophy is tightly controlled. It is treated less like ordinary silverware and more like a protected ceremonial object.
The people normally permitted to handle it with bare hands include World Cup-winning players and managers, senior FIFA representatives and selected heads of state. This is why the trophy’s touch rules often become a subject of discussion whenever it appears at official events.
That controlled access adds to the trophy’s mystique. Millions of people can see it, but very few can touch it. Even fewer can lift it as world champions.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy
The FIFA Women’s World Cup has its own trophy, separate from the men’s FIFA World Cup Trophy.
The current FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy was first awarded at the 1999 tournament in the United States. It replaced the trophy used in previous editions. FIFA Museum describes it as the biggest prize in women’s football and says Spain’s 2023 title has been added to its base plate alongside previous winners.
The women’s trophy has a different visual identity from the men’s trophy. Instead of two figures lifting the Earth, it uses a rising spiral form with a football at the top. Reported specifications commonly list it as 47 cm high and 4.6 kg, though the strongest accessible FIFA Museum source confirms the 1999 introduction and base-plate update rather than the full material specification.
The key point is that the Women’s World Cup Trophy is not a smaller version of the men’s prize. It is the central trophy of a separate global competition with its own winners, rituals and history.
World Cup Trophy timeline
|
Year |
Event |
|
1930 |
First men’s World Cup; the original trophy is awarded to Uruguay. |
|
1946 |
The original trophy is known as the Jules Rimet Trophy. |
|
1966 |
The Jules Rimet Trophy is stolen from Central Hall, Westminster, and found by Pickles the dog in south London. |
|
1970 |
Brazil wins the World Cup for a third time and keeps the Jules Rimet Trophy permanently. |
|
1971–1972 |
FIFA selects Silvio Gazzaniga’s replacement design and adopts the current trophy. |
|
1974 |
The current FIFA World Cup Trophy is first awarded; Franz Beckenbauer lifts it for West Germany. |
|
1983 |
The Jules Rimet Trophy is stolen in Brazil and never recovered. |
|
1999 |
The current FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy is first awarded. |
|
2006 |
FIFA’s modern custody practice means the original men’s trophy is no longer held by the winning association after the tournament. |
|
2023 |
Spain wins the Women’s World Cup and is added to the trophy’s base plate. |
|
2026 |
FIFA Museum says the Original Trophy and 2026 Winner’s Trophy are both in the host countries during the tournament. |
This timeline draws on Gazzaniga’s official trophy history, FIFA Museum updates and History Today’s account of the 1966 theft.
Why the World Cup Trophy remains football’s most famous prize
The World Cup Trophy is famous because it combines material beauty, sporting achievement and global emotion.
It is made from gold, but it is more than gold. It is carefully guarded, rarely touched and instantly recognised. It carries the names of champions, but it also carries the weight of every final, every trophy lift and every country that has dreamed of winning it.
The Jules Rimet Trophy belonged to the early age of the World Cup: smaller, classical, vulnerable and eventually lost. The current FIFA World Cup Trophy belongs to the modern game: sculptural, controlled, global and designed for the television age. The Women’s World Cup Trophy represents a newer chapter, giving the women’s tournament a distinct icon of its own.
Every World Cup final ends with a captain lifting a trophy. The gesture lasts only a few seconds, but the object in that moment carries almost a century of football history.
Frequently asked questions
What is the World Cup Trophy made of?
The current FIFA World Cup Trophy is made from 18-carat gold and has two green malachite bands around its base. It is hollow inside, stands 36.8 cm high and weighs 6.175 kg.
How heavy is the World Cup Trophy?
The FIFA World Cup Trophy weighs 6.175 kg, or about 13.6 lb.
How tall is the World Cup Trophy?
The current FIFA World Cup Trophy is 36.8 cm tall, or around 14.5 inches.
Is the World Cup Trophy solid gold?
The trophy is made from 18-carat gold, but it is hollow inside. It is therefore not solid gold all the way through.
Do World Cup winners keep the trophy?
No. The winning captain lifts the FIFA World Cup Original Trophy at the ceremony, but the original returns to FIFA. The winning team receives a separate Winner’s Trophy or copy.
Who designed the World Cup Trophy?
The current FIFA World Cup Trophy was designed by Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga while he was working with Bertoni.
What happened to the Jules Rimet Trophy?
The Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen in London in 1966 and recovered by Pickles the dog. Brazil kept it permanently after winning a third World Cup in 1970, but it was stolen again in Brazil in 1983 and has never been recovered.
What is the Women’s World Cup Trophy?
The FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy is the prize awarded to winners of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The current version was first awarded in 1999 and replaced the trophy used in previous tournaments.
