Football unites people from different countries, nations, and flags, binding them together with a common passion. Around a golden trophy, countless football enthusiasts battle both on and off the field.
In the nearly 82-year history of football, the FIFA World Cup has been held 22 times, with the latest edition taking place in Qatar. In that tournament, Argentina lifted the trophy after 36 years. Alongside the history of the FIFA World Cup, another fascinating narrative has been written—the history of the trophy itself. Just as football has ignited excitement among people, the story of its trophy is also filled with astonishing coincidences.
The year was 1930. The stage for football supremacy was set in the South American nation of Uruguay. After defeating Argentina in the final, Uruguay was awarded the trophy at the Estadio Centenario stadium. That trophy was named the Victory Trophy. Designed in the image of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, this iconic trophy symbolized footballing greatness.
Then came the 1938 World Cup. At that time, the world was on the brink of the Second World War. Organizing a World Cup in such a volatile environment was a major challenge for FIFA. Despite the tense global atmosphere, the World Cup was held in France. In that tournament, Italy defeated Hungary to claim their second consecutive title. As a testament to their supremacy, the trophy was taken to Rome. However, protecting the trophy from Adolf Hitler’s infamous Nazi forces proved to be a difficult task for Italy.
The then FIFA president, Italian citizen Ottorino Barassi, took extreme caution and secrecy to ensure the trophy remained safe. To prevent the Nazis from discovering it, he hid the trophy inside a shoebox and kept it in his bedroom. As a result, the Nazi forces were unable to seize it. In 1946, as a tribute to former FIFA president Jules Rimet, the Victory Trophy was renamed the Jules Rimet Trophy. Some even referred to it as the Coupe du Monde.
An embarrassing incident involving the trophy occurred in 1966. On March 20 of that year, just four months before the World Cup, the Jules Rimet Trophy was mysteriously stolen from an exhibition at Westminster Central Hall in London. This incident caused great concern for the head of the English Football Association at the time, Joe Mears. However, fate intervened. Just seven days after the theft, the trophy was found wrapped in paper in a South London suburban garden—discovered by a dog named Pickles.
Following this incident, FIFA introduced a new rule regarding the Jules Rimet Trophy: “If a country wins the World Cup three times, they will get to keep the Jules Rimet Trophy permanently.”
In the 1970 World Cup held in Mexico, the legendary Pelé led Brazil to a 4-1 victory over Italy, securing their third World Cup title. As a result, Brazil was awarded permanent ownership of the Jules Rimet Trophy.
However, even then, the trophy did not remain safe. In 1983, the Jules Rimet Trophy was once again stolen, this time from the Brazilian Football Federation’s office in Rio de Janeiro. The Brazilian authorities later created a replica of the trophy, but the original has never been recovered.
Before the 1974 World Cup, FIFA commissioned the creation of a new trophy to replace the Jules Rimet Trophy. FIFA received various design proposals from artists across seven different countries. Ultimately, the design by Italian artist Silvio Gazzaniga was unanimously chosen. This is the iconic trophy we now know as the FIFA World Cup Trophy.
The new trophy was crafted by the Stabilimento Artistico Bertoni company in Italy. Standing approximately 36.8 cm tall and weighing 6.1 kg, the trophy is made of 18-carat gold. Its current estimated value is around 150,000 US dollars.
