History of the World Cup Trophy, Once Stolen by Robbers

VIVA – The FIFA World Cup is one event that captures the attention of the entire world, especially the iconic trophy and prize for the World Cup winner. The trophy itself is theoretically just a symbol, a physical representation of success, and something for the winners to hold up and go on about after their victory.

The current World Cup trophy made its inaugural appearance in 1974 after Brazil had won the first cup for the third time in 1970. As decreed by Jules Rimet himself, the first team to win the trophy that bore his name thrice would be allowed to keep it forever.

Gold-plated silver and lapis lazuli trophies were used to create the Jules Rimet trophy. The design included an image of the goddess Nike, the Greek goddess of Victory. French artist Abel Lafleur was responsible for its creation. The trophy is 14 inches (35 cm) tall and weighs 8.4 pounds (3.9 kg) (3.80 kg).

But that trophy was stolen from Brazil in 1983 and its fate is uncertain or maybe it went missing sometime in the 1960s. Perhaps it was stolen in the 1950s and the one that we all thought was the real thing was actually a replica, as quoted from the athletic site.

Whatever its end, its beginnings came in 1928. When Jules Rimet thought that a quadrennial global football tournament was a good idea, he needed something to award the victors.

He employed a Parisian sculptor named Abel Lafleur, who came up with a design loosely based on the ancient Greek sculpture the ‘Winged Victory of Samothrace’ (which is still available to view in the Louvre), with Nike the goddess of victory holding an octagonal cup with wings.

To briefly defend the old boy against accusations of extreme egotism, the trophy was initially simply known as ‘Victory’ and was only named after Jules Rimet following his passing in 1956.

Furthermore, FIFA needed a new trophy after Brazil retained the previous trophy, and the organization issued a request for suggestions, and fifty-three sculptors from seven countries responded. FIFA eventually decided to use the design services of Italian artist Silvio Gazzaniga for their new World Cup trophy.

The trophy was made in 1971 by Bertoni, Milano, a Milan-based manufacturer of medals and trophies. The image on the latest celebrity award shows two people raising a planet above their heads.

The World Cup gold trophy measures 14.4 inches (36.5 cm) in height and weighs 6.175 kg and is 18-karat gold. It sits on a bronze base with a diameter of 5.1 inches (13 cm). The World Cup trophy was valued at US$161,000 in 2018.

Each time the World Cup is won, the name of the winning team and the year of victory will be written on the base of the trophy. This inscription is written in the native language of the winning country.

The existing trophy may be retired after the 2038 World Cup and can bear up to seventeen names and years. Unlike the Rimet Cup, which was transferred from the winning country to the next, the current version of the trophy belongs to FIFA permanently.

So, the trophy is limited to celebrations and pictures, but the winning country cannot and should not keep the trophy in their country.

Argentina has just won the 2022 World Cup. The tango team beat France 4-2 in the final duel at Lusail Iconic Stadium, Sunday, December 18, 2022.