FIFA World Cup Trophy Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids FIFA World Cup Trophy
FIFA World Cup Trophy
Given for	Winning the FIFA World Cup
Presented by	FIFA
History
First award	1930 (Jules Rimet Trophy) 1974 (FIFA World Cup Trophy)
First winner	Uruguay (Jules Rimet Trophy, 1930) West Germany (FIFA World Cup Trophy, 1974)
Most wins	Brazil (5 times)
Most recent	Argentina (3rd title, 2022)
Website	fifa.com

The FIFA World Cup Trophy is a special golden award given to the team that wins the FIFA World Cup, a huge international football tournament. Since the World Cup started in 1930, there have been two different trophies. The first one was called the Jules Rimet Trophy (used from 1930 to 1970). The current one is simply known as the FIFA World Cup Trophy (used from 1974 until now). The current trophy is very valuable, costing around $242,700 to make.

The first trophy was first named Victory. Later, it was renamed to honor Jules Rimet, who was the president of FIFA. It was made of gold-plated silver and had a blue stone base. It showed Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. After Brazil won the World Cup three times by 1970, they got to keep this trophy forever. This meant a new trophy was needed. Sadly, the original Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen in 1983 and has never been found.

The new trophy, called the "FIFA World Cup Trophy", was first used in 1974. It's made of 18-karat gold with green stone (malachite) bands on its base. It shows two human figures holding up the Earth. The current champions are Argentina, who won the 2022 World Cup. Only a few people are allowed to touch the real trophy with their bare hands. This includes players and managers who have won the World Cup, leaders of countries, and FIFA officials.

The First Trophy: Jules Rimet
- The Trophy Goes Missing
The New FIFA World Cup Trophy
- When Will a New Trophy Be Needed?
World Cup Winners
See also

The First Trophy: Jules Rimet

Jules Rimet Trophy replica in the English National Football Museum. The original was stolen in 1983.

The Jules Rimet Cup was the first trophy given out at the FIFA World Cup. It was first called "Victory" but was also known as the World Cup. In 1946, it was renamed to honor Jules Rimet, the FIFA President. He was the one who started the World Cup competition in 1929.

A French artist named Abel Lafleur designed the trophy. It was made of gold-plated silver and had a blue stone base. In 1954, the base was made taller to fit more winners' names. The trophy was about 35 centimeters (14 inches) tall and weighed 3.8 kilograms (8.4 pounds).

The trophy looked like a cup with ten sides. It was held up by a winged figure representing Nike, the ancient Greek goddess of victory. The Jules Rimet Trophy traveled to Uruguay for the first World Cup in 1930. The first team to win this trophy was Uruguay.

Jules Rimet giving the 1930 World Cup trophy to Raúl Jude, president of the Uruguayan Football Association.

During World War II, the trophy was held by Italy, who won in 1938. An Italian FIFA official, Ottorino Barassi, secretly moved the trophy from a bank. He hid it under his bed to stop the Nazis from taking it.

In the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden, a new tradition started. The Brazilian captain, Hilderaldo Bellini, lifted the trophy high for photographers. Since then, every World Cup-winning captain has done the same.

The Trophy Goes Missing

On March 20, 1966, just four months before the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England, the trophy was stolen. It was on display at a public event in London. Seven days later, a dog named Pickles found it wrapped in newspaper under a garden hedge.

Queen Elizabeth II giving the Jules Rimet trophy to England captain Bobby Moore in 1966.

To keep the original safe, the English Football Association secretly made a copy of the trophy. This copy was used for public displays. After 1970, the original trophy had to go back to FIFA for the next tournament. The copy was then hidden away for many years. Later, in 1997, this copy was sold at an auction. FIFA bought it and confirmed it was indeed a replica. It is now shown at the English National Football Museum in Manchester.

The Brazilian team won the World Cup for the third time in 1970. This meant they got to keep the real trophy forever, as Jules Rimet had decided in 1930. It was put on display at the Brazilian Football Confederation's office in Rio de Janeiro. It was kept in a cabinet with bullet-proof glass.

Sadly, on December 19, 1983, the trophy was stolen again. The back of the cabinet was forced open. The trophy has never been found since. Many people believe it was melted down and sold. Only one part of the Jules Rimet Trophy has been found: its original base. FIFA had kept this base in a basement in Switzerland.

The Brazilian Football Confederation had a new copy made. This copy was given to the Brazilian president in 1984.

The New FIFA World Cup Trophy

Diego Maradona (left) and Antoine Griezmann (right) with the trophy in 1986 and 2018.

FIFA needed a new trophy for the 1974 World Cup. Many artists sent in their designs. An Italian artist named Silvio Gazzaniga won the competition.

The new trophy is about 36.5 centimeters (14 inches) tall. It is made of 6.175 kilograms (13.6 pounds) of 18-karat gold. Its base is 13 centimeters (5 inches) wide and has two layers of green stone called malachite. Scientists say the trophy is hollow. If it were solid gold, it would weigh 70 to 80 kilograms (150 to 180 pounds), which would be too heavy to lift!

The trophy was made by a company in Italy. It shows two human figures holding up the Earth. Gazzaniga said the lines of the trophy "rise in spirals, stretching out to receive the world."

The words "FIFA World Cup" are written on the base of the trophy. After the 1994 FIFA World Cup, a plate was added to the bottom. The names of the winning countries are engraved on this plate. You can't see the names when the trophy is standing up.

The original trophy is now kept permanently at the FIFA World Football Museum in Zurich, Switzerland. It only leaves the museum for special events, like the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour. It is also present at the World Cup final draw and on the field for the opening game and the final match. The Trophy Tour started for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

The winning team used to keep the trophy until the next tournament. But now, the winners receive a bronze copy that is gold-plated. It is not made of solid gold. Teams that win the World Cup three times also get to keep a replica, not the original cup. Germany was the first country to win the new trophy three times in 2014. Argentina became the second in 2022.

The engravings on the trophy show the year and the winning country's name in its own language. For example, "1974 Deutschland" (Germany) or "1994 Brasil" (Brazil). As of 2022, twelve winners have been engraved on the base. The plate is changed after each World Cup. The names are arranged in a spiral to make space for future winners.

When Will a New Trophy Be Needed?

The base of the current trophy has enough space for new engravings until the 2038 World Cup. This means a new trophy will likely be made for the 2042 World Cup.