The FIFA World Cup Trophy.
As its the world cup, I thought i’d share a little information on the trophy that is presented to the winning team. I wanted to write a post that would share the information that I found out while researching the Trophies themselves.
So we’ll start from the beginning.
Back in 1929, Jules Rimet whom was FIFA’s president at the time, passed a vote to initiate a World Tournament. A tournament of countries to battle against each other to Win the notoriety of being the worlds greatest country at the Game of Football. In 1930 the very first World Cup was held in Uruguay and the host team won against Argentina 4-2 in front of a crowd of more than 68000 people! They won the very first cup and it was called “Victory”
It was designed by Abel Lafleur who was a very talented French sculptor. The cup is made of Gold Plated Sterling Silver. The base itself was made of White and Yellow Marble. The base was later replaced with a much higher base made of Lapis Lazuli. It was 35 centimetres tall and weighed 3.8 kilograms. It comprised a decagonal cup, supported by a winged figure representing the greek goddess of victory. The cup was later renamed “The Jules Rimet” Trophy to honour the FIFA president.
In 1966 England hosts the World Cup.
It was the 20th March, four months before the start of the FIFA World Cup in England and the trophy was stolen during a public exhibition at Westminster Central Hall. Incredibly it was found just seven days later wrapped in news paper at the end of a garden in South London by a dog named Pickles!
As a security measure The football association secretly manufactured a replica of the trophy for use in exhibitions rather than using the original. In 1970, it was the next world cup and the original trophy had to be returned to FIFA for the next Tournament. FIFA had explicitly said no to The Football Association to make a replica Trophy so the replica had to disappear from public view. It was held with its creator for many years under there bed. Incredibly the replica was sold for £254,000 in 1997 when it was purchased by FIFA themselves because they thought it might actually have been the original. It was later identified as the the replica anyway.
Brazil won the World Cup in 1970 for the third time meaning they could then keep the Trophy indefinitely as it was stipulated by Jules Rimet in 1930. In December 1983 the Original Trophy was stolen again, four men were tried and convicted but sadly the Trophy has never been recovered. It is widely thought to have been melted down and sold. Only the original base of the Jules Rimet Trophy has ever been recovered.
The New Trophy.
In 1970, FIFA commissioned a new trophy to be made for the next World Cup in 1974. Over Fifty submissions were received from sculptors from seven different countries to design it. Silvio Gazzaniga’s Design was chosen. Gazzaniga was a very talented designer and sculptor and worked as Creative Director for “Bertoni, Milano” a trophy and medal manufacture in Milan, Italy. He tucked himself away for a week while he designed it. This is the same one used today and is engraved underneath the base with the year and winning country. The new Trophy stands 36.5 centimetres tall and is made of 5kg of 18ct Gold. It is thought to be worth approximately $150,000 and has a base made of two layers of Green Malachite. The making of the cup involved and extremely elaborate process of plasticine, plaster and wax casting. The trophy weighs 6.1 kilograms in total and depicts two human figures holding up the earth. Gazzaniga was very modest and down-to-earth, he described his emotions at the time as nothing more than “Happy and Proud” but admits he was a little overwhelmed when he saw his Trophy on the worlds stage for the first time in 1974.
Thanks for reading!