French sculptor Abel Lafleur designed the Jules Rimet trophy in 1930. The trophy specifications and measurements were 14 inches (35 cm) in height and weighed 8.4 lbs (3.80 kgs). The famous prize was made of gold-plated sterling silver, and it had a blue base made of lapis lazuli stone. Classic Football History of the FIFA World Cup". FIFA. Archived from the original on 29 March 2013 . Retrieved 30 June 2014. The first trophy, originally named Victory, but later renamed in honour of FIFA president Jules Rimet, was made of gold plated sterling silver and a lapis lazuli base. It depicted Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. Brazil were awarded the trophy in perpetuity following their third title in 1970, prompting the commissioning of a replacement. The original Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen in 1983 and has never been recovered. But being one of the most recognisable sporting symbols in the globe and consequently, the high value associated with it has also brought its fair share of unwanted attention to the iconic piece of silverware. This has made the FIFA World Cup trophy the centrepiece of some intriguing plots off the field as well. FIFA World Cup trophy iterations He suggested that the theft must have occurred during “an aversion of human eyes.” The exhibition was on two floors in a large hall and there were “at least two to four guards circulating the hall at the time.”

The trophy, originally dubbed Victory and commonly called the Coupe du Monde (French for World Cup), was 35cm in height and weighed 3.8kg. It was constructed with gold-plated sterling silver and it had a blue base made of semi-precious stone called lapis lazuli. There were gold plates attached to each of the four sides of the base, on which the winning countries’ names were engraved after each edition. The Jules Rimet Trophy. (Getty Images)Unsurprisingly, the rules were then changed to ensure the second replacement Challenge Cup, costing 100 guineas, ‘would never become the property of the winner’. It’s still used today, adorned with a pineapple – a symbol of wealth and luxury – and inscribed with ‘The All England Lawn Tennis Club Single Handed Championship of the World’, although players may now use both hands and there is no official championship of the world – nor was there ever. Former students of Rugby School set up the Calcutta (Rugby) Football Club in 1873 and the club joined the Rugby Football Union (RFU) the following year. When the local British Army regiment departed a few years later (and, perhaps more crucially, the bar ceased to be free), the club was disbanded and the 270 silver rupees remaining in its bank account were melted down, then crafted into a cup to be presented to the RFU for ‘some lasting good for the cause of Rugby Football’. World Cup: Piece of original Jules Rimet trophy found". 13 January 2015. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015 . Retrieved 6 July 2015. Historic global journey of the "real" FIFA World Cup Trophy to stop over in 28 countries". FIFA. 6 December 2005. Archived from the original on 30 June 2010. The Brazilian team won the tournament for the third time in 1970, allowing them to keep the real trophy in perpetuity, as had been stipulated by Jules Rimet in 1930. [14] It was put on display at the Brazilian Football Confederation headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, in a cabinet with a front of bullet-proof glass. [15]

It was inspired by the Nike of Samothrace statue, an incomplete yet iconic Greek statue from the Hellenistic era which is on display at Paris’ Louvre museum. Alemanha x Argentina – AO VIVO". UOL. 13 July 2014. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014 . Retrieved 14 July 2014. The old trophy’s exciting journey didn’t end there as it ended up being stolen on a couple of occasions. The first incident took place in England ahead of the 1966 World Cup. The Jules Rimet Trophy was put on a public exhibition at Westminster Central Hall on 20 March 1966, when the theft took place. The FIFA World Cup trophy is 36.5 cm tall and is made of 6.175 kg of 18 karats (75%) gold. It has a circular base, 13 cm in diameter, made of two layers of malachite.The current World Cup trophy is believed to be made of solid gold. However, a British chemistry professor revealed that the trophy is likely to be hollow as a solid trophy weighs 154 lb (70 kgs). FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour

Professor says World Cup trophy cannot be solid gold". BBC News. 12 June 2010. Archived from the original on 6 April 2020 . Retrieved 13 June 2010. Burnton, Simon (13 May 2014). "World Cup: 25 stunning moments … No 16: Conte Verde's trip to Uruguay". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 July 2015 . Retrieved 6 July 2015. One such replica was also given to Nelson Mandela before South Africa hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2010. It was the only instance of an individual receiving an official replica of the trophy to date. Following England’s success in 1966, the FA had a replica of the Jules Rimet Trophy made to use in exhibitions instead of the real one. However, the English Football Association was prohibited by FIFA from doing so. When the FA returned the original trophy in 1970, the replica was put away for years. Informant247, The (26 November 2022). "Who designed the FIFA Trophy? What does it symbolize? All you need to know about the World Cup". The Informant247 . Retrieved 26 November 2022. {{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ( link)

FIFA World Cup trophy: 1974-present

The Jules Rimet Trophy had had quite a fascinating history. When World War II broke out, Italy was the current world champion. So Ottorino Barassi, who was vice-President of FIFA and President of Italy’s football federation, took it upon himself to hide the trophy from the clutches of the Nazis. Barassi hid the trophy in a shoebox under his bed while the war raged in most of Europe. Nowadays, the trophy is awarded to the winners of the World Endurance Championship Six Hours of Silverstone, which is the opening round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The last British winner was Anthony Davidson for Toyota Racing in 2014. The note, written by Cugullere, said: “Dear Joe Kno (sic) doubt you view with very much concern the loss of the world cup...to me it is only so much scrap gold.” Famously, the trophy was engraved with the winner’s name before they received it and there was much speculation as to when the engraver was sure enough of the outcome to begin. Only once did he made a mistake: in 1999, when Jean van de Velde infamously choked with a triple bogey on the 18th hole. Paul Lawrie subsequently won the playoff and the engraver had to scratch through van de Velde’s name. The winning golfer’s name is now only added after his scorecard is verified by officials. The original trophy, however, was stolen for a second time in 1983 from the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.

The new trophy can hold up to seventeen names and years, and it is likely to be retired following the 2038 World Cup. Unlike the Rimet Cup, which was passed from winning countries to the new winning nation, this one is FIFA’s permanent property. What Countries Have Won The Trophy The competition was won by a schooner called America, which had been sailed across the Atlantic by a syndicate of businessmen from the newly formed New York Yacht Club. They subsequently donated the trophy to the club, which made it available for international challenge under the terms of the deed of gift.During World War II, the trophy was held by 1938 champion Italy. Ottorino Barassi, the Italian vice-president of FIFA and president of FIGC, secretly transported the trophy from a bank in Rome and hid it in a shoe-box under his bed to prevent the Nazis from taking it. [7] The 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden marked the beginning of a tradition regarding the trophy. As Brazilian captain Hilderaldo Bellini heard photographers' requests for a better view of the Jules Rimet Trophy, he lifted it up in the air. Every Cup-winning captain ever since has repeated the gesture. [8]