This month those that are soccer or “futbol” fans across the globe are tuning in to the World Cup in Brazil. With several countries from across the world, including the US, are competing to be world champions and bring pride to their county, there is one piece of hardware everyone is waiting for. The FIFA World Cup Trophy.
While it may not be as impressive in size like the Stanley Cup, the FIFA Cup Trophy is a bit more valuable considering what it is made out of. The trophy stands at 14.4 inches tall and is made up of 11 pounds of 18 karat gold with a base made up with two layers of malachite.
Created for the 1974 World Cup by Italian artist Silvio Gazzaniga, the FIFA World Cup Trophy is engraved with each winners’ name on the bottom of the trophy. It is rumored that there is space for only 4 more names on the bottom, so the trophy will be retired in 2030.
Winners of the FIFA World Cup do not get the trophy outright, but instead get a replica that is gold-plated. It has been said that the trophy is not made of solid gold, because if it was it would weigh around 154 pounds. So while we not be huge soccer fans in the US, we may have a bigger reason why we should watch the final match and drool over the gold trophy at the end.
