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FIFA World Cup – the most desirable trophy
It is awarded after the World Cup final, made of 18-carat gold, stands only 37 centimetres high and weighs over 6 kilos - the FIFA World Cup trophy. It has been awarded since 1974 and lifted 11 times in total. Our neighbours from the East - Germans, have reached for the trophy most often and they will defend the title during the World Cup competition in Russia.
From 1930 onwards the Jules Rimet Trophy was awarded by FIFA authorities to the best team in the world. After the national team of Brazil had won the World Cup competition in Mexico in 1970 and come into ownership of the trophy, according to the FIFA regulations, it was decided that for the next tournament another trophy would be designed.
The International Federation of Association Football received fifty-three applications from seven countries. Eventually, it was decided that the design of sculptor named Silvio Gazzaniga won. The Italian artist described his work in the following way: 'Lines extend in the form of the spirals from the base as if they were holding the globe. The figures of two athletes at the moment of victory rise from the compact main part of the sculpture.
His work was called the FIFA World Cup Trophy and it was awarded for the first time in 1974 when the Federal Republic of Germany, the best team in the world at that time, defeated the Netherlands. The award was made of 18-carat gold (it was estimated to be worth approximately US$ 150,000 in 2017) and it has a malachite base. It stands 36.8 centimetres high and weighs 6.1 kilograms. The trophy was manufactured by the Italian company - Stabilimento Artistico Bertoni.
In 1994 a plate on which the names of winning countries are engraved was added to the bottom side of the trophy. However, the names are not visible when the trophy is standing upright. The plate includes the names of all the winners of the World Cup starting from 1974, that is from the date of presentation of the new trophy. After each World Cup competition, the year and the name of the winning country are engraved. For example, "1982 Italy" or "1998 France".
In total, six countries have managed to win the FIFA World Cup Trophy so far. The German team lifted the trophy most frequently, namely three times - in 1974, 1990 and 2014. Argentina did it twice; they won in 1978 and 1986. Italy reached for the trophy twice - in 1982 and 2006. Brazil also did it twice – in 1994 and 2002. Two teams won the World Cup once - France in 1998 and Spain in 2010.
In contrast to the previous prize, a given country cannot come into ownership of the FIFA World Cup trophy. According to the FIFA regulations, the tournament winner receives a gold-plated replica, and not the real golden trophy.
Jacek Janczewski
