What do you know about soccer’s ultimate prize, the FIFA World Cup Trophy?
It’s one of the hardest trophies to conquer – only eight countries have ever won it – Brazil (five times), Germany (four), Italy (four), Argentina (three), France (two), Uruguay (two), Spain (two) and England (once).
But the story of the actual trophy (and the two versions of it that have existed since the inaugural tournament in 1930) is filled with some interesting facts. Let’s dive in:
(Photo by Michael Regan – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Paired with two layers of green malachite on the base, the trophy’s total weight of 6.142 kilograms (about 13.6 pounds). While the inside of the trophy is hollow, it has incredible value based on gold content alone. The gold content equates to just over five kilograms (nearly 11 pounds) of pure gold – which would be around $550,000 as of April 2026. Of course, no one would dare sell one of sports’ most sought-after trophies.
Jules Rimet, president of FIFA, presents the first World Cup trophy to Dr. Paul Jude, the president of the Uruguayan Football Association. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
In March 1966, the Jules Rimet trophy was taken from an exhibition in London. Miraculously, a dog named Pickles sniffed out a package wrapped in newspaper while on a walk with his owner. The trophy happened to be sitting there and Pickles became a hero to fans across the world. England won its first and only men’s title months later – and Pickles was invited to the celebration banquet as a reward.
The Jules Rimet trophy was again stolen in 1983 while displayed at the Brazilian Football Confederation headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil then commissioned a replacement replica of the trophy, with only one section of the original ever officially recovered.
After the 1966 theft, England’s Football Association created a replica trophy that would be used for public exhibition while the real one was kept safe. In 1997, FIFA bought the replica at an auction for $400,000. That replica is now at England’s National Football Museum in Manchester.
(Photo by Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The pate at the base of the trophy gets removed after each winner, with it going to the FIFA Museum. A new one is added to the trophy with the name of the latest winner joining the previous champions in a spiral arrangement to accommodate future winners.
(Photo by Alex Grimm/Bongarts/Getty Images)
The main trophy does occasionally travel but is carefully handled by agents to ensure there is no damage when in transport. When it does hit the road, it is for events such as the World Cup Trophy Tour or the World Cup draw. It also makes an appearance at the final.
(Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
