The FIFA World Cup is one of the most prestigious trophies in sports. It is the dream of every football player to lay their hands on this trophy. 32 national football teams will compete again for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Trophy from 20 November.
So far, 8 teams have won the golden trophy. Will there be a new team to win this time? That can be answered only in the future. But for now, let’s check on some history of the trophy.
This article will tell you about-
- The structure of the World Cup Trophy
- Who designed it
- Every world cup winner since 1930
- The 2022 FIFA World Cup
- 10 facts about the World Cup
What Materials Are Used to Make the Trophy?
The trophy you will see in this world cup is the second design of the trophy. It has been active since 1974. Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga designed the current World Cup trophy.
The trophy is made of gold and malachite.
The trophy is 36.5 cm tall and contains 6.175 kg of 18-karat gold. It has a two-layered malachite base. The base is 13 cm in diameter. The current trophy depicts two humans who are lifting the world.
The Design Process
It takes several steps to create and design the World Cup.
First, a plaster cast is created by melting brass metal.
The plaster cast is then poured into a mold that is formed like the original trophy.
Next, manual chiseling and hammering are used to polish the trophy’s details, such as the two human figurines.
The next step is making the cup shiny. To do so, ultrasonic cleaning is used while the trophy is submerged in a degreasing bath.
Afterward, the trophy glides in a galvanic bath several times. The trophy is then covered by Zapon varnish to protect the metal.
Finally, the trophy gets fastened to its malachite green marble base. As soon as the dying is done, the World Cup is ready.
All The Winners of The Trophy
All the teams compete to win the cup. But only one team succeeds. From 1932 to 2018, the tournaments were arranged 21 times. So far, 79 countries have competed in the World Cup. But only 8 teams have managed to bag the gold home.
Here is a list of all the winners since 1930:
| Year | Champion | Runner up |
| 1930 | Uruguay | Argentina |
| 1934 | Italy | Czechia |
| 1938 | Italy | Czechia |
| 1950 | Uruguay | Brazil |
| 1954 | Germany | Hungary |
| 1958 | Brazil | Sweden |
| 1962 | Brazil | Czechia |
| 1966 | England | Germany |
| 1970 | Brazil | Italy |
| 1974 | Germany | Netherlands |
| 1978 | Argentina | Netherlands |
| 1982 | Italy | Germany |
| 1986 | Argentina | Germany |
| 1990 | Germany | Argentina |
| 1994 | Brazil | Italy |
| 1998 | France | Brazil |
| 2002 | Brazil | Germany |
| 2006 | Italy | France |
| 2010 | Spain | Netherlands |
| 2014 | Germany | Argentina |
| 2018 | France | Croatia |
From the table, you can see that the winners are:
- Brazil: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002
- Italy: 1934, 1938, 1982, 2006
- Germany: 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014
- France: 1998, 2018
- Argentina: 1978, 1986
- Uruguay: 1930, 1950
- England: 1966
- Spain: 2010
The 2022 FIFA World Cup Trophy
The 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup will begin on November 20. 32 teams will be competing this time as well. Qatar is hosting the tournament. And they are about to compete in their first world cup as the host country.
There will be 8 groups in the tournament, each containing 4 teams. The list of groups follows the below chart:
- Group A: Qatar, Senegal, Netherlands, Ecuador
- Group B: Wales, England, Iran, USA
- Group C: Argentina, Mexico, Poland, Saudi Arabia,
- Group D: France, Tunisia, Australia, Denmark
- Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Japan, Germany
- Group F: Morocco, Belgium, Canada, Croatia
- Group G: Cameroon, Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland
- Group H: Portugal, Uruguay, Ghana, South Korea
The tournament champion will get about $42 million in prize money. Last time in 2018, France received $38 million for winning the tournament. This means the prize money has increased by 9.5%.
10 Interesting Facts about The World Cup Trophy
The world cup is full of interesting facts. It has witnessed many great players over time.
Here are 10 interesting facts about the World Cup trophy:
- There Was Another World Cup
The trophy in this world cup is the second design of the world cup trophy. There is another version of the trophy. It is called the Jules Rimet Trophy. The trophy was given as a prize from 1930 to 1970.
In 1974, the current world cup was introduced.
- Winners Are Given Replicas
Are the winners given the World Cup for four years? Do they have to return it after four years? Ever wondered about such things?
The truth is the winner is not given the original World Cup. Rather, they are given replicas. The replicas don’t contain 18-karat gold in them. It is bronze gold-plated.
- Brazil Was Given The Original Cup
Brazil is the only team that was given an original world cup. Brazil made history after winning its 3rd World Cup in 1970. FIFA gave them the real trophy. The Jules Rimet Trophy.
- The World Cup Was Stolen
Yes. You read it right. The FIFA World Cup was stolen. Not once, but twice.
It was in 1966. The world cup was about to take place in England. The cup was stolen from an exhibition at the Westminster Central Hall just a month before.
People were shocked. They could not believe it. They were angry. The thieves made an offer of 15,000 pounds as ransom.
However, the trophy was found by a dog named Pickles. The dog found the cup wrapped in newspaper. Dave, the owner of the dog, returned the trophy. He was awarded 6000 pounds.
Pickles was not forgotten. He was given lifetime dog food for free.
The second time it was stolen from Brazil was in 1983. Four men stole from the Brazilian Football Confederation in Rio. The four men were captured and convicted. However, the cup was not found again.
Many believe the cup was sold to a private collector.
- World Cup Tour
The original FIFA World Cup Trophy is kept at Zurich’s FIFA World Football Museum. It only leaves the museum during the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour. Coca-Cola made a partnership with FIFA in 2006 about the tour.
- The Designers
French sculptor Abel Lafleur designed the first world cup. Silvio Gazzaniga designed the second one. Gazzaniga was then asked to design UEFA Cup and the Super UEFA Cup trophies.
- Hidden in a shoebox
World War 2 started in mid-1939. FIFA was afraid that the World Cup Trophy might be in danger. Vice president Ottorino Barassi did a clever thing to protect the trophy.
At that time, the trophy was kept in a Romanian bank’s vault. Barassi removed the trophy from there without any publicity. Then he kept the trophy in a shoebox under the bed. The trophy was there until the war ended.
- Prize Money for The Trophy Keeps Increasing
The World Cup Trophy has a charm. Its prize money is increasing with every new edition of the tournament.
To make it easier to understand, here is a quick char for you:
| Year | Prize Money (USD) |
| 1982 | $2.2m |
| 1986 | $2.8m |
| 1990 | $3.5m |
| 1994 | $4m |
| 1998 | $6m |
| 2002 | $8m |
| 2006 | $20m |
| 2010 | $30m |
| 2014 | $35m |
| 2018 | $38m |
| 2022 | $42m |
You can see that the prize money is increasing in a good ratio. At such a rate, within the next few years, the prize money will reach $100M.
- The “World Cup” Is Not Solid Gold
You must have wondered in your childhood if the world cup was solid gold or not. Well, the truth is the trophy is hollow. Still, the trophy contains plenty of gold. 6.175kg of 18-karat gold.
- How Much Is The Trophy Worth?
The $42M we talked about is the prize money for winning the tournament. But how much is the trophy worth? Considering the amount of gold (6.175kg) it contains, it has a total of USD 261,050.08 valued gold. But you have to consider the antiquity and cultural value as well. So, the amount will be many times more.
Conclusion
The 2022 FIFA World Cup Trophy is just about to begin. The World Cup excitement fever has already spread all over the world. People of the competing teams and their worldwide supporters are rooting for them.
The FIFA World Cup Trophy has a long history. Many emotions and stories are attached to it. More emotion will be added this year too.
