Martin Lange, edited by Maxime Asseo 12:11 p.m., December 16, 2022

An emblematic trophy of the most famous football competition in the world, the FIFA World Cup has been at the center of all desires since the start of the World Cup.

But where does this sculpture come from that every football lover dreams of lifting?

By whom was it created?

Europe 1 takes stock.  

They proudly lifted it in 1998, then in 2018 and intend to repeat the feat next Sunday.

The Blues of Didier Deschamps will do everything against the Argentinians to keep the famous trophy put back into play in Qatar.

Zidane, Mbappé, Giroud, and even Jacques Chirac, all had the honor of taking in their hands or kissing this Fifa World Cup, known throughout the world.

But where does this statuette that inspires 67 million French people and 45 million Argentines come from?

Who created it?

Europe 1 traces everything there is to know about the Holy Grail of football.

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A cut to twenty million dollars

36 centimeters high, just over six kilos of solid gold, the sculpture represents two athletes lifting the planet.

It was designed by the Italian sculptor Sylvio Gazzaniga who is also at the origin of the UEFA Cup (Europa League) and the UEFA Super Cup.

This iconic trophy was lifted for the first time in 1974 by Franz Beckenbauer on the occasion of the World Cup in West Germany, won by the host country.

Since then, all champions have had the honor of lifting it.

Before that, there was another world cup: the Jules Rimet trophy, named after the creator of the World Cup.

A statuette which was definitively returned to Brazil after its third victory in 1970 and which disappeared after a mysterious theft in the 1980s. So that this kind of mishap does not happen again, the protocol is now very strict.

The winners only have a quarter of an hour to enjoy the original trophy, before it is returned to Fifa.

The champions must therefore be satisfied with a replica.  

Finally, touching the World Cup is a rare privilege since only champions, ex-champions, heads of state and the president of Fifa have the right to look at it other than with their eyes.

And we understand why, since the cut is valued at twenty million dollars.