Fascinating facts about the Jules Rimet Trophy

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The World Cup trophy is one of the most recognisable in sport. However, it’s official name is the Jules Rimet Trophy and it was formerly called Victory. In just a couple of weeks’ time, 32 nations will battle it out in Russia to win the trophy.

The award was renamed in 1946 after the FIFA President who had initiated the tournament in 1929. Fabricated from sterling silver which is then gold plated, the design was created by Abel Lafleur. It depicts a winged figure, Nike who was the Greek goddess of victory, holding a decagonal cup. The trophy sits on a marble base. During the Second World War it was kept in a shoe box under the bed of FIFA’s Italian vice-president, Ottorino Barassi, to prevent it being taken by German soldiers.

The trophy became even more famous in 1966 when it was stolen after being on display at the Westminster Central Hall, a few weeks before the tournament was due to be played. The trophy had been insured for £30,000 despite its worth only being valued at £3,000. A ransom demand of £15,000 was received by the Chairman of the Football Association, with the subsequent arrest of Edward Bletchley. Six days later Pickles the dog found the trophy underneath a hedge.

When Brazil won the tournament for the third time in 1970, they were allowed to take the trophy home and keep it. The famous trophy then went missing again in 1983, but this time it was never recovered.

A replacement trophy was designed for the 1974 tournament, which is still being used to this day. Here at H Cooper Glass Engravers, our engraved awards are a fabulous way to reward champion football teams, becoming a permanent reminder of a game well played.

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