January saw the inaugural award ceremony of The Best FIFA Football Awards.
This trophy will be a welcome addition to the many engraved glass awards currently in existence, and hopes to become the highest honour that can be bestowed upon a footballing individual.
Wanting to recognise and reward the best in world class football of both male and female players, and also the coaches, football’s governing body FIFA commissioned a new trophy and asked Ana Barbic Katicic, an artist from Croatia, to design it.
The new trophy resembles the iconic shape of the FIFA World Cup trophy, but mixes the traditional with a contemporary design. Using the ball from the inaugural World Cup Final in 1930 as inspiration, a replica ball sits on top of the tall slim body. Five parts make up the new platinum coated trophy: bottom, base, a carbon cover across the base, body and ball. The trophy stands 310mm high and weighs 6.4kg. It was made by Adon Production AG of Zurich, which used modern technology to produce the trophy.
Zvonimir Boban, FIFA’s Deputy Secretary General of Football and former Croatian international footballer, stated to FIFA.com:
“The ball on top of the trophy represents the history of football and the history of FIFA too. I believe this is a beautiful storytelling, it shows respect for the traditions of football, while maintaining a modern look. This makes it a purely postmodern trophy.”
Winners of the first The Best FIFA Football Awards were players Cristiano Ronaldo and Carli Lloyd, and coaches Claudio Ranieri and Sylvia Neid. They each received an identical trophy in a ceremony in Zurich.