"The Most Expensive Ever": What Is the World Cup Trophy Worth?

"The Most Expensive Ever": What is the World Cup trophy worth? How much gold is in it, and why its value has jumped 2.5 times in the past four years.

Sport 5 Published: 11.06.26, 15:26 (GETTY) | Photo: Sport 5

Here it is happening. The World Cup gets underway tonight, Thursday, when Mexico faces South Africa in the opening match, launching more than a month of massive football celebrations, at the end of which the world champion will be crowned and lift the trophy.

The trophy itself is 37 centimeters long, and it is quite heavy for its size, about 6 kilograms, while it is coated in 18-karat gold. The gold itself makes up about 4.9 kilograms of the trophy’s total weight.

How much is it worth? That depends on how the question is examined. Due to the materials it is made of and the sharp rise in the price of gold, current estimates say the value of the materials from which the trophy is made has risen sharply compared with the previous World Cup. According to the latest data, the value of its materials rose from $277,000 to no less than $713,000.

At the same time, experts quoted by The Athletic estimate that if the trophy were ever put up for auction, which of course is not really possible, its value would be expected to exceed $40 million. According to these estimates, this is the most expensive trophy in sports history.

The world champion does not keep the trophy, unlike in the past. The reason for this is concern that it could be stolen or lost, and after every victory FIFA takes the trophy back and keeps it at its headquarters in Zurich.

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