The Jules Rimet Trophy was the original prize for winning the World Cup. Originally I was called "Victory", but generally now known simply as the World Cup or Coupe du Monde, I was officially renamed in 1946 to honour the FIFA President Jules Rimet who in 1929 passed a vote to initiate the competition. Designed by Abel Lafleur and made of gold plated sterling silver on a blue base of lapis lazuli, i stood 35 cm high and weighed 3.8 kg. I was designed in the shape of an octagonal cup, supported by a winged figure representing Nike, the ancient Greek goddess of victory.
During World War II, I was held by Italy. Ottorino Barassi, the Italian vice-president of FIFA, and hidden from the Germans in a shoe-box under his bed.
Just before the 1966 World Cup Final in England I was stolen during a public exhibition at Westminster Central Hall, but was found just seven days later, wrapped in newspaper at the bottom of a suburban garden hedge in Norwood, South London, by a dog named "Pickles". As a security measure, The FA secretly manufactured a replica of me for use in the post-match celebrations. The replica was also used on subsequent occasions until 1970. The replica was sold at an auction in 1997 for £254,500, when it was purchased by FIFA who subsequently arranged for it to be displayed at the English National Football Museum in Preston.
The Brazilian team won me for the third time in 1970, and were rewarded by being allowed to keep me in perpetuity. However, I was stolen again in 1983 in Rio de Janeiro and never recovered; some think I may have been melted down. The Brazilian Football Confederation commissioned a replica of their own.
Jules Rimet Trophy
Brazil - 1958, 1962, 1970
Uruguay - 1930, 1950
Italy - 1934, 1938
West Germany - 1954
England - 1966
And since :
West Germany - 1974, 1990
Argentina - 1978, 1986
Italy - 1982, 2006
Brazil - 1994, 2002
France - 1998
