One year from now, FIFA World Cup matches will be happening right here in our home city of Philadelphia! It’ll be the first time Philly has hosted the Men’s World Cup (we previously hosted the Women’s World Cup in 2003), and the excitement is already building. Plus, one of the matches will take place on July 4th, America’s 250th birthday – right here in the birthplace of the nation. Combine the world’s biggest sports event with the United States Semiquincentennial in the City of Brotherly Love, and the anticipation is through the roof!
As we daydream about next summer’s festivities, we can’t help but wonder: how much real gold is in the World Cup Trophy? And hypothetically, if we were to melt it down (we would never!) – what would the scrap value amount to?
A Look Back at Past Trophies
The original World Cup trophy was the Jules Rimet Trophy, named after a former FIFA president who helped launch the first tournament in 1930. It was made of sterling silver and gold-plated, weighing in at 3.8 kg.
Brazil got to keep the Jules Rimet permanently after their third World Cup win in 1970 – a one-time honor. Unfortunately, it was stolen from a display case at the Brazilian Football Confederation headquarters in Rio de Janeiro in December of 1983 and hasn’t been seen since.
The Jules Rimet was replaced by the trophy we know today, simply referred to as the ‘FIFA World Cup Trophy.’ This newer version was revealed ahead of the 1974 World Cup, and it depicts two human figures holding up the Earth; one of the most iconic symbols in sports.
Market vs Melt Value
As with any culturally significant artifact, the raw material value of the trophy is far less than what people are actually willing to pay for it. Take the Golden Globes, which only contain a super-thin gold plating, for example. Natalie Wood’s award for her role in ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ was auctioned off by her husband and daughters in 2015, selling out at $17,500.
Better yet, Olympic medals, usually worth less than $1k in scrap value, have been sold for up to $50,000.
Is the World Cup Trophy Solid Gold?
The World Cup Trophy is described as “solid” gold – solid in the sense that the metal portion is a gold alloy, as opposed to just a gold-plated base metal. But it’s most likely hollow inside the metal structure. FIFA hasn’t confirmed this, but a truly solid gold trophy would be super dense and heavy, weighing over 70 lbs.
Anyway, the trophy is 36.5 cm tall and made of 18 karat (75%) gold. The base features two strips of malachite, a semi-precious stone known for its vibrant green hue and unique banding patterns.
How Much is the World Cup Worth?
The trophy weighs 6.175 kg, and it’s 75% gold – meaning it contains 4.93 kg of pure gold. So, at today’s prices ($3,323 per oz) it’s worth about $526,766. The World Cup trophy just might have the highest melt value of all sports awards!
Do the Winners Get to Keep Any Gold?
While nobody gets to keep the original World Cup trophy (besides Brazil that one time), the winning nation does receive a gold-plated bronze replica. Plus, each squad member gets a medal made of silver with a gold plating. So yes, winners do take home some gold – just not several kilos of it.
Other Awards with Precious Metals
Gold isn’t the only precious metal used in famous sports awards. Silver, our other favorite metal, stars in several major trophies, including:
- The Stanley Cup (NHL)
- The Vince Lombardi Trophy (NFL)
- The Borg-Warner Trophy (Indy 500)
- The Woodlawn Vase (Preakness)
Gold and silver have been cherished since ancient times for their beauty, durability, and value. As some of the earliest forms of currency, these metals helped shape our monetary system. Today, they’re still found in everything from electronics like smartphones to medical devices and industrial tools.
Recycled Metals for the Win
One of the coolest things about precious metals is that they can be infinitely recycled without losing quality. Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium can be melted down, refined, and reused again and again.
We’re already seeing big-name events embrace this idea. The 2024 Paris Olympics medals included scrap iron from the Eiffel Tower. And in 2020, the Tokyo Olympics created all their medals using gold, silver, and bronze recovered from recycled electronics like smartphones and laptops. Talk about sustainable design!
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