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World Cup: Winner gets trophy for celebration, but FIFA keeps the original
🇦🇷 Argentina /Sports

World Cup: Winner gets trophy for celebration, but FIFA keeps the original

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Context piece
  • The original World Cup trophy is not permanently given to the winning nation; FIFA retains ownership.
  • The winning team receives the original trophy for on-field celebrations but must return it shortly after.
  • They are then presented with an exact replica, known as the 'Champions Trophy,' to keep.

As the Argentina and Spain national teams vie for the coveted World Cup title, a key detail regarding the trophy itself comes into focus: the original FIFA World Cup trophy remains the property of FIFA and is not permanently awarded to the champion.

The winning team of the FIFA World Cup 26 will be presented with the FIFA World Cup Trophy, which shall remain the property of FIFA.

— FIFA RegulationsStating FIFA's ownership of the original World Cup trophy.

According to FIFA regulations, the victorious team will lift the original trophy during the on-field ceremony, posing for photographs and celebrating with their fans. However, this moment of glory is temporary. The rules stipulate that immediately after the ceremony, the trophy must be returned to FIFA officials in the locker room.

Immediately after the final whistle, the winning team will receive the trophy in a ceremony to be held on the field of play.

— FIFA RegulationsDescribing the process of presenting the trophy to the winning team.

Following the return of the original, the winning nation receives a bronze replica, gilded in gold, known as the 'FIFA World Champions Trophy.' This replica is what the team gets to keep and take back to their home country. FIFA mandates that the winning federation must take all necessary measures to ensure the security of both the original trophy and the replica while in their possession, and must return the replica to FIFA upon request.

Once the ceremony has concluded and before leaving the stadium, the winning team shall return the trophy to FIFA in the dressing room. At that point, they will receive the FIFA World Champions Trophy (the ‘champions trophy’)

— FIFA RegulationsExplaining the handover of the original trophy and the receipt of the replica.

The original trophy, a masterpiece designed by Silvio Gazzaniga, is made of 18-karat gold, stands 36.8 centimeters tall, and weighs 6.175 kilograms. Its iconic design features two figures holding up the Earth. The replica, while visually identical, is primarily made of bronze before being gold-plated.

The winning participating federation shall temporarily keep the champions trophy, which shall remain the property of FIFA at all times. It must be returned to FIFA immediately if requested in writing by FIFA.

— FIFA RegulationsDetailing the conditions under which the replica trophy is held and must be returned.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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