The Milan sculptor behind the iconic trophy

The Milan sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga is credited with creating the iconic FIFA World Cup trophy design, a story that remains largely unknown despite the prize being lifted by every winning captain since 1974. Under 1970 tournament rules, nations winning the World Cup three times could keep the Jules Rimet trophy permanently, prompting FIFA to commission a replacement after Brazil’s departure with the original. FIFA received 53 entries from artists across 25 countries in an international design competition, and Gazzaniga—an employee at trophy maker G.D.E. Bertoni—won after submitting a three-dimensional plaster model rather than sketches.

His gold concept depicts two stylized figures rising in spirals to support the globe, aiming to reflect the emotional peak of sport. Born in Milan in 1921, Gazzaniga trained at the Brera Academy and later produced other silverware including the UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup before dying in 2016 aged 95. The trophy measures 36.5 cm, weighs 6.175 kg, and is forged from solid 18-carat gold with malachite bands. While captains lift the original at the stadium, FIFA retains it permanently and issues gold-plated bronze replicas to winners after the Jules Rimet trophy was stolen in 1983.