The FIFA World Cup trophy is one of the most recognisable objects in world sport — but a long-standing claim about what it is made of appears to fall apart under basic mathematical scrutiny.

FIFA has repeatedly described the current trophy as being made of solid gold, a statement that sounds impressive until you consider the physics involved. If the 36.8-centimetre-tall trophy were genuinely solid gold all the way through, the calculation is straightforward: it would weigh roughly 11 stone — far too heavy for any player or coach to lift one-handed in celebration.

What the trophy is actually made of

The iconic trophy, designed by Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga and awarded since the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, is in fact crafted from 18-carat gold — but only on its exterior. The interior is filled with a lighter material, making the entire piece weigh approximately 6.175 kilograms, or just under 14 pounds.

That figure is still substantial enough to feel genuinely impressive in the hands, but it is a world away from what a fully solid gold object of the same dimensions would weigh. Pure gold is one of the densest materials on earth, and a trophy of those proportions cast entirely in the metal would be physically unmanageable on a podium.

A trophy with layers

The base of the trophy contains two rings of malachite, the green semi-precious stone, which adds to its visual weight without contributing the mass that solid gold would. The overall design was chosen from seven finalists after FIFA retired the Jules Rimet Trophy in 1970 — that original prize, won outright by Brazil after their third World Cup title, was itself only gold-plated.

The distinction matters because the World Cup trophy is the most coveted prize in global football. Every four years — and soon every three, with the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup 2026 format on the horizon — the world's greatest players compete for the chance to raise it. The least FIFA can do is be accurate about what it is made of.

For now, the trophy remains a stunning piece of craftsmanship — just not quite the solid gold icon that the organisation has long claimed it to be.