FIFA unveils innovative and transformative 24-karat Club World Cup trophy

By ESPN | Created at 2024-11-15 03:21:49 | Updated at 2024-11-23 05:30:21 1 week ago
Truth
  • Anthony Gharib, ESPNNov 14, 2024, 09:36 PM ET

New FIFA tournament, new trophy.

On Thursday, the football association unveiled the winning trophy for the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup that begins next summer.

Created in collaboration with Tiffany & Co., the 24-karat gold vermeil trophy's shield can transform into a multifaceted and orbital structure.

"The aim was to make it a symbol of a new era in global club football, to be daring and bold when it comes to its format and design, whilst highlighting the prestige with timeless gold, as we kick off the most inclusive and merit-based club competition in the world," FIFA president Gianni Infantino said.

— FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) November 14, 2024

It's inspired by four key elements: maps of pioneering journeys, the periodic table, astronomy and the Voyager Golden Records.

The trophy includes a neat design element. There are celestial symbols that represent the approximate positions of the planets when FIFA was founded on May 21, 1904 in Paris and the tournament's opening match on June 15.

Also featured are inscriptions of the world map, all 211 FIFA member associations, laser-engraved descriptions of the game -- such as a bicycle kick and diving save -- and wording in 13 languages including Braille on the hardware.

Space is left on the trophy to laser-engrave the emblems of the winning clubs from the 24 editions of the tournament. The central disc includes various icons that capture football's traditions.

Tiffany & Co. is no stranger to working on major sports trophies.

They've created championship trophies for the NFL, NBA, MLB and WNBA as well as the US Open trophies in tennis. The jewelry company has also worked on Major League Soccer and the NWSL's championship hardware.

"With a legacy dating back 160 years, Tiffany & Co. has crafted some of the most iconic championship trophies in history, setting the standard for craft and design," president and CEO of Tiffany & Co. Anthony Ledru said. "The FIFA Club World Cup Trophy is the next chapter in our long history of creating the world's most revered symbols of athletic achievement."

Infantino added that the trophy had to be "innovative, inclusive, ground-breaking and truly global, as this competition is."

The Club World Cup is an inaugural tournament among 32 international clubs. It follows a slightly similar format to the World Cup with eight groups of four teams each. The top two will advance to the knockout round.

The tournament begins on June 15, 2025 and concludes July 13. It will be held across the U.S. with the first match at Hard Rock Stadium, home of Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF, with the final at MetLife Stadium. A total of 12 venues will be used to host the 63 matches.

Read Entire Article