THE rich reward for being crowned champions of World football, as mandated by FIFA in 1928, was a Trophy which was designed and crafted by French Sculptor Abel La Fleur. The Frenchman made the statuette of sterling silver and gold-plated metal with a blue base of the semi precious stone Lapis Lazuli.
A gold plate was placed on each of the four sides for the name of the Trophy and the winners of the years between 1930 and 1970. The height of the Trophy was 30cm and it weighed about 4 kilos.
Throughout its existence the trophy endured a precarious journey. During the Second World War when World Cup football came to a halt Italian doctor Ottorino Barassi, a FIFA Vice President, had to hide the Cup under his bed for safety. In 1946 FIFA named the trophy after the then President, Jules Rimet.
Twenty years later in England, as part of promoting the 1966 finals, the cup mysteriously disappeared while on display. It was later recovered through the instincts of a well-trained canine called Pickles. The dog found the trophy buried under a tree – in time for the presentation.
The final misfortune to hit the Cup was in 1983 when it was stolen in Rio de Janeiro and dismantled into pieces. The Brazilian Football Federation has since replaced it with a replica since they had secured it for keeps after winning for the 3rd time in 1970.