Ferran Torres’ 106th-minute winner settled a tense final following Enzo Fern\u00e1ndez’s late dismissal, sparking celebrations as the FIFA World Cup Trophy was lifted once again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But as everyone was watching the celebrations and reflecting on the end of another World Cup, we found ourselves wondering something slightly different…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just how much <\/em>gold is inside football’s most famous trophy, and how much<\/em> is it actually worth? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only has the FIFA World Cup Trophy been held aloft by some of the greatest players in history and immortalised in some of football’s most iconic images, it is also one of the few major sporting trophies made from real gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While many famous trophies are made from silver or are gold-plated, the World Cup Trophy is crafted from 18-carat<\/a> gold. That means the value of its pure gold content rises and falls with the price of gold. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And with gold prices rising dramatically in recent years, we wanted to see just how much that has affected the value of the trophy over time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So we set out to calculate:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s what we found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Before we get into what the World Cup Trophy is worth, and how we\u2019ve approached our calculations, let\u2019s understand a little more about the characteristics and composition of the trophy itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Designed by Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, and introduced in 1974, the trophy depicts two human figures holding the Earth aloft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n According to FIFA, it is made from 18-carat solid gold, stands 36.8cm high and weighs 6.175kg. Its base also contains two distinctive bands of green malachite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite FIFA’s description of it as \u2018solid gold\u2019, the trophy is actually hollow, as confirmed by the original manufacturer. In 2010, chemist Sir Martyn Poliakoff calculated that if a trophy of its size were genuinely solid throughout, it would weigh somewhere in the region of 70-80kg<\/a>, making lifting it above your head after 120 minutes of football considerably more challenging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s kept at the FIFA World Football Museum in Z\u00fcrich, and only leaves on select occasions. Touching it is restricted – only a select group of people are officially permitted to place their bare hands on it, including former World Cup winners and heads of state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Its malachite bands have also been restored several times over the years, while a new layer of gold plating has been applied to the trophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n We know the trophy weighs 6.175kg in total and is made from 18-carat gold. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We also know that its base is made up of bands of malachite, meaning not all of the trophy’s total weight can be attributed to gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is no authoritative answer on how much the gold in the trophy actually weighs, but it is commonly reported to be between 4.93kg <\/a>and 5kg<\/a>. Which would make sense, as it accounts for the malachite, adhesives or fixings and any additional metal underneath or inside the base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some sources have said the trophy contains 4.93kg of pure gold. However, this is difficult to reconcile with FIFA’s own description of the trophy, as it has confirmed it\u2019s made from 18-carat gold, not pure gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, in the absence of a definitive answer, we have had to make some assumptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the purposes of our calculations, we have assumed the trophy contains 5kg out of the total 6.175kg, of 18-carat gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As 18-carat gold is 75% pure, the trophy\u2019s estimated 5kg of gold contains around 3.75kg of pure gold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is equivalent to approximately 120.57 troy ounces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All figures in this study are based on that estimated pure gold content and reflect only the trophy\u2019s raw material value, not its historical, cultural or collectible value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n When Spain won on Sunday, the gold inside it was worth an estimated \u00a3360,264.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is \u00a3182,434 more – a 103% increase – than at the 2022 World Cup, when Argentina were crowned champions and the trophy\u2019s gold content was worth approximately \u00a3177,830. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Chart 1. Pure gold value of the FIFA World Cup Trophy <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n When West Germany won the World Cup in 1974, we estimate the trophy\u2019s pure gold content was worth \u00a36,613.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, that same weight of gold is worth an estimated \u00a3360,264 – an increase of \u00a3353,651, or 5,348%, over 52 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is no single reason for such a dramatic rise, but iInflation, economic downturns, financial crises and geopolitical tensions have all influenced gold\u2019s price over the past five decades, alongside limited supply and increased buying by investors and central banks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The rise hasn\u2019t always followed a straight line however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chart 2. Change in gold value of FIFA World Cup Trophy <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest percentage increase between two World Cups came between 2006 and 2010, when the trophy\u2019s estimated value rose from \u00a341,138 to \u00a396,450.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That represented an increase of \u00a355,312, or 134.5%, in just four years. Gold prices surged during this period as investors sought safe-haven assets in the wake of the global financial crisis, helping push precious metals to record highs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While this was the biggest percentage increase, the largest increase in monetary value came between 2022 and 2026, when the trophy’s gold value rose by \u00a3182,434. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There have also been periods when the trophy’s gold value moved in the opposite direction. The biggest decline came between 1994 and 1998. When Brazil won in 1994, we estimate the pure gold content of the trophy was worth \u00a329,752. Four years later, when France secured the title on home soil, that figure had fallen to \u00a321,468 – a decrease of almost 28%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This reflected a broader downturn in the gold market during the 1990s<\/a>. Strong economic growth and low inflation reduced demand for gold, while large-scale sales by central banks also weighed on prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Overall, the trophy\u2019s gold value declined by \u00a320,134, or 5.3%, during the tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the start of the World Cup on 11 June, the trophy’s pure gold content was worth an estimated \u00a3380,398. By the time Spain secured the title, the figure had fallen to \u00a3360,264.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many would argue we\u2019re in a period of geopolitical uncertainty, and with that, one would expect gold prices to rise. Despite escalating tensions in the Middle East, however, gold prices fell. Because the World Cup Trophy’s value is directly linked to the price of gold, its estimated pure gold content value fell too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over the five weeks of the tournament, the US and Iran exchanged missile and drone strikes, while Iran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz – a vital shipping route through which around one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil passes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The prospect of disrupted oil supplies pushed oil prices higher. Rather than buying gold, however, investors focused on the risk that higher energy prices could keep inflation elevated and delay interest rate cuts. That strengthened the US dollar and weighed on the price of gold<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, this piece of research has all been a bit of fun for us gold enthusiasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We may have calculated the value of pure gold in the FIFA World Cup Trophy, but the trophy\u2019s true worth is impossible to measure, as Spain will attest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To reiterate, our figures reflect only the value of the trophy\u2019s pure gold content. By comparison, LSEG recently estimated<\/a> the trophy\u2019s total material value at around $713,000, based on its full weight and published specifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But even that only tells part of the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Neither figure takes into account the trophy\u2019s history, craftsmanship and prestige, or the fact it has been lifted by some of the greatest footballers ever to play the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
About the FIFA World Cup Trophy <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How much pure gold is in the World Cup Trophy?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The World Cup Trophy\u2019s gold value has more than doubled since the last World Cup <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/d3eceotdst14dj.cloudfront.net\/prod\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-1024x576.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWorld Cup Trophy\u2019s gold value has risen by more than 5,300% since 1974<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/d3eceotdst14dj.cloudfront.net\/prod\/uploads\/2026\/07\/World-cup-trophy-difference-Chart-2-FIN-1024x647.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBiggest rises and falls in the World Cup Trophy’s gold value <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
World Cup Trophy\u2019s gold value dropped more than \u00a320,000 during the tournament<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The true value of the World Cup Trophy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n