Aljazeera
While it cost around $50,000 at the time of its manufacture, it’s thought to be currently valued at around $20m.
The World Cup trophy has finally landed in Qatar ahead of kick-off on November 20.
The trophy was unveiled after a 51-leg world tour, with stopovers in all 32 nations that have qualified for this year’s tournament.
Made of 18-carat gold, the trophy is just under 37cm (14 inches) in height and weighs just over 6kg (13 pounds). It depicts two human figures holding a globe aloft.
While it cost around $50,000 at the time of its manufacture, it’s thought to be currently valued at around $20m.
And while Italy’s football team hasn’t made it to the tournament, one Italian family will be represented in Qatar, as they have been for more than 50 years.
Silvio Gazzaniga, an artist in Milan, sculpted the famed trophy in 1971 after Brazil were allowed to keep the previous trophy after winning the tournament three times.
It has been named the Jules Rimet Trophy in honour of FIFA’s third president, who pioneered the first World Cup.
And the artisanal family business for which Gazzaniga worked still holds the rights to making the iconic trophy.