FIFA revealed a new golden trophy on Thursday, crafted in collaboration with Tiffany & Co., for the upcoming and expanded Club World Cup, set to take place next year in the United States.
The trophy, finished with 24-carat gold plating, will be awarded to the winners of the tournament. Despite facing significant opposition from players’ unions and leagues, FIFA seems committed to the long-term future of the event, with space on the trophy reserved to engrave the emblems of the winning clubs for the next 96 years.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino praised the trophy, calling it “innovative, inclusive, groundbreaking, and truly global.” He added, “The new 32-team FIFA Club World Cup deserves a trophy that represents all of this. It is both prestigious and timeless – a golden trophy symbolizing the future while being inspired by the past.”
Images released by FIFA show the trophy as a series of discs, capable of transforming from a shield into a “multifaceted and orbital structure.” It features engravings in 13 languages, including Braille, and sits on a black plinth with FIFA’s emblem in gold.
The design also leaves room to engrave the emblems of the winners of the next 24 editions of the tournament. FIFA explained that the trophy drew inspiration from NASA’s Voyager deep-space missions, the periodic table, maps of pioneering journeys, and astronomy.
A replica of the trophy will be given to each tournament winner.
Tiffany & Co. CEO Anthony Ledru described the trophy as “the next chapter in our long history of creating the world’s most revered symbols of athletic achievement.”
The expanded Club World Cup, now featuring 32 teams, will be held in June and July 2025. This expansion has raised concerns from FIFPRO, the global players’ union, over the increased physical and mental strain on players.
There have even been discussions of potential strike action due to the growing number of games. Meanwhile, top European clubs have largely embraced the new format, which FIFA hopes will establish the competition as one of the world’s premier club events, alongside the Premier League and Champions League.
