The first World Cup trophy was introduced in 1930, when Fifa launched the inaugural tournament under the leadership of Jules Rimet, the man the trophy was named after.
Rimet was the longest-serving president of Fifa, holding the role for 33 years between 1921 and 1954.
Designed by French sculptor Abel Lafleur, the trophy depicted Nike, the ancient Greek goddess of victory, holding a chalice aloft.
Crafted from gold-plated sterling silver, the trophy was mounted on a lapis lazuli base. During World War II, Fifa said Italian football official Ottorino Barassi hid the trophy in a shoe box beneath his bed in Rome to prevent it from falling into Nazi hands.
Just months before the start of the 1966 World Cup in England, the trophy was stolen during a public exhibition.
It was eventually discovered by a dog named Pickles – wrapped in newspaper, beneath a garden hedge in South London.
Brazil earned permanent possession of the Jules Rimet Trophy in 1970 after becoming the first three‑time World Cup winner.
But in 1983 the trophy was stolen again, this time from the Brazilian FA’s headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, and was never found. It is widely believed to have been melted down. By then, Fifa had already ushered in a new design for the modern era of the World Cup.
