Gold, Malachite, and a Louis Vuitton Trunk: The Story Behind the $20M FIFA World Cup Trophy

By Annie Davidson Watson | July 20, 2026

The FIFA World Cup Trophy is one of those rare objects that happens to be as coveted in sports as it is in the jewelry industry. Designed by Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga and awarded since 1974, it is constructed from approximately 4,927 grams of 18k gold in a hollow shell with two banded malachite rings at its base. Its total weight is 6.175 kilograms. At current gold prices, the gold content alone is worth approximately $550,000. Its total estimated value, accounting for its status as a singular cultural artifact, runs to approximately $20 million.

The malachite is also worth noting. While the mineral trades commercially at roughly $2 to $5 per carat (modest by gemstone standards), it has appeared in Egyptian amulets, Renaissance decorative arts, and Fabergé objects for thousands of years. Gazzaniga understood the material’s resonance: the two green bands ground a gold object in something older than gold’s market price.

On Sunday night at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Spain’s captain, Rodri, lifted a gold–plated bronze replica of the trophy after the team’s 1–0 extra-time victory over Argentina—Spain’s second World Cup title, making it the first nation to simultaneously hold the men’s and women’s crowns. Ferran Torres scored the only goal in the 106th minute. As for Argentine star Lionel Messi, it was his third World Cup final, and almost certainly his last. The original trophy went back in the trunk. That trunk, as it has been at every men’s World Cup since 2010, was a Louis Vuitton.

For those who want a piece of the moment, Louis Vuitton has released a limited-edition trunk collection inspired by the trophy case—including a Coffret 8 Montres and a Cotteville 16 Montres, both designed for watch storage, each carrying the Monogram canvas and the same gold “V” motif used on the official trunk.

(Photo courtesy of Louis Vuitton)

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