The World Cup is the most widely viewed sporting event in the world. The winner of this event would take home a gold trophy from 1930 to 1970, called the Jules Rimet Trophy. Later, and until present day, the trophy presented to the winner of the World Cup is called the FIFA World Cup Trophy.
The first trophy, the Jules Rimet, was renamed in honor of the FIFA president in 1946, who initiated the first ever competition of the World Cup in 1930. The trophy was originally called ‘Victory’, and was made of gold plated sterling silver depicting Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. It was stated that if ever a team won the World Cup three times, they would get to keep the trophy and another would be made.
In 1970, Brazil won the World Cup a third time. Because of this, the Jules Rimet Trophy was awarded permanently to Brazil, and put on display at the Brazilian Football Confederation Headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. They couldn’t have been more proud to showcase the achievements of finely played games. It was a treasure for the country.
Tragedy struck on December 19th, 1983, though, when thieves broke into the bullet proof cabinet housing the Jules Rimet Trophy and stole it. Brazilian authorities pleaded for the trophy to be saved from possible permanent destruction by being melted down for the value of gold. Giulite Coutinhi said ‘the spiritual value of the cup is far greater than its material worth.’
Investigations led to arrests for the crime. However, the mastermind of the caper, Sergio Peralta, claimed the trophy was melted down into gold bars by an Argentine gold dealer, Juan Hernandez, and that it was gone. A probe into this assertion left doubt this was true. Not only did Hernandez deny this accusation, analysis at his foundry did not detect any matches to the trophy with the gold traces found at the foundry.
Plus it would have been known that since the trophy was only gold plated and not solid gold it was worth considerably more if left intact.
What happened to the trophy is unknown for certain, and remains a mystery today. Might it have been sold and be hidden in some private showcase. It’s possible, and hope the trophy will resurface still exists.
This continued hope was proven in 1997. Previously, after another incident of the trophy being stolen in 1966, but later recovered, a replica of the Jules Rimet Trophy was made. Rumors began to spread that it was actually this replica which was stolen in 1983 and not the real thing. This possible authentic trophy was being auctioned off in 1997 and it sold for over $250,000 dollars in hopes that it was the true Jules Rimet trophy. After testing though hopes were all lost, like the trophy; it was the replica.
From numerous other lost, but later found treasure stories, like the Sroda Treasure,the Faberge Egg, the Tamerlane, the Maltese Falcon, or Dunlap Broadsides, to name a few, we know the Jules Rimet Trophy could be rediscovered and be treasured in its display case again!
Best of luck with all that you seek! Always Treasure the Adventure!
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Whomever creates a replica is tryING to dupe someone