Jules Rimet Trophy History, Theft, Pickles and Its Final DisappearanceVictory · 1930 · Brazil · Pickles · 1983
The Jules Rimet Trophy was the original FIFA World Cup prize, awarded from 1930 until Brazil won it permanently after their third world title in 1970. Designed by French sculptor Abel Lafleur, it was originally called Victory. The trophy survived wartime concealment and a 1966 theft, but after being stolen again in Brazil in 1983 it was never recovered.
The drama surrounding the trophy is extraordinary, but its deeper importance is historical: it physically linked the inaugural World Cup in 1930 to Brazil’s third championship in Mexico in 1970.
The original World Cup trophy survived a world war and one theft. The second theft remains unsolved.
What Was the Jules Rimet Trophy?
The Jules Rimet Trophy was the original prize awarded to FIFA World Cup champions. It first appeared at the inaugural tournament in Uruguay in 1930.
It was not originally known as the Jules Rimet Trophy. FIFA records that its first name was simply Victory. The trophy was later renamed in 1946 to honor Jules Rimet, the FIFA president whose advocacy had been central to the creation of the World Cup.
Uruguay became the first country to lift it after winning the first FIFA World Cup in 1930.
The trophy was more than a prize. From 1930 to 1970, it became the physical object through which World Cup champions were connected across generations.
Who Designed the Jules Rimet Trophy?
French sculptor Abel Lafleur designed the original World Cup trophy for the new competition.
Its figure represented Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, holding a chalice above her head. FIFA describes the trophy as being made from gold-plated sterling silver and mounted on a lapis lazuli base.
French sculptor commissioned for the new world championship prize.
The ancient Greek goddess associated with victory.
Gold-plated sterling silver mounted on a lapis lazuli base.
That construction is worth clarifying because the Jules Rimet Trophy is sometimes casually described as a solid-gold trophy. It was not. The modern FIFA World Cup Trophy introduced later uses a different design and construction.
Why Was the Trophy Renamed After Jules Rimet?
The trophy became the Jules Rimet Trophy in 1946, during Rimet’s long presidency of FIFA.
Rimet had been one of the principal advocates for creating an independent world championship for national teams. The FIFA Congress approved the competition in 1928, and the first tournament followed in Uruguay in 1930.
FIFA renamed the prize in the year marking the 25th anniversary of Rimet’s presidency, recognizing his role in establishing the competition. FIFA’s historical archive records the 1946 renaming.
That link between the man and the trophy is why the prize belongs naturally beside TMJ’s history of FIFA’s foundation. FIFA existed before Rimet’s presidency, but the World Cup became the institution’s defining competition during his tenure.
How the Jules Rimet Trophy Survived World War II
Italy had won the 1938 World Cup and therefore held the trophy when the Second World War interrupted the tournament.
During the war, Italian football official Ottorino Barassi hid the trophy in a shoebox beneath his bed in Rome to prevent it from falling into Nazi hands. FIFA preserves the Barassi story in its history of the World Cup trophy.
The episode shows how vulnerable the original prize was. The World Cup trophy was not yet protected by the elaborate modern security systems surrounding today’s tournament. Its survival depended on an individual official physically hiding it.
The 1966 Theft and Pickles the Dog
The trophy’s first theft occurred in England only months before the 1966 World Cup.
The trophy disappeared while on public display, creating an extraordinary security problem for the tournament host.
A dog named Pickles found the trophy wrapped in newspaper beneath a hedge in South London. FIFA’s trophy history documents the theft and Pickles’ recovery.
The recovered trophy was later presented to England captain Bobby Moore after England defeated West Germany 4-2 in the World Cup final at Wembley.
Why Brazil Kept the Jules Rimet Trophy in 1970
Brazil became permanent owners of the Jules Rimet Trophy after winning the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.
The reason was simple: Brazil became the first nation to win the World Cup three times, following their championships in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
That third victory ended the trophy’s competitive life. FIFA allowed Brazil to retain the original permanently, and a completely new World Cup Trophy was created for the 1974 tournament.
First nation to win the trophy.
Victory becomes the Jules Rimet Trophy.
Stolen in England and recovered by Pickles.
Third World Cup win brings permanent ownership.
The modern FIFA World Cup Trophy is first awarded.
The 1983 Theft in Brazil
The original trophy’s second theft did not have the happy ending of 1966.
In December 1983, the Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen from the headquarters of the Brazilian Football Confederation in Rio de Janeiro.
The trophy has never been found. FIFA’s historical account states that it is widely believed to have been smelted, while stopping short of presenting that conclusion as physically proven.
The disappearance is a confirmed historical fact. The theory that the trophy was melted down is highly plausible and widely repeated, but it remains a conclusion rather than something proven by recovery of the metal itself.
What Survived of the Original Jules Rimet Trophy?
There is one remarkable surviving piece connected to the original trophy.
FIFA later rediscovered an original base associated with the Jules Rimet Trophy in its archives. FIFA records that the base remained unnoticed for decades and is now displayed at the FIFA Museum in Zurich.
That does not mean the lost 1983 trophy was partially recovered. The statuette itself remains missing. The rediscovered base survives because it had become separated from the trophy earlier in its history and was preserved independently.
The Jules Rimet Trophy matters for more than the mystery surrounding its disappearance. It linked the first World Cup in 1930 with the tournament’s emergence as a global institution. Its unusual journey through war, theft, recovery and permanent ownership mirrors the growth of the World Cup itself. The physical trophy may be gone, but its place in football history is unusually well documented.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Jules Rimet Trophy
Why is it called the Jules Rimet Trophy?
The prize was originally called Victory. FIFA renamed it in 1946 to honor president Jules Rimet and his role in establishing the World Cup.
What was the Jules Rimet Trophy made from?
FIFA describes it as gold-plated sterling silver mounted on a lapis lazuli base. It was not a solid-gold trophy.
Was the Jules Rimet Trophy solid gold?
No. FIFA describes the original trophy as gold-plated sterling silver mounted on a lapis lazuli base.
Who found the stolen World Cup trophy in 1966?
A dog named Pickles found the trophy wrapped in newspaper beneath a hedge in South London after it had been stolen from a public exhibition.
Why did Brazil keep the Jules Rimet Trophy?
Brazil became the first nation to win the World Cup three times in 1970 and received permanent ownership of the original trophy.
Was the Jules Rimet Trophy ever found after the 1983 theft?
No. The trophy stolen in Rio de Janeiro in 1983 has never been recovered and is widely believed to have been melted down.
Is the modern World Cup Trophy the same trophy?
No. FIFA introduced a new World Cup Trophy for the 1974 tournament after Brazil permanently retained the Jules Rimet Trophy. The modern trophy remains FIFA property rather than becoming the permanent property of a three-time champion.
1930–1983: The Trophy That Carried the Early World Cup
The Jules Rimet Trophy’s importance becomes clearer when it is seen as the object that physically connected the World Cup’s formative era. Uruguay first lifted it in 1930. Italy hid it during war. Pickles recovered it in 1966. Brazil won it permanently in 1970. Its disappearance in 1983 ended the object’s story, but not the history it carried.