The World Cup is a month-long tournament, a grueling test to determine soccer’s best, and it’s all played out on the world’s biggest stage (the 2006 edition averaged 95 million viewers per match, and the final between France and Italy drew an estimated 715 million).  So naturally, the trophy is made of gold.

Yes, the FIFA World Cup Trophy (the current version replaced the Jules Rimet Trophy in 1974, when that was given to Brazil permanently, after it won its third title) consists of an 18-carat gold body with a malachite base, and depicts two people holding up the Earth.  No wonder it’s been compared to the likes of the Mona Lisa.

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