Images released by world Football’s governing body show a trophy made up of a series of discs that transform from a shield into a “multi-faceted, orbital structure”.
On Thursday, FIFA presented the new golden trophy for the controversial and expanded Club World Cup, created in collaboration with Tiffany & Co.
The trophy, which will be lifted by the tournament champions in the United States next year, is finished in 24-karat gold. Despite strong opposition from players’ unions and leagues, FIFA clearly sees a long-term future for the tournament, as the trophy allows the emblems of the winning clubs to be engraved on it for the next 96 years.
“Innovative, inclusive, revolutionary and truly global, the new 32-team FIFA Club World Cup deserves a trophy that represents all of this,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement. “It is both prestigious and timeless, a golden trophy that symbolizes the future while drawing inspiration from the past.”
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Images released by FIFA show a trophy decorated with a series of discs, transforming from a shield into a “multifaceted and orbital structure”. It features engravings in 13 languages and Braille, and sits on a black pedestal with the FIFA emblem in gold typography.
FIFA said there was space to engrave the emblems of the winners of the 24 editions of the tournament, which will take place every four years, adding that the trophy was inspired by “NASA space missions in the years 1970, of the periodic table, maps of pioneering journeys and astronomy.”
A replica will be given to each winner of the tournament.
“The FIFA Club World Cup Trophy is the next chapter in our long history of creating the most revered symbols of sporting achievement around the world,” said Tiffany & Co. CEO Anthony Ledru.
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The Club World Cup will run from June to July next year and has been expanded from seven to 32 teams. This expansion has led to challenges from the global players’ union, FIFPRO, which has expressed concerns about the increasing physical and mental demands on players.
Spanish midfielder Rodri Hernández, who won the Ballon d’Or this year, said in September that players were close to going on strike because of the number of matches they have to play. Last month, FIFPRO’s European division joined national leagues in contacting the European Union to challenge FIFA’s approach to adding new, broader men’s competitions.
However, Europe’s leading clubs have welcomed the new format, which FIFA hopes to establish as one of the world’s most prestigious club competitions alongside the Premier League and Champions League.
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This story was translated from English by an AP editor with the help of generative artificial intelligence tools.
