Top 10 most expensive sports trophy - World Cup, UEFA Champions and others

In every field, there are competitions designed to foster competition and drive development. In sports, particularly football, this is no exception. The world of football revolves around the race for prestigious titles from club-level championships to national team accolades. Trophies serve as a measure of a team’s success, not just in terms of expertise. In today’s article, let’s join Wintips admin to review the Top 10 most expensive sports trophy in the world of football.

The most expensive sports trophy – Top 10

1. FIFA World Cup – Most expensive sports trophy

The FIFA World Cup trophy is the prestigious symbol of victory in the FIFA World Cup. Since 1930, there have been two versions of this prized trophy: the Jules Rimet Trophy (1930-1970) and the FIFA World Cup Trophy (1974-present). The trophy is made of sterling silver with gold plating and lapis lazuli, featuring the figure of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, on the trophy.

The Brazilian national team won the Jules Rimet Trophy and retained it permanently after their third victory in 1970. However, the trophy was stolen in 1983 and subsequently replaced by the FIFA World Cup Trophy, made of 18-carat gold, which is currently in the possession of the French team, the champions of the 2018 World Cup.

The FIFA World Cup title is the ultimate aspiration of every football team, holding significant meaning in the world of football. This redesigned trophy, created by artist Silvio Gazzaniga, symbolizes power and glory, standing at 14.5 inches tall and weighing 13.5 pounds.

2. UEFA EURO

The UEFA European Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro or simply Euro, is an international tournament for men’s national teams organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to determine the continental champion of Europe. The tournament takes place every four years since 1960, with the exception of the 2020 edition, which was held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Euro features 24 European teams competing, but only one team emerges as the champion. The trophy, named the Henri Delaunay Trophy in honor of UEFA’s first General Secretary who conceived the idea of a European championship, is a silver cup weighing 8 kg and standing 60 cm tall. The champion team also receives a gold medal, and each participating team receives a commemorative plaque.

After 15 tournaments, the UEFA European Championship has seen 10 different champions: Germany and Spain each with 3 titles, France and Italy with 2 titles each, and the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands, Denmark, Greece, and Portugal with 1 title each. Spain is the only team to win consecutive titles in 2008 and 2012. The football tournament is the second most-watched event globally after the FIFA World Cup. The Euro 2012 final attracted approximately 300 million viewers worldwide. The Italian national team is the reigning champion after defeating the England team in a penalty shootout at Euro 2020.

3. UEFA Champions League – Most expensive sports trophy

The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, also known as the European Cup) is an annual club football competition organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for top-ranked clubs from European national leagues.

The Champions League is one of the most prestigious tournaments in football. Millions of fans follow the main stage, and every professional club in Europe strives to win. When a team wins this title, they also wear the champion’s badge on their kit for the following season.

Only clubs from European countries can compete in this top-tier, longstanding tournament. Real Madrid holds the most titles in the competition, with 13 trophies in their cabinet. The tournament organizers have experimented with various cup designs over the years.

4. England Premier League – Most expensive sports trophy

The English Premier League (EPL) is the top-tier football league in England, consisting of 20 clubs. The season runs from August to May, with each team playing 38 matches. The Premier League is the most-watched football league in the world, broadcast in over 212 territories, reaching 643 million households and approximately 4.7 billion viewers.

During the 2014-2015 season, an average Premier League match attracted around 36,000 spectators. The Premier League ranks first in the UEFA coefficient rankings, as of 2022. Premier League is the tenth most lucrative championship in football, with a significant prize of up to $10,000. Manchester United is the most successful team with 20 titles.

Manchester City FC is the reigning champion in 2021. The trophy is made of silver, silver gilt, and malachite, representing the most prestigious competition in England. The trophy is also an iconic symbol of English football, featuring a design based on the Three Lions and a gold crown.

5. England FA Cup

The FA Cup is an annual knockout football competition for men in England. First organized in the 1871-1872 season, it is the oldest football tournament in the world. It is organized and named after the Football Association (FA) of England. Since 2015, the tournament has been known as The Emirates FA Cup due to sponsorship by the Emirates airline.

This football competition is open to any eligible football club from level 10 of the English football league system. A record 763 clubs participated in the 2011-2012 season. The original FA Cup trophy was stolen in 1895 while in the possession of Aston Villa and was never recovered. A replica was used to replace the original, but a new design replaced it in 1911. The design has remained unchanged to this day. The current trophy is made of 925 sterling silver, handcrafted over 250 hours, and weighs 6.3 kg.

6. Copa América

Copa América, or the South American Football Championship in Vietnamese, is the championship tournament for national teams in South America organized by the South American football federation. It is a continental-level tournament because in football, South America and North America are considered two separate continents.

The Copa América is the oldest international football tournament in the world, first held in 1916. In addition to the 10 members of CONMEBOL, since 1993, each tournament has invited two additional national teams from other football federations (usually CONCACAF). As South America has only 10 national teams, there are no qualifiers for this tournament.

Argentina and Uruguay have won the championship the most times (both 15 times). Since CONMEBOL is one of the six continental confederations of FIFA, the Copa América organized by CONMEBOL is equivalent to other continental tournaments such as the UEFA European Championship (UEFA), Africa Cup of Nations (CAF), AFC Asian Cup (AFC), CONCACAF Gold Cup (CONCACAF), and OFC Nations Cup (OFC).

7. Spanish La Liga – Most expensive sports trophy

The top-tier professional football league in Spain is commonly known as La Liga, also referred to as the Primera División in Spain and La Liga Santander due to sponsorship by Santander. It is the highest level of professional football competition for men within the Spanish football league system.

Managed by the Liga de Fútbol Profesional, the league consists of 20 teams, with the bottom three teams at the end of the season relegated to the Segunda División and replaced by the top two teams from Segunda División and the winner of the play-off.

La Liga is one of the most popular professional sports leagues globally, with an average attendance of 26,933 spectators per match in the 2018-2019 season. This attendance figure ranks sixth among domestic professional sports leagues worldwide and third among professional football leagues globally, only behind the Premier League and Bundesliga.

8. Italian Serie A – Most expensive sports trophy

Serie A, also known as Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by TIM, is a professional football league for the highest-ranking football clubs in the Italian football league system, and the winning team is awarded the Scudetto and Coppa Campioni d’Italia. The league operates on a round-robin format for over 90 years since the 1929 – 1930 season.

The Serie A is considered one of the best football leagues in the world and is often described as the most tactical national championship. The league is ranked third among European leagues in the UEFA coefficient rankings, behind La Liga and the Premier League and ahead of the Bundesliga and Ligue 1, based on the performance of Italian clubs in the Champions League and Europa League over the past 5 years. Serie A led the UEFA rankings from 1986 to 1988 and from 1990 to 1999.

9. Germany Bundesliga

The Bundesliga, Germany’s top-tier professional football league, is the highest level of competition within the German football system. With 18 participating teams, the season runs from August to May, with matches primarily held on Saturdays and Sundays. Bayern Munich is the most successful team with 31 titles.

But the league has also seen success from other clubs such as Borussia Dortmund, Hamburger SV, Werder Bremen, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and VfB Stuttgart. The Bundesliga is also renowned for its large attendance, with an average of 45,116 spectators per match during the 2011-2012 season, ranking second globally behind the NFL American football league.

The Bundesliga trophy awarded to the champion is a masterpiece of art designed by Professor Elisabeth Treskow in 1964. The 11 kg silver plate is adorned with a 71.98-carat tourmaline, silver, and gold, becoming a significant symbol for outstanding teams in the league.

10. CAF Nations League – Most expensive sports trophy

The Africa Cup of Nations is a football tournament among African nations organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The tournament was first held in 1957 with just three participating teams. Since 1968, the tournament has been officially held every two years. Starting from 2013, the tournament was scheduled to take place in odd-numbered years to avoid clashing with the FIFA World Cup.

This resulted in the tournament being held for the second consecutive year in 2012 and 2013, following the first time this occurred 50 years earlier. The 2021 edition of the tournament was postponed to January 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Taking place biennially, the Africa Cup of Nations features the participation of the top 24 football clubs in Africa.

Since its inception in 1957, teams have competed throughout the tournament to prove themselves as the strongest on the continent. Egypt holds the most successful record with 7 victories. The current trophy is a gold-plated cup manufactured in Italy. The beautiful trophy features a model of the Earth surrounded by footballs. The Africa Cup of Nations trophy has undergone three different versions since 1980.

Conclude

Here is a list of the top 10 most expensive sports trophy in the world. As mentioned, reaching the final match and winning these trophies is not an easy journey. Football teams must invest financially, physically, and mentally. Of course, luck plays a role, an indispensable ingredient in sports. These cups serve as a spiritual gift, fostering bonding among team members. Thank you for your interest in today’s article. If you’re interested in online betting, choose one of the top 10 bookmakers betting by Wintips on the homepage. Best regards.

See also: Ranking of the highest paid women soccer player in the world – Updated to 4/2024