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One of the biggest flexes an athlete can display is hoisting up a championship trophy, parading around and sharing the moment with their family, friends and fans.
And it doesn't get any better than the FIFA World Cup trophy.
The World Cup trophy is one of the most luxurious, high-quality, opulent title trophies in all of sports. Literally.
It's the only championship trophy that is made of real, pure gold. It's made with 18-karat gold, contains 4.93 kilograms of pure gold and is worth an estimated $713,000, according to the London Stock Exchange Group.
The current version of the World Cup trophy was first introduced in 1974 and has remained the top prize in FIFA international football. It sets itself apart from other sports trophies as the lone item made primarily from gold.
For example, the NFL's Vince Lombardi championship trophy is made of nearly all sterling silver. The most covenant NFL prize is made up of 92.5% pure silver and handcrafted by silversmiths at Tiffany & Co.
Same with the NHL's Stanley Cup. The hockey trophy is comprised of silver and nickel alloy.
But that's a no-brainer. Looking at those trophies, there's not any sight of gold.
So what about the actual gold-appearing championship trophies across other major sports? They still don't compare in monetary or metallic value.
The NBA's Larry O'Brien trophy appears gold, but it's not real gold. The basketball title trophy is 25.5 inches in height, weighs 29 pounds and is made of sterling silver and vermeil, with a 24-karat gold overlay. It is also handcrafted by Tiffany & Co.
Another title trophy that appears to be made of gold is MLB's World Series trophy. However, it's not gold. It's actually made of sterling silver that features 24-karat gold vermeil stitching on the flags on the trophy. Again, made by Tiffany & Co.
Then there's the College Football Playoff National Championship trophy, which is 26.5-inch-tall, weighs 35 pounds and is made of 24-karat gold, bronze and stainless steel, with the bulk of the trophy gold-colored and the football at the top a gray metallic color.
The NCAA Division I men's basketball championship trophy is a rectangular, gold-plated trophy made of wood.
Source: USA Today
