What is FIFA World Cup trophy made of? Price breakdown, history and everything you need to know

The most coveted object in global sport is also one the winner will never legally own.

When a nation lifts the FIFA World Cup Trophy, they hold roughly $713,000 worth of solid 18-carat gold above their heads for precisely as long as FIFA allows, which is not long at all.

What happens next is a quiet, contractual handover that most fans never see coming.