With less than three months to go before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off, football fever is already building across the globe.

The tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026, will be the largest in the competition’s history, featuring an expanded 48-team format for the first time.

Sixty-four matches will be played across 16 host cities, with the final scheduled for the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

As the world’s greatest footballers prepare to chase the game’s ultimate prize, FIFA on Saturday shared some facts about the iconic trophy they are all chasing, facts that many fans may not know.

1. It weighs more than you think

The trophy is heavier than it looks. According to FIFA, “the trophy weighs 6.142 kilograms, of which 5.092 kilograms are pure gold.”

Despite its compact shape, every player who lifts it is hoisting more than six kilograms of footballing history above their head.

2. It is not that old

The current design is younger than many assume. FIFA says “the trophy was first used in 1974,” when West Germany hosted the tournament.

The original Jules Rimet Trophy, which preceded it, was retired after Brazil won it outright for the third time in 1970.

3. The original stays in Zurich

The winning nation does not take the real trophy home. FIFA states that “the official FIFA World Cup Trophy is housed at the FIFA Museum in Zurich.”

What champions receive instead is something different entirely.

4. Every winner gets their own copy

Rather than passing a single trophy around, FIFA ensures every champion has a permanent keepsake.

The governing body confirms that “each FIFA World Cup winner receives their own individual winner’s trophy.” The original, however, remains in Switzerland.

5. A new disk is added after every tournament

The base of the trophy is updated after each edition of the competition. FIFA notes that “a new bottom disk is produced after each tournament, stating the newest winner.”

FIFA says it is football’s way of engraving history directly onto the sport’s most coveted object.