The golden trophy that is awarded to the eventual winners of every FIFA World Cup tournament is the most prized award in soccer. But the trophy that will be awarded to whatever team eventually is victorious in South Africa in 2010 will not be lifting the original trophy, first awarded in 1930, but instead a replacement that has been in use since the original, the Jules Rimet trophy, was awarded in perpetuity to Brazil in 1970, in recognition of their third World Cup Victory.But the story behind the fate of the Jules Rimet trophy is a far stranger one than you might imagine.
The trophy itself was first created for the first World Cup in Uruguay in 1930. At that time it was officially known as the "Victory", it was not until 1946 that it was renamed for man whose vision had beget the competition in first place. It was a true work of art. Designed by Abel Lafleur, its blue lapis base held a solid gold representation of the goddess Nike, the ancient Greek patron of victory.
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