Winning the World Cup final brings with it enormous prestige and of course a chance to lift an iconic trophy.
It is generally accepted that the raising of the World Cup trophy is the pinnacle for many footballers, something that holds more appeal to some than winning the Champions League or domestic honours.
If you have witnessed a World Cup trophy lift you might be wondering what happens to the prize after that night - do winning nations get to keep the World Cup? GOAL brings you everything you need to know.
Do World Cup winners get to keep the trophy?
No. Winning nations do not get to retain the World Cup trophy after their triumph.
While this hasn't always been the case, fears around the safety of the highly sought-after prize mean that champions are provided with a cheaper, bronze (gold-plated) replica.
The winners do, however, get their names inscribed onto the base of the trophy after every win.
Before 1974, FIFA employed a rule that allowed countries who won the World Cup three times to keep the original trophy.
Brazil were granted the Jules RImet World Cup trophy in perpetuity following their third triumph in 1970. This is no longer the case with the World Cup in its current form.
Why don't nations keep the World Cup anymore?
It had previously been common practice for some football associations to hold the real World Cup trophy - specifically the Jules Rimet - for exhibition or safekeeping, but nowadays they tend to be given a replica trophy.
The integrity of the trophy and general safety concerns are the reason for the change of policy. After all, the Jules Rimet World Cup trophy was infamously stolen twice - first in England and later in Brazil.
It was stolen from the English FA in 1966 ahead of that year's World Cup tournament. However, luckily for FIFA and the FA, it was miraculously found by a dog in a south London park bin, wrapped in newspaper.
The Jules Rimet trophy was then stolen from Brazil after they won the World Cup in 1970. Its fate remains one of football's mysteries
Where is the World Cup trophy kept?
The World Cup is stored at FIFA's official Zurich headquarters in Switzerland.
It is held there, under a high level of protection, only leaving its location in specific scenarios. These include:
- The draw for the World Cup finals
- The first and last fixtures of the World Cup
- The FIFA World Cup trophy tour
Do club competition winners keep their cups?
In most cases, modern trophy winners in club football aren't able to keep the honours that they win.
- UEFA now retains the original Champions League trophy, having gifted five times winners (or three times in row champions) with the original between 1969 - 2008.
- The Premier League has two identical, original trophies. One for the reigning champions to keep for the majority of the following season and one which remains in possession of the league.
- The FA Cup is presented to the champions to hold until March of the following campaign, after which point it is returned to the FA.
In all cases, the club team is handed an official, less expensive replica which can be stored in their cabinets permanently.