Awarded to the successful crew of the FIFA World Cup held as soon as each 4 years, the World Cup trophy is undoubtedly one of the iconic and coveted prizes in sport.
The trophy as we all know it at present was launched on the 1974 match in West Germany, and depicts two human figures holding up the Earth.
It was designed by Italian artist Silvio Gazzaniga, who labored for the Bertoni manufacturing firm, situated on the outskirts of Milan.
Whereas the unique 18 carat gold trophy made by Gazzaniga belongs to FIFA and is never exhibited, the GDE Bertoni manufacturing unit continues to be tasked with producing brass gold-plated replicas of the trophy each 4 years for the successful crew.
How is the trophy made?
As Salvatore Iannetti, the present manufacturing supervisor of GDE Bertoni, explains, the manufacturing unit prides themselves on their trophies being "fully handcrafted".
"For us, it's a supply of status and pleasure to nonetheless be capable to work as they did so a few years in the past," he says.
The method begins with the smelting - brass metallic is poured right into a mould (formed within the unique design of the trophy) to supply a plaster solid.
Handbook chiselling and hammering is then utilized to refine the intricate particulars of the trophy, equivalent to the 2 human figures.
Then, to be able to make the trophy good and glossy, it goes by means of ultrasonic cleansing, the place it's submerged in a degreasing bathtub, earlier than being gilded in a galvanic bathtub a number of occasions.
The nearly-complete trophy is later coated in a skinny layer of zapon varnish and connected to its malachite inexperienced marble base.
After drying, the trophy is lastly thought-about full.
For Iannetti, the painstakingly lengthy course of is all value it when he sees the cup he helped create being lifted by the winners of the World Cup.
The trophy producers at the moment are busy making ready for the Qatar World Cup, which is ready to happen from 20 November to 18 December.
Take a look at the video above for a sneak peek contained in the World Cup trophy manufacturing unit.
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