The US celebrating with trophy after the 2019 final. Photo / Getty Images
The US celebrating with trophy after the 2019 final. Photo / Getty Images
Whichever team wins the Fifa Women’s World Cup on Sunday, they will only get to celebrate with the trophy for an hour or two.
A new champion will be crowned in Sydney, as Spain and England face off for the biggest prize in women’s sport.
The victors will add theirname to an extremely short list, along with the United States, Germany, Japan and Norway.
After the trophy presentation, the dancing, the singing and the photos, the triumphant squad will parade around the stadium for more celebrations with fans, before returning to their dressing room, no doubt joined by a large entourage of well-wishers and VIPs.
But by then, their time with the precious prize will almost be up. The Herald understands that soon after the team are back in the sheds, a group of Fifa officials will emerge with a replica trophy - one the national association gets to keep - while the original is whisked away, under high security, in preparation for its trip back to Europe.
That might seem a little strange, but it is all part of the mystique of Fifa’s grandest treasures.
If the 4.6kg, 47cm trophy could talk, it would have some interesting tales to tell.
For an inanimate object, it is shrouded in immense secrecy and security. Fifa insiders told the Herald that only a handful of people are permitted to escort the trophy around the world - “there are just a few, because of trust” - when it isn’t locked up inside the Fifa museum in Zurich.
It’s serious stuff. The trophy usually travels with a contingent of six to 10 people, including at least two minders, a Fifa representative and a content producer. It’s never out of sight - not even on long-haul flights - and can’t be stored in the baggage hold, which means a guard needs to have it with them at all times.
“It’s always with that person,” said a Fifa source. “I cannot go into details because of security. This is private information. But it’s a lot of pressure. It’s stressful.”
Over the last 18 months the trophy has visited all 32 competing nations, including both co-hosts. One of the trips to New Zealand was accompanied by a visiting Fifa legend, former United States goalkeeper Briana Scurry, who was part of their successful 1999 campaign.
At the time, Scurry was the only person in the country allowed to handle the trophy - an honour strictly reserved for former winners - along with Chris Hipkins and Jacinda Ardern, as Fifa make rare exceptions for current or recent former heads of state.
Such strict protocols don’t really exist for other iconic trophies - like the NFL’s Vince Lombardi Trophy, the FA Cup, the America’s Cup or the Ranfurly Shield - but it’s a tradition that is unlikely to change.
“There are a lot of trophies that people can touch but Fifa treats the trophies differently,” said a Fifa insider. “It’s for winners. It’s the biggest competition in the world. People have to dedicate their lives to get to win the trophy so they are ones that can touch the trophy, nobody else. And we keep it that way.”
The Fifa Women's World Cup Trophy. Photo / Alan Lee
At all other times it is displayed behind double-reinforced Perspex on all public appearances. The Herald is told there haven’t really been any incidents over the years - “people are very respectful” - though in some countries there are armed guards nearby, just in case, though it is all “covert”.
It sounds a little over the top - and it probably is - but it only adds to the aura of the trophy. It was first unveiled at the 1999 tournament, after the first two editions had a different cup. It’s made of sterling silver and covered in 23-carat white and yellow gold.
It is held at an undisclosed location within the Fifa hotel in Sydney, before it is transported to the stadium on Sunday for the quadrennial showpiece.
But how can you tell the difference between the original and the replicas, four of which are housed in America, two in Germany and one each in Norway and Japan?
According to a Fifa source, there is a simple way.
The original trophy has the names of all previous winning teams engraved on the base, along with the year. But the replica that England or Spain get to keep will simply say: “Winners trophy, Fifa Women’s World Cup 2023″.
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. A football aficionado, Burgess will never forget the noise that greeted Rory Fallon’s goal against Bahrain in Wellington in 2009.
