Welcome to the list of all the major and most prestigious soccer trophies in the world.
Soccer is the undisputed king of sports with a global following that goes beyond borders. There are over 240 million registered players worldwide and billions of fans.
So naturally, winning a major soccer trophy brings immense glory to a nation or region. It carries a sense of pride and togetherness for everyone involved.
You can see this in the excitement that the World Cup creates in a country like the USA.
In this post, we’ll look at the best trophies that soccer has to offer. I’ll take you through the biggest trophies at both the club and international level.
So, let’s get started.
International Competitions
Nations face each other to compete for international trophies.
Most of the international competitions hold more significance than club trophies. Hence, teams consider a bigger achievement to win on the international stage.
Here are some of the most prestigious international trophies in soccer.
FIFA World Cup Trophy
The FIFA World Cup is the most prestigious soccer tournament in the world. It’s held once every four years and draws billions of viewers from around the world.
Professional soccer players see the World Cup trophy as the pinnacle of their careers.
Crafted by Italian artist Silvio Gazzaniga, the World Cup trophy is made of 30,875 carats of 18-karat gold with bands of malachite around the base. It weighs 6.175kg and measures 36.5cm high by 12.5cm wide.
There’s only one original FIFA World Cup trophy in circulation today. The winners get to keep a bronze replica for their trophy cabinet.
UEFA European Championship Trophy
The UEFA European Championship Trophy is awarded to the champion nation of Europe. Like the World Cup, the Euros are also held once every four years.
This trophy is also called the Henri Delaunay Cup, after Henri Delaunay, the former General Secretary of UEFA.
The original trophy was made of sterling silver. It weighed 8 kilograms (18 lb) and was 60 centimeters (24 in) tall.
Then, it was remodeled in 2008 to make it larger and more prominent. The new trophy weighs the same but is 18 centimeters (7.1 in) longer.
The winner gets to keep the trophy for four years until the next tournament.
Take a look at all the UEFA European Championship winners here.
Copa América Trophy
Copa América is the biggest soccer competition in South America. It’s also the oldest international soccer competition outside the British Isles.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Argentina donated the trophy to CONMEBOL in 1910.
The trophy is a 9 kg (20 lb) weight and 77 cm (30 in) tall silver ornament. Furthermore, it has a three-level wooden base engraved with the winners of the competition. The trophy has remained the same since 1916.
The winners of the tournament keep the trophy until the next tournament.
Take a look at all the Copa América winners here.
CAF Africa Cup of Nations Trophy
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) organizes the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) every two years.
The trophy has undergone many changes throughout its history.
AFCON started back in 1957 as the Abdelaziz Abdallah Salem Trophy. This trophy was awarded from 1957 to 1978. But when Ghana became the first nation to win the tournament three times, they kept the trophy permanently.
Then the second iteration was the African Unity Cup, awarded from 1980 to 2000. Following Cameroon’s third championship win in 2000, they too kept the trophy.
The current trophy has been in play since 2002. This trophy has a gold cup with a base depicting a map of Africa.
CONCACAF Gold Cup Trophy
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is a biennial soccer tournament in North and Central America.
Compared to some other trophies on the list, the Gold Cup trophy is relatively young. It started in 1991 with the US winning the first edition.
But, its significance has grown steadily alongside the rising profile of CONCACAF soccer.
The trophy is made from sculpted metal with golden plating. It also features a tiered base that bears the engravings of all past champions.
In 2011, the Gold Cup trophy underwent a redesign. The new iteration boasts larger handles, angled at a more extreme position.
The trophy also has a bilingual inscription of “Gold Cup” and “Copa Oro” inscribed around the rim.
AFC Asian Cup Trophy
The national teams of Asia compete for the prize of winning the AFC Asian Cup Trophy. It’s the second oldest continental soccer tournament in the world after Copa América.
The Asian Cup was first held in 1956 in Hong Kong, with South Korea winning the inaugural title.
Japan holds the record for most titles (4), followed by Iran and Saudi Arabia (3 each). Recent years have seen a rise in competition, with Qatar claiming the 2023 title.
The Asian Cup trophy has gone through a remodel once. The first trophy was used between 1956 and 2015. It was a classic bowl-shaped trophy with a circular base.
Since 2019, the winning team gets the remodeled trophy. The new iteration is modeled after the lotus flower, an important aquatic Asian plant.
Club Level Competitions
The international trophies aren’t the only prestigious trophies in soccer.
Here are some of the best trophies a club team can win at a continental level.
UEFA Champions League Trophy
The UEFA Champions League is the most prestigious trophy in club soccer. The trophy represents the pinnacle of achievement in European club soccer.
The tournament started in 1955 as the Coupe des Clubs Champions Européens (European Cup). In 1967, the trophy got a remodel, and then in 1992, the tournament was renamed to Champions League.
The current trophy is 74 cm (29 in) tall and made of silver, weighing 11 kg (24 lb). Jürg Stadelmann, a jeweler from Bern, Switzerland, designed the current trophy after Real Madrid earned the original one in 1966.
The winning team can keep the trophy for a year before handing it over to the next champions. They can also make replicas of their own, which must be marked as such. Additionally, the replica can be at most eighty percent the size of the actual trophy.
Take a look at all the UEFA Champions League winners here.
UEFA Europa League Trophy
The UEFA Europa League is the second-tier competition in Europe behind the Champions League. The tournament began in 1971 as an annual soccer tournament.
The trophy is a hexagonal cup with a tapered base. It features two handles adorned with laurel wreaths, a symbol of victory in ancient Greece.
For many clubs, the Europa League trophy is a stepping stone to bigger glories. It provides a pathway to Champions League qualification.
The Europa League also offers a platform for clubs from smaller European nations to showcase their talent.
Take a look at all the UEFA Europa League winners here.
Copa Libertadores Trophy
The Copa Libertadores features the top clubs from the 10 associations of CONMEBOL.
Founded in 1960, the Copa Libertadores predates the Champions League by a decade. It was named in honor of the South American independence heroes, the Libertadores.
The trophy itself is a silver masterpiece designed by Alberto de Gasperi, an Italian jeweler. It features a laurel wreath atop a pedestal adorned with badges of all past champions.
The winning club gets to keep the actual trophy for the year. They return it before the following tournament draw.
Take a look at all the Copa Libertadores winners here.
CONCACAF Champions League Trophy
The CONCACAF Champions League is an annual continental club competition in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Before 2008, the competition was known as the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The winners also won a different trophy each year.
Then in 2008, with the rebrand came a permanent trophy.
The current trophy design was introduced in 2018. It features a hexagonal base with a map of the CONCACAF region.
Mexican clubs like Club América and Monterrey have dominated the competition. But recent years have seen a rise in competition from MLS sides like LAFC and Atlanta United.
FIFA Club World Cup
FIFA launched the FIFA Club World Cup as an international soccer tournament in 2000. The tournament features six continental champions, along with the host nation’s national champion.
The FIFA Club World Cup trophy has a base of two pedestals with four rectangular pillars and a soccer ball on top. The ball is based on the 1998 FIFA World Cup ball, the Adidas Tricolore.
Soccer Trophies in England
English Premier League Trophy
The English Premier League is the top-tier soccer league in England. The trophy was introduced in 1993 with the formation of the Premier League.
It is cast from solid sterling silver, with the crowns made from 24-carat silver gilt. Then, the bases are crafted from malachite, a semi-precious stone.
The designer based the trophy on the theme of “The Three Lions of English Football”. It features two lions above the handles and the captain of the winning team becomes the third lion when raising the trophy.
Take a look at all the EPL winners here.
FA Cup Trophy
The FA Cup Trophy holds a special place in English soccer. It’s a knockout tournament held annually since 1871. That makes the FA Cup one of the oldest professional soccer tournaments in the world.
FA created the FA Cup tournament to allow semi-professional teams to compete in a major tournament.
The trophy is made from sterling silver. It has a traditional cup shape with ornate handles and a plinth decorated with laurel wreaths.
The trophy has taken many physical forms since the tournament began in 1871. And the current design is a perfect replica of the 1911 design, made by Thomas Lyte. It stands at 61.5 centimeters tall and requires more than 250 hours of work and craftsmanship to make.
Take a look at all the FA Cup winners here.
EFL Cup Trophy
The EFL Cup trophy occupies a unique space in the English soccer trophy cabinet.
It may not hold the same historical weight as the FA Cup or the Premier League trophy. But it still offers a coveted prize for clubs across the English Football League (EFL) system.
The tournament began in 1961 as the Football League Cup. Since then the trophy has undergone several name changes reflecting sponsorship deals.
The current trophy itself, designed in 2001, is a sleek and modern piece of silver. It features a tapered cup design with stylized soccer motifs on the base.
Take a look at all the EFL Cup winners here.
Soccer Trophies in Spain
La Liga Trophy
La Liga is the top-tier soccer league in Spain. It is one of the most popular soccer leagues in the world and features the most successful clubs in Europe.
The trophy’s journey began in 1929, with the inaugural season of La Liga. Since then, the league has become famous for its fierce rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Real Madrid has won the title a record 35 times, while Barcelona has won it 27 times.
The trophy has a circular base with the coat of arms of the Royal Spanish Football Federation. Atop this base is a slender cup with ornate handles.
Take a look at all the La Liga winners here.
Copa Del Rey Trophy
The Copa del Rey is the oldest Spanish soccer competition, dating back to 1903. It features teams from the Primera and Segunda División teams, as well as some qualifiers from lower levels.
Barcelona has dominated the competition with 31 wins, followed by Athletic Bilbao with 24 wins.
The Copa del Rey trophy has undergone several changes throughout its history. The current trophy, introduced in 1987, is a majestic silver masterpiece.
It features a hexagonal base with the coat of arms of the Royal Spanish Football Federation. On top of the base is a majestic cup with elaborate handles.
Take a look at all the Copa Del Rey winners here.
Soccer Trophies in Germany
Bundesliga Trophy
The Bundesliga trophy, awarded to the German champions, is not a traditional trophy. Instead, the Bundesliga champions get the Meisterschale, which translates to “champions’ bowl”.
The Meisterschale is a silver plate, with all German champions since 1903 engraved on it. Due to such a big list of winners has been enlarged twice, in 1981 and 2009.
But the Meisterschale wasn’t always the trophy for German champions.
Before 1949, the champions got the Viktoria trophy. It featured Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory, sitting on top of the trophy base.
