When the final whistle sounded, the two great No. 10s finally met for the last time in the World Cup. Argentina got a perfect revenge 3:0. Croatia . Croatia failed to create the miracle of reaching the finals of two consecutive World Cups, while the Pampas Eagle once again hovered over Qatar .
It has been eight years since Messi led Argentina to the finals of the 2014 World Cup.
From Brazil to Qatar, Messi and Messi’s comrades set out again.
In the 2006 World Cup in Germany , Argentina played against Serbia and Montenegro, 6-1. Messi came off the bench and scored a goal. He was 19 years old that year.
2022 Qatar World Cup , the 35-year-old scored a penalty kick in one fell swoop. So far, Messi's current World Cup goals have reached 11 goals. He has surpassed Thomas Muller with 10 goals and has become the player with the most World Cup goals among active players. At the same time, Messi also surpassed Batty to become Argentina's top scorer in World Cup history.
It seems that as the third world champion after Pele and Maradona , Messi's road to glory seems to be missing the ultimate goal - the World Cup championship.
Since 1986, it has been the desire to add a star to the Argentina team emblem. This is the ultimate dream of Messi and his comrades.
At 23:00 on December 18th (Beijing time), witness Messi realize his dream Hercules Cup !
About the World Cup trophy-Hercules Cup!
has become the ultimate honor that countless football players pursue throughout their lives. Whether it is Pele's three championships or Maradona's "Hand of God", they all add unique charm to the magic of the Hercules Cup.
" There are two generations of the World Cup Champions Trophy. It was originally the Jules Rimit Cup and was changed to the current Hercules Cup in 1974. How were these two generations of trophies made?"
In the 92-year history of the World Cup since 1930, the World Cup Champions Trophy has gone through two iterations in total, both of which were made of precious metals and rare gems.
Between 1930 and 1970, it was the Jules Rimet Trophy (Jules Rimet Trophy) designed by the French sculptor Abel Lafleur, also known as the "Goddess Cup". Starting from the 1974 World Cup,
was replaced by FIFA World Cup redesigned by Silvio Gazzaniga, commonly known as "Hercules Cup" .
Rimet Trophy/Goddess Cup
The Jules Rimet Trophy, commonly known as the Coupe du Monde (World Cup in French), was officially renamed in 1946 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the then FIFA President Jules Rimet's inauguration.
The trophy is 35 centimeters high and weighs 3.8 kilograms. It is made of gold-plated sterling silver and is engraved with the image of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, holding an octagonal cup. The base of the trophy is made of a semi-precious stone called lapis lazuli. Each side of the base is affixed with gold medals bearing the names of the winning teams from 1930 to 1970.
In 1970, the Brazilian team became the first team to win the World Cup three times. From then on, the Brazilian team permanently retained the Jules Rimit Cup.
Therefore, FIFA needed to create a new trophy for the 1974 World Cup.
In 1971, among a total of 53 works from 7 countries, the creativity of Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga was selected. From then on, the "Hercules Cup", which symbolizes the highest honor in football, was born.
This trophy, which is still in use today, is 36 centimeters tall and weighs 6175 grams. It is made of 18K gold and has two circles of dark green malachite on the base.
The designer of the "Hercules Cup", Gassaniga, described his work this way: "Several curves extending from the base extend upward in a spiral shape and are connected to the earth shape at the top. The shape design of the two athletes as the main body of the statue fully demonstrates the amazing An extremely exciting moment of victory. "
The names of the countries that won the 17th World Cup from 1974 to 2038 can be engraved on the base of the Hercules Cup. In other words, after the World Cup in 2038, the Hercules Cup will be retired and replaced by a new generation of trophies.
Regarding the image of the trophy, the designer Gazzaniga described it this way: "The lines extend upward from the base and rise in a spiral curve. The images of the two athletes also emerge. They stretch their bodies upward and lift the entire earth. This is a symbol of glory and glory."
The entire Hercules Cup is 36.8 centimeters in height and weighs 6.1 kilograms. The base of the trophy is 13.1 centimeters in diameter and is composed of two pieces of extremely high-quality malachite. The rest is made of 18K gold weighing approximately 4.97KG. The gold content is nearly double that of the previous Jules Rimit Cup.
According to reports from that year, FIFA spent a total of US$50,000 to build the Hercules Cup that year, and the cost of raw materials also accounted for about 15%.
This is not difficult to understand. The Hercules Cup is not directly made up of two pieces of malachite + a large lump of gold. It is a super work of art created through various design and precise casting processes. The cost of raw materials is only a fraction of the cost.
What is the total design cost of the Hercules Cup of around US$50,000 now?
If the increase in gold's and is used to calculate the increase in the overall cost, the cost of the Hercules Cup will now be as high as about 2.2 million US dollars. Of course, what we are discussing here is only the value of the trophy itself, excluding the additional value caused by additional meanings.
Regarding the name of this trophy, it is officially designated as the " FIFA World Cup Trophy", but based on the image of two athletes lifting the earth, many people are accustomed to calling it the "Hercules Cup".
Similarly, the Jules Rimit Cup used before 1974 was also known as the "Goddess Cup" because its image was that of the Greek goddess of victory.Nikai.
FIFA will award the "Hercules Cup" to the winning team of the World Cup, but FIFA still retains the ownership of the "Hercules Cup". Each championship team can retain the "Hercules Cup" until the next World Cup finals. Each football team will work hard to win the glorious Gold Cup and the king's status.
This "Championship Cup" will be passed to the next World Cup champion team. This is also the only "World Cup" shown to the public.
On the base of the trophy, the names of the championship teams since 1974 have been engraved on it. The trophy has enough space to accommodate the names of all championship teams until the 2038 World Cup.
hopes that on the 18th, Argentina’s name will appear in the Hercules Cup for the third time!
