Spanish footballers, after a dramatic and fierce battle in the World Cup final, defeated Argentina and won the planet’s champion title for the second time in the country’s history. Ferran Torres’ goal secured the victory for the Spaniards.
However, after the final, football fans’ attention online was drawn not only to Spain’s triumph but also to an unusual episode involving national team defender Marc Cucurella.
A video widely circulated on social media shows M. Cucurella leaving “MetLife” stadium carrying a clear plastic bag in his hand, which seemingly contains the World Cup trophy.
The footballer, wearing the Spanish national team jersey and the blue shorts worn during the final, was in slippers, had a headband tied on his head, and a backpack slung over his shoulders. Meanwhile, his teammates were still celebrating the historic victory.
The unusual sight quickly garnered numerous reactions online. Fans joked that one of the most coveted football trophies was being carried out of the stadium in a simple plastic bag.
Some internet users doubted the authenticity of the video and speculated that it might have been created using artificial intelligence. Others turned the situation into a joke – claiming that the trophy, presented in a luxurious “Louis Vuitton” case specially made for this year’s World Cup in the USA, was brutally crammed into a simple plastic garbage bag after the final.
How did the trophy end up in a “Louis Vuitton” case?
Some internet users seemingly only noticed this year that the FIFA World Cup trophy is presented in a luxurious French fashion brand box. There were speculations that this new development, balancing on the edge of taste, was introduced only after the USA took over the organization of the competition. However, this is not true.
“Louis Vuitton” has been collaborating with FIFA since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The luxury brand creates a unique handmade trunk for each tournament, designed to transport and display the World Cup trophy.
The trunk for the 2026 championship was crafted in the historic “Louis Vuitton” workshops in Asnières-sur-Seine, France. It is covered with the brand’s monogram canvas, adorned with a hand-painted golden letter V, symbolizing the words “Victory” and “Vuitton,” leather trim, and gilded brass corners.
Such a trunk has been created for the World Cup for the fifth consecutive time – previous ones were made in 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022. The latest one was also used in the 2026 final between Spain and Argentina.
The explanation is simple
Some internet users who saw the video also speculated that M. Cucurella might have been carrying a World Cup model made from LEGO bricks.
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However, this episode can be explained much more simply. After the final, all Spanish national team footballers were presented with copies of the World Cup, intended to commemorate the victory. These were distributed to the players in the changing room by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
The current FIFA World Cup trophy, used since the 1974 World Cup, is made of 18-carat gold. It was created by Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga and produced by the Milanese company “Stabilimento Artistico Bertoni,” now known as “GDE Bertoni.” The base of the trophy, which is 36.8 cm high and weighs 6.175 kg, is adorned with two bands of green malachite.
World champions do not receive the original trophy permanently. Until 2006, winners could keep it until the next championship, but now the cup is returned to FIFA immediately after the award ceremony. The champion team is left with a gilded replica, officially called the “FIFA World Cup Winners’ Trophy.”
Only a limited circle of people can touch the original trophy without gloves – footballers who have become world champions, heads of state, and FIFA officials. When the cup is not used in tournaments, official ceremonies, or the global tour, it is displayed in the FIFA World Football Museum in Zurich. This is not the same building where FIFA headquarters are located.
Estimates of the trophy’s price published online vary greatly. It is stated that its production in 1974 could have cost from approximately 25 thousand to 50 thousand US dollars, although some sources mention a significantly higher amount. The value of the gold alone in the trophy could reach about 713 thousand US dollars in 2026, but due to its historical and symbolic significance, its total value is often estimated at approximately 20 million US dollars. However, this is not an officially determined or market-confirmed amount.
15min verdict: lacks context. The video widely circulated on social media is authentic, but M. Cucurella captured in it is not carrying the original FIFA World Cup trophy, which was previously presented in a luxurious “Louis Vuitton” trunk.
After the final, each player of the Spanish national team was presented with a commemorative replica of the trophy, so it was most likely that in the plastic bag.
The original trophy, made of 18-carat gold, is handed over to the champions only during the award ceremony and later returned to FIFA.
The publication was prepared by 15min in collaboration with “Meta”, which aims to curb the spread of misleading news on social media. More about the program and its rules – here
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