FIFA World Cup Fair Play Trophy Winners List
Starting in 1970, the FIFA Fair Play Trophy has been given to the team with the best sportsmanship. It is also called the FIFA Fair Play Award. A team can only qualify for the FIFA Fair Play Trophy when they make it to the second round of the World Cup. Below is a look at the selection process, the additional prizes given besides the trophy, and the physical trophy itself.
Selection Process
The FIFA Fair Play Trophy goes through a selection process by a panel of experts from FIFA and other football stakeholders. For the actual selection process, all jury members will cast three votes. The first vote they cast will be for the nominee that they think should win; that nominee will get five points as a result. For the nominee that a jury member thinks is the second best, they will vote for them second, which will then earn that nominee three points. Then, for being the third vote, the nominee will receive one point. The nominee with the most points will win the trophy.
If a tie happens, the nominee with the most first-place votes, the votes that are worth five points, will win the award. If a tie still occurs, the nominee with the most second place votes, the votes that are worth three points, will win the award. If there is still a tie after that, the two nominees will share the FIFA Fair Play Trophy.
Additional Prizes
Along with the FIFA Fair Play Trophy itself, the winners receive additional prizes. The first prize is a gift of fair play medals for all of the players, coaches, and officials of the team.
A diploma is also given, which is much like how before 1982, the trophy was just a certificate. One example of a team who only won a certificate was Peru in 1970. They won the award because no officials needed to give them yellow or red cards for unsportsmanlike behavior.
The final prize for a team who earns the FIFA Fair Play Trophy is $50,000. However, this $50,000 isn’t given in cash. It is $50,000 worth of equipment the winning team’s country can put towards the growth of youth football.
The Physical Trophy
As previously mentioned, the FIFA Fair Play Trophy wasn’t a trophy at all until 1982. However, after 1982, it gained that trophy status as a golden trophy that included Sports Billy on top of the base. Sports Billy is a 1982 cartoon character that FIFA adopted as an icon for FIFA Fair Play.
Then, after 1994, the trophy changed from the Sports Billy statue to an elegant football player figure. Pentagram Design Inc. made this edition of the trophy in 1993. It is 8.99 pounds, 1.41 feet tall, 5.12 inches wide, and 3.94 inches in length. The trophy is made of bronze, just like the Adidas Silver Shoe and the Adidas Bronze Shoe, which are other FIFA trophies.
FIFA Fair Play Trophy Winners List
- Peru: 1970 Mexico World Cup
- West Germany: 1974 West Germany World Cup
- Argentina: 1978 Argentina World Cup
- Brazil: 1982 Spain World Cup
- Brazil: 1986 Mexico World Cup
- England: 1990 Italy World Cup
- Brazil: 1994 United States World Cup
- England/France: 1998 France World Cup
- Belgium: 2002 South Korea/Japan World Cup
- Brazil/Spain: 2006 Germany World Cup
- Spain: 2010 South Africa World Cup
- Colombia: 2014 Brazil World Cup
- Spain: 2018 Russia World Cup
- England: 2022 Qatar World Cup
FAQ
What is the Fair Play Trophy in the FIFA World Cup?
The Fair Play Trophy is an award given to the team with the best sportsmanship during the World Cup. It can only be given to a team who has passed the tournament's second round.
Which country won the last Fair Play Trophy in the FIFA World Cup?
England won the last Fair Play Trophy at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, despite losing to France in the Quarterfinals. Before that, Spain won the trophy for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.