The 2026 World Cup winners will receive gold medals. Some fans have wondered if these medals are 100% solid gold, but they actually aren’t. They are gold-plated, which increases both their sentimental and commercial value.
This gold plating makes them incredibly valuable. Each medal weighs about 500 grams (around 1.1 pounds) and features unique details that set them apart from medals in other FIFA tournaments and global sports.
Just like the winners, the team that loses the final also gets a medal. While it isn’t gold, it’s still highly valuable. But fans are mostly curious about the gold medals. Even though they aren’t solid gold, the World Cup winner medal value can skyrocket later on depending on who they belonged to.
Have medals always been handed out to World Cup winners?
Medals for the winners have always been a part of FIFA history. Unlike the rings that will be given to the winners this year, medals aren’t a new addition; they’ve been around since the very first tournament in 1930.
French players with Gold Medals in 2018 (Getty Images)
However, from 1930 to 1974, only 11 players on the field received a winner’s medal. Bench players and the head coach were left out, though that changed years later. It meant that legendary squad depth and tactical masterminds behind the scenes went completely unrecognized on the podium.
It was during the 1978 World Cup in Argentina when FIFA decided to start giving gold medals to all the winners. This included not just the players on the field, but also the active roster on the bench and the entire coaching staff.