Top 10 Most Coveted Sports Trophies

Awarded annually to the most outstanding college football player in the US, the Heisman Trophy is the pinnacle for non-pro stars in the sport. First awarded to Jay Berwanger in 1935, its distinctive design was modeled on Ed Smith, who had played for New York University. The Heisman Trust mission statement calls for ‘excellence’, ‘ability’ and ‘hard work’, and while winning one of these doesn’t necessarily translate into NFL success, some of the sport’s most famous names have had their hands on the Heisman, including Barry Sanders, Roger Staubach and O.J. Simpson.

Of all the trophies in sports, the Ashes might have the most interesting origin story. The now-iconic term was coined in 1882, when Australia inflicted England’s first loss on home soil and the British media staged an obituary for English cricket. By the time England next toured Down Under they were on a quest to ‘regain the Ashes’, and the rest is history. The two nations play a 5-test series at least once every four years, with the tiny urn – which legend says contains the remains of a burnt wooden bail – up for grabs.

Given to the winner of America’s most-watched sports event, the Super Bowl, the Vince Lombardi Trophy is the height of gridiron glory. It was first conceived in 1966 when NFL head Pete Rozelle lunched with the Tiffany & Co. vice president, Oscar Riedner. The pair sketched the trophy’s design on a cocktail napkin, and the following year the Green Bay Packers became the first team to ever hold it aloft. The Pittsburgh Stealers have the most wins with six trophies to their name, closely followed by Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots, with five each.

We’re courtside next, admiring the ultimate prize for all NBA stars. The Larry O’Brien Trophy, formerly the Walter A. Brown Trophy, is presented to the winning team in the NBA Finals. Named after a former league commissioner (who also served as the US Postmaster General in the ‘60s), much like the Vince Lombardi, this trophy comes courtesy of Tiffany & Co. The jeweller casts a shiny new model every season, made of almost 16 lbs of sterling silver with a glittering 24 karat gold overlay – a winning, and pricey, combination.

The only of America’s big four sports trophies not to carry the name of a specific figure related to the game, this simplistically gorgeous Tiffany & Co. creation is the prize of the MLB's World Series champion. While the design has been variously tweaked throughout the years since it was first presented in 1967, its 30 flags – one for each MLB team – have always been at its center. The flags circle a giant silver baseball to complete a dazzling monument. It's worthy of any mantelpiece, and with an estimated value of $15,000 it certainly should be.

There are few sports to rival the game of golf for history and prestige. We might’ve included the Claret Jug, given to The Open champion, but doing so would mean snubbing The Masters, and the iconic Green Jacket. The jacket, however, does come with a set of quirks. Winners only get to keep their jacket for one year, and afterwards it cannot leave the grounds of Augusta National – although a handful of the jackets have found their way into private hands and museums. The presentation of the jacket is steeped in tradition too, taking place inside the Butler Cabin, where it is awarded by the previous year's winner.

Of the four Major tournaments on the tennis calendar, Wimbledon reigns as the one all pros crave most. Serve and volley your way to either the Gentleman's Singles Trophy or the lady's Venus Rosewater Dish, and you have yourself a spot in tennis folklore. Simply stepping out onto the grass at the All England club is a high point in most careers, but only the best of the best end the championship on top. From Roger Federer to Serena Williams, Andy Murray, Steffi Graff, Bjorn Borg and Billie Jean King, past winners are legends of their sport.

The Stanley Cup is one of the biggest trophies in world sport, and one of the most prestigious too. Unlike in the NFL, NBA and MLB, where a new trophy is cast every season, hockey’s highest prize is passed from team to team. The oldest professional level sportstrophy in circulation, the Cup was first commissioned in 1892, meaning it pre-dates the NHL itself by 25 years. Modified slightly through the years, the cup bears the name of Lord Stanley of Preston, a British politician and the sixth Governor General of Canada who gifted the cup to celebrate his appreciation for the sport.

Every soccer player dreams of one day lifting the World Cup. An international tournament held once every four years since 1930, the trophy itself has had two forms; the current 18-karat gold statue, and the former Jules Rimet design which was stolen from its cabinet in Brazil in 1983. Brazil, along with Germany and Italy, are the tournament’s most successful nations, while the legendary Pelé has the most individual wins at three. In club soccer, the Champion’s League is the ultimate achievement, but nothing beats winning on the world stage.


Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Americas Cup


Webb Ellis Cup


Heavyweight Title Belt

Rotating between Summer and Winter games, the Olympic Games are the world’s biggest celebration of sporting achievement. While gold medals are statistically easier to come by in some disciplines than others, nothing says “I’m the best” better than one of these. The design routinely changes from Games to Games, but the significance and history of an Olympic win remains the same. While victors in the Ancient Games were presented with an olive wreath, medals define the modern era. Silver and bronze are incredible achievements too, but only the greatest get a gold hung around their necks.