Czech team builds record-breaking Lego World Cup trophy displayed in New York

A team of Czech Lego specialists has created one of the world’s largest Lego builds, with their giant replica of the FIFA World Cup Trophy now on display at New York’s Rockefeller Plaza.

The 8.47-meter-tall structure was built by 59 designers, engineers, model builders and technicians at the Lego Group’s production facility in Kladno. The Czech-made trophy replica contains more than 1.36 million Lego bricks and weighs around 4.2 tons.

The installation was unveiled this week as part of the official Lego FIFA World Cup Fan Zone, where it will remain on display through the final stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Kladno team spent eight months developing the project and more than 7,040 hours assembling the massive structure. The build was created in 16 sections so it could be transported and installed in New York.

The replica is supported by an internal steel frame weighing around 3.5 tons. According to Lego, it is the company’s largest mobile Lego build ever created and the biggest Lego recreation of the FIFA World Cup Trophy to date.

The project continues Kladno’s role as a specialist center for large-scale Lego creations. The Czech factory has previously worked on complex models and display builds for the company’s global projects.

Football legend Cafu, the former Brazil national team captain who won the FIFA World Cup in 2002, helped unveil the trophy at Rockefeller Plaza alongside football fans representing countries competing in the tournament.

“The FIFA World Cup Trophy is one of the most iconic symbols in sport, and seeing it recreated on this scale with LEGO bricks is truly incredible,” Cafu said.

The giant trophy is part of a wider Lego campaign connected to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which includes Lego editions featuring football stars Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior recreated as minifigures.

Visitors can see the Czech-built trophy and explore the Lego Fan Zone at Rockefeller Plaza free of charge from July 6 to July 19, with the display running until the World Cup final.

The project highlights the international role of Lego’s Czech operations. The Kladno factory, located west of Prague, is one of the company’s major production and development sites and employs thousands of people.

Lego opened its Kladno facility in 2000, and the site has become known for producing not only standard Lego sets but also specialized models and large-scale installations.

For the Czech team behind the World Cup trophy, the project represents another global showcase for local engineering, design and craftsmanship ahead of one of the world’s biggest sporting events.