The 2002 FIFA World Cup took place from May 31 to June 30 in South Korea and Japan. It was the first World Cup to be held in Asia and the only World Cup to be jointly hosted by more than one nation. Tournament matches were held in 10 cities in South Korea and 10 cities in Japan. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2-0 in the final held at Yokohama’s International Stadium thanks to a memorable brace from Ronaldo Nazário.Featured here is a 2002 FIFA World Cup gold winner’s medal (made of 14-karat gold) awarded to a member of the Brazilian National Team. The obverse has a relief image of the World Cup trophy with “FIFA World Cup” on the base. The reverse reads “2002 FIFA World Cup Korea Japan” in raised lettering. Hallmarked at the bottom rim is “585” indicating the medal composition is 58.5% gold (Europe’s version of the U.S. “14K” stamp). Alongside is another hallmark of renowned European minter “G.D.E. Bertoni Italy.” The medal hangs from its original red, gold, and blue ribbon and comes in its original blue presentation case. Themedal remains in VF condition with some nicks on the rim and edge and just a couple ligt surface scratches. The original ribbon shows light fraying to the fabric but is essentially as-issued. The medal measures 50mm in diameter and weighs 67 grams (including ribbon).We cannot stress how rarely one of these 14K gold medals from the 2002 World Cup comes up for auction. This is the first one we have ever handled. Only one was made for each player, coach, and important team official, putting the total in circulation at approximately 30. According to the consignor, a prominent soccer collector, this medal was issued to a team official. We are only aware of two others sold at auction in the past five years. One went for $54,400 (no provenance provided) and the other sold for $50,000 (team medic).