What is the Euro 2024 trophy called and why is it named after a referee who swallowed his whistle?

Tonight either England or Spain will lift one of the most prestigious trophies in football.

Gareth Southgate's men came antagonising close to lifting the trophy three years ago but missed out to Italy in the final.

This time around the Three Lions will be hoping they can get the job done and lift the exquisite piece of silverware for the first time in the country's history.

However they won't have it all their own way as Spain will be hoping they can end their 12-year long drought without a European Championship title.

Here is everything you need to know about the Euro 2024 trophy including name, who it is named after, what it is made from and who designed it.

What is the Euro 2024 trophy called? 

The name of the trophy which is handed to the winners of the UEFA European Championships is The Henri Delaunay Cup.

Who is Henri Delaunay?

The trophy is named after Henri Delaunay, Delaunay is credited as being one of the founders of the European Championships and was UEFA's first general secretary.

Delaunay was a Frenchman who was born in Paris back in 1883 and started his career in football aged 20, when he took on the role of secretary at Etoile des Deux Lacs. 

After his refereeing days ended in disaster when he was struck in the face by a ball during a game against AF Garenne-Doves and ES Benevolence, resulting in him swallowing his whistle and losing two teeth.

The Frenchman excelled in the administrative work, becoming Etoile des Deux Lacs' club president by the time he was 26. He would then go on to become a key part of the French Football Federation (FFF) at the time known as the Comité Français Interfédéral (CFI). 

In 1920 he was also appointed as one of the key people to help create the Referees Committee and continued to play a key role in the formation of football's governing bodies such as UEFA in 1954.

His dream however was to set up an international tournament made up solely of just European Nations. 

Delauney would pass away in 1955, never seeing his dream of an international European competition come to life. However the competition recognised the role he played in the creation of the tournament.

Therefore they honoured the Frenchman by naming the competitions trophy after him.  

Who designed the Henri Delaunay Trophy?

There have been to versions of the Delaunay cup. The original trophy was created and designed by the Maison Chobillon silversmiths in Paris.

The Soviet Union were the first nation to be awarded the trophy, winning the coveted prize in the European Championships inaugural competition. 

The second version of the trophy was designed ahead of the 2008 tournament.

The trophy was redesigned to reflect the growth of the competition. The new trophy was made slightly larger and more robust but made sure to keep the original aspects and design of the original.

The current trophy is made out of sterling silver, weighing 8kg and is 60cm tall. 

The cost to create the trophy was around €15,000.