Since 1999 Tiffany & Co. has designed and crafted the Major League Soccer Trophy presented annually to the winners of the championship cup by Major League Soccer. The trophy was redesigned in 2008 and named the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy. The goal of greatness is crafted into every detail of this revered award:
- The trophy is created at Tiffany's silver workshop in New Jersey. • Master artisans employ age-old techniques—spinning, etching, silversmithing, chasing, hand engraving,
- woodworking and polishing—to create the trophy.
- The design features a cup of spun silver that sits atop a soccer ball, with fluted handles entirely in sterling silver.
- Below the vermeil rim of the cup are 11 stars. Ten of the stars are etched and one is applied vermeil, representing the champion.
- The MLS Cup logo is etched on an applied medallion on the front of the cup. "Philip F. Anschutz Trophy" is hand engraved below the logo.
- Eleven facets on the front and back of the handles represent the number of players per team in a regulation soccer match and symbolize the teamwork integral to winning a championship. The handles capture both the movement of the game and the team ribbons that are placed on the trophy at the championship.
- Standing 28.5 inches tall and weighing 43 pounds, the sterling silver Perpetual and Keeper trophies capture the energy and athletic grace on the soccer field.
- Both trophies have a round, ebonized wood base with a sterling silver collar for winner’s information. The Perpetual base is hand-engraved with "MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER, MLS CUP CHAMPIONS" as well as names of the winning teams starting in 1996. The Keeper base is engraved with “MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER, MLS CUP CHAMPION," with room for names of the winning team’s players, coaches and staff.
- A map of North America and team cities is etched on a recessed plaque on the bottom of the trophy. The MLS team cities are identified by vermeil stars.
Tiffany & Co. creates trophies for many of the world’s greatest sporting events. These designs include the Vince Lombardi Trophy for the National Football League, the National Basketball Association Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, the World Series Trophy for Major League Baseball, and the U.S. Open Tennis Championship Trophies. Inspired by the transcendent form and energy of competition, these outstanding Tiffany designs are a lasting tribute to the athletes’ dedication and the thrill of victory.
