This years World cup winning team may only be allowed to keep the World cup for as little as six weeks. In the past the World cup winners were allowed to keep the trophy for the four years in between world cups until they defended their title.

FIFA spokesman Thomas von Ubrizsy, who is in Ecuador with the trophy as part of the ’FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour’, claimed the world governing body would change the rules.

"In the future, the FIFA wants to reduce the time to six or seven weeks," Ubrizsy said. "The Board fears a theft, like the Jules Rimet Cup."

The Jules Rimet Trophy, the predecessor of the current World Cup, was stolen twice. The first time the cup was stolen was in 1966 in England. It was later found under a hedge by a dog called Pickles.

The second time it was stolen from the Brazilian Football Federation in 1983 and it is believed to have been melted down.

At that time Brazil had been given the trophy permanently for winning it three times.