A giant Lego replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy has gone on display at Rockefeller Plaza in New York, where Brazilian football legend Cafu joined Lego designer Christophe Vietti to unveil the model.

Children placed the final bricks on the 8.5-metre structure before Cafu cut the ribbon. The trophy stands nearly 8.5 metres tall and is made from more than 1.36 million Lego bricks.

The model was built in the Czech Republic and transported to Manhattan after a team of 56 builders spent more than 7,000 hours on the project.

Cafu said football and Lego both bring people together, whether children are playing in the street or building models at home.