What are the most memorable FIFA World Cup footballs in history?

There is no denying that the FIFA World Cup is one of the most iconic sporting events in the world.

Indeed, hundreds of millions of people all around the world eagerly wait to watch the biggest football (or soccer) tournament each time it appears on the calendar, with the competition taking place once every four years, thus making it rather special.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be different to any other to have taken place in the history of the event, with it taking place during the winter months of the year due to the decision to hold the huge sporting spectacle in Qatar. This means instead of watching games be played between June and July, football fans will need to wait until November and December.

Although many will obviously get excited about the matches that we could see, something else that really stands out is the ball that is played with, as many get incredibly excited to see what Adidas has managed to come up with for the tournament.

This year’s competition will see the introduction of the "Al Rihla" ball, which has been designed with the pace of the game in mind. Goalkeepers may not be too fond of this new ball, as it has been designed to be the fastest ever, especially when it travels through the air.

With this in mind, we thought it would be a perfect time to take a look at some of the most memorable balls to have ever been made for the showpiece and have detailed them below.

Some of the most memorable FIFA World Cup footballs in history include:

Adidas Jabulani

Argued to be one of the best balls to have ever been created, the Adidas Jabulani was used during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. This ball was made up of eight panels that were all different colors, including orange, yellow, green, and blue. It was also one of the lightest balls ever used in a FIFA World Cup tournament.

Adidas Fevernova

The Adidas Fevernova was used in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. It was notable for its color scheme, with the ball appearing to be golden. The ball was also one of the first to feature a "thermally bonded" construction, which made it more aerodynamic than previous balls, thus also making it rather light.

Adidas Telstar

The first-ever FIFA World Cup ball to have been provided by a manufacturer was the Adidas Telstar, which was used in the 1970 tournament. This ball was made up of 32 black and white panels that were arranged in a pentagon shape; an image that has become synonymous with a football. It was also one of the first balls to feature the now-iconic three stripes on its surface.
The Adidas Telstar 18 was used in the 2018 FIFA World Cup and took plenty from the design of the original Telstar model. This ball is white with black panels, and it features a design that is inspired by the original Telstar ball from 1970. It is also made up of six panels that are thermally bonded together.

Special mentions

As there have been so many iconic footballs to be used at the FIFA World Cup, it would also be wise to mention the Adidas Teamgeist that was used in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and the Adidas Brazuca model that was used in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Each of these balls remain fond with fans all around the world due to their appearance, as well as the technology that was used to try and make them better than the previous models to have been used.

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Published on: 20-04-2022 18:45 | Updated on: 20-04-2022 18:45 | By: Patrick

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This year’s competition will see the introduction of the "Al Rihla" ball. These are the most memorable FIFA World Cup footballs in history.

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