FIFA
2018
Soccer Ball
History
Soccer balls are very important for a match.
But for FIFA every ball is very important.
Adidas has been sponsoring it for the last 21 years.
They first sponsored the ball in 1930.
Its name was (T-Model & Tiento).
T- Model
Tiento
This ball was used in 1930 world cup which was played in Uruguay.
The dream of Jules Rimet came to life when 13 teams from around the world gathered in Uruguay to compete in the inaugural FIFA World Cup.
One oversight in the build up (which would never happen today) was that there was no official match ball.
Soccer ball technology at the time was very rudimentary with balls, even from the same brand, varying greatly.
The final epitomized this variance with balls as the captains from Argentina and Uruguay could not agree on a ball for the final match.
FIFA decided that Argentina would provide the ball for the first half, the Tiento, and Uruguay would provide the second half ball, the T-Model.
The T-Model was larger and heavier and took its name from the T-shaped panels used in its construction.
The ball played its part in the final with Argentina leading 2-1 at halftime only to be foiled by the Uruguayan ball in the second half and losing 4-2.
They sponsored the second ball in 1934.
It name was (Federale 102).
Federal 102
This ball was used in the 1934 world cup which was played in Italy.
Italian dictator Benito Mussolini opted for his government to make the ‘official’ ball for the 1930 World Cup.
The 13-panel lace up ball featured a new innovation cotton lacing rather than the traditional leather.
This was a huge improvement especially when it came to heading the ball.
The balls were still very rudimentary with a skilled inflator required to get the best spherical shape and air pressure but balls still varied greatly so many times the captains agreed on the game ball prior to kick off.
Much to the dismay of Mussolini, the captains for Italy and Czechoslovakia opted to use an English made ball rather than the ‘official’ Federale 102 in the final.
It did not matter in the final with the home side winning their first World Cup title with their 2-1 win.
They sponsored the third ball in 1938.
Its name was (Allen).
Allen
This ball was used in the 1938 world cup held in France.
Allen made the official ball of the 1938 World Cup and made sure that everyone knew it.
The Paris based company were the first company to include their name on the ball ‘Allen Officiel’ under the ‘Coupe de Monde’ lettering.
The brand showcase may have been ahead of its time but the ball was not.
It was largely the same ball as the Federale 102 with 13-panels and cotton lacing. It included more rounded side to each panel, a look that became common post World War II.
It was still not the exclusive ball used during the tournament with sightings of more common 12-panel balls as well as 18-panel balls in photos of matches played during the tournament.
They sponsored their forth ball in 1950.
Its name was (Superball Duplo T).
(Superball) Duplo T
This ball was used in the 1950 world cup which was played in Brazil.
The first official World Cup match ball was the (Superball) Duplo T.
What made this ball the first official ball?
It was the first to be used in all the matches at the tournament.
This was possible due to the innovation of the air valve (similar to ones on today’s balls) that allowed balls to be inflated with a pump and so did not require a skilled inflation experts.
This made the ball look different as well since it did not include laces.
Surprisingly, the air valve addition was not a new technology.
The Argentinean company that developed the ball had used a similar ball, the Superval, in domestic league in the early 1930’s but did not have the technology approved by FIFA.
The ball took the Superball name when the company started distributing it in Brazil.
They sponsored the fifth ball in 1954.
Its name was (Swiss World Champion).
Swiss World Champion
This ball was used in 1954 world cup which was held in Switzerland.
The organizers of the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland turned to Kost Sport to design the World Cup ball.
The Basel-based company turned out an iconic ball whose design was copied for decades.
The 18-panel ball had an interlocking zig-zag pattern and bright yellow color.
Sadly for Kost, FIFA implemented a rule that prohibited branding on the official ball.
Adidas sponsored the sixth ball in 1958.
Its name was (Top Star).
Top Star
This ball was used in the 1958 world cup which was played in Sweden
The ball and the process for selecting it took a big change ahead of the 1958 World Cup.
FIFA opened the bidding process and allowed any manufacturer to send in an unbranded ball for consideration.
The Top Star, submission #55, was selected from over 100 entries and surprisingly was from a local manufacturer based in Ängelholm.
The Top Star was the first 24-panel ball used at the World Cup and included a waterproof waxed surface to improve its performance in wet conditions.
And to help teams prepare for the new ball, each team that qualified was sent 30 balls (Brazil opted to purchase more).
The Top Star was the first ball to be used at more than 1 FIFA World Cup.
Adidas sponsored the seventh soccer ball in 1962.
Its name was (Crack).
Crack
This was used in the 1962 world cup played in Chile.
The Crack was the Jabulani of its generation.
The ball produced by Chilean company Custodio Zamora had 18-panels but of varying shapes from hexagons to rectangles to oval shapes.
European teams in particularly disliked the ball and had taken a liking to the Top Star used 4 years earlier.
100 of the Top Star were shipped to Chile and used in matches to close out the tournament.
The Crack did make a contribution to soccer ball innovation, however.
It included the first latex inflation valve that became common in the coming years.
Adidas sponsored their eighth ball in 1966.
Its name was (Slazenger Challenge 4-Star ).
Slazenger Challenge 4-Star
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