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Mexico, 1970
This is the first ball used in the World Cup to use the Buckminster type of design. Also, the first ball with 32 black and white panels. The TELSTAR was more visible on black and white televisions (1970 FIFA World Cup Mexico™ was the first to be broadcast live on television). -
Argentina, 1978 The ball design represented elegance, dynamism and passion.
The 1978 match ball included 20 panels with triads that created an optical impression of 12 identical circles. The Tango inspired the match ball design for the following five World Cup tournaments. -
Spain, 1982
Adidas introduced a new ball which had rubber inlaid over the seams to prevent water from seeping through. The first ball with water-resistant qualities. General wear from kicking however meant the rubber began to wear after a short time and needed to be replaced during the game. The last genuine leather world cup ball. -
France, 1998
By 1998, FIFA World Cup France was played with a ball which sported the French red-white-blue tri-color. A complete departure from the old traditional black and white pattern. The first official World Cup colored soccer ball. The TRICOLORE used underglass print technology with a thin layer of syntactic foam. -
Italy, 1990
The first ball with an internal layer of black polyurethane foam. The name and design paid homage to Italy’s history and the fine art of the Etruscans. -
Korea Japan, 2002
For FIFA World Cup Korea Japan, 2002, Adidas created a new ball made up of thicker inner layers to increase the accuracy of the ball in flight. Fevernova included a refined syntactic foam layer that allowed for more precise and predictable flight path. Asian culture inspired the revolutionary colorful look. -
Teamgeist Germany, Berlin and Final Ball 2006
A radically new configuration reduced the amount of panel touch points forming a smooth and perfectly round exterior that improved accuracy and control. Prior to the Teamgeist, the surface of World Cup match balls had notable differences depending on where a player would strike the ball due to seams, ridges and other imperfections where panels come together. The revolutionary propeller design of the Teamgeist minimized corners and created a smoother surface for improved play. The ball was design -
the Official Match Ball for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.
The Jabulani featured a new grip n groove technology that provided players a ball with stable flight and grip under all conditions. With eight thermally bonded 3-D panels that were spherically molded for the first time, the Jabulani was more round and accurate than its predecessors. -
2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Adidas Brazuca
Brazuca was confirmed as the match ball name after a public vote in Brazil, participated in by more than one million soccer fans in the host country.
