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FIFA World Cup is debatably one of the biggest sporting spectacles in all of sports, and quite often, the balls which are used in tournaments go on to become iconic balls that people talk about, purchase themselves or even treasure for the sake of history.From the very first ball used in the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay which was called Tiento to the official match ball for this years World Cup in Brazil, Adidas Brazuca, FIFA match balls have always been one of the tournaments major highlights.In this slideshow, we introduce the 2014 match ball - theBrazuca- and take a look back at the five best FIFA World Cup match balls:
#6 Brazuca - 2014
The ball that will be featured in this year’s edition is the Brazuca, which means 'Brazilian' and refers to the Brazilian way of life.
Undergoing a thorough testing process for over two and a half years involving more than 600 of the world’s top players and 30 teams in 10 countries across three continents, Brazuca is the most tested ball ever by adidas. It is the first match ball that was named by the fans after a public vote with over one million Brazilian football fans voting.
The Brazuca is made of six polyurethane panels which keeps the ball water-resistant, and the bladder is made of latex, this providing a much better rebound than any of the balls used before.
With a bold white and night blue colour texture, the Brazuca could be the most colourful ball ever used in the FIFA World Cup.
#5 Adidas Tricolore - 1998
Adidas’ Tricolore, the official match ball during the 1998 FIFA World Cup was the first multi-coloured ball. Tricolore in French roughly translates to “three-coloured.”
The ball was made from syntactic foam, giving it more compression and higher rebound characteristics than any of the balls used before. The foam was made up gas-filled micro-bubbles which distributed impact on the ball equally, thus improving the overall control of the ball and making the ball more responsive.
The triads imprinted on the ball were an inspiration from the French tri-colour flag and were designed with cockerel motifs, a high-speed train and a turbine.
#4 Challenge 4-star - 1996
The Challenge 4-Star was the official match ball for the 1996 FIFA World Cup which was hosted by England, and was manufactured by English sporting goods manufacturer Slazenger who are based in Dewsbury in Yorkshire.
The 18-panel orange ball was selected in a blind test done by the Football Association in London, and were examined on the basis of ball circumference, loss of pressure, weight, bounce and many other factors.
It had a reddish-brown collaboration as a layer, and was made of 25 different segments.The ball was preserved after the final at Wembley, and can be found at the Preston Football Museum in England.
The creator of the ball, Malcolm Wainwright, who was regarded as the company’s best stitcher said, “I made about 20 balls all told. They were 24-panel balls, which meant that there were six panels made up of three long strips of leather but the centre panels of these three strips had a further seam at right angles just to give more strength. I was asked to take extra care over them.”
“They checked them for weight but then the manager would also check them over visually. Simply by using his eyes and his experience, he could tell see whether or not the shape was completely round and the seams were perfect. Anyway, he took the best one and sent it down to London,” he added.
#3 Adidas Azteca - 1986
The adidas Azteca was the first ever synthetic FIFA World Cup Match Ball. The use of synthetic material, a polyurethane coat precisely increased its durability and further minimized water absorption. With its never-before-achieved performance on hard ground, at high altitude, and in wet conditions, Azteca represented a massive leap forward for the game.
Its elegantly and elaborately decorated design was inspired by the hosting nation’s native Aztec architecture and murals, the first to include designs inspired by a host nation.
#2 Adidas Fevernova - 2002
The Adidas Fevernova was used as the official match ball for the 2002 FIFA World Cup which was co-hosted by Korea and Japan.
It was the first ball which came with a triangular design instead of the traditional Tango ball design which has three-pointed shapes, each connecting to a hexagon. Instead, the Fevernova had a triangle-like structure on four hexagons, a look based on Asian culture.
The material used for the production of the ball consisted of six layers starting with a natural latex bladder inside, followed by a three-ply Raschel knitted fabric, a syntactic foam layer giving the ball a much superior usability with it being much more precise and accurate, a polyurethane layer, a protected iriodine print and a transparent polyurethane abrasion-resistant coating.
However, the ball was heavily criticized for being lighter than usual with Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon calling it ‘a ridiculous kiddy's bouncing ball.’ Brazil’s legendary midfielder Rivaldo went on to add that the ball was rising too high in the air when kicked.
#1 Adidas Teamgeist - 2006
The Adidas Teamgeist was the official match ball for the 2006 edition of the FIFA World Cup which was held in Germany. In case you didn’t know, Teamgeist refers to “team spirit” in German.
The ball was manufactured the Adidas Innovation team and Molten Corporation, and was the first ball to have just 14 curved panels instead of the standard 32 panels. The ball was rounder and offered a much more uniform movement regardless of the point of impact.
Apart from being waterproof, the Teamgeist allowed players to significantly improve their ball control and accuracy since the amount of the three-panel touch points was reduced up to 60% and length of the panel lines were down by 15%, giving the ball more flexibility.
The ball was painted in white and black along with the traditional colors of the German national team jersey.
