Table 2. FIFA World Cup Balls

No. Year Host Model Country of manufacture Manufacturer Number of panels Main material Technical features
1 1930 Uruguay Tiento (1st Half) Argentina - 12 Cowhide • There was no standard for a soccer ball because it was before the concept of FIFA's official ball had established
T-Model (2nd Half) Uruguay -
2 1934 Italy Federale 102 Italy Ente Centrale Approvvigio-namenti Sportivi 13 Cowhide • The physical impact of soccer players handling the ball with their heads has been alleviated by replacing the existing leather lace with cotton materials• Increasing the frequency of heading goals
3 1938 France Allen France Allen 13 Cowhide • It is manufactured in a similar form to the previous model ‘Federale 102’, but the corners of the panel are rounded.
4 1950 Brazil Superball Duplo T - - 12 Cowhide • For the first time in World Cup history, the air injection method using valves and pumps was applied• Twelve panels of the same shape were used instead of conventional leather lace• An outer shell having a larger curvature than the existing 13 panels was used
5 1954 Switzerland Swiss World Champion Switzerland Kost Sport 18 Cowhide • FIFA has designated the size, weight, and diameter of the ball since the 1954 tournament• For the first time, 18 panels were applied
6 1958 Sweden Top Star Sweden Sydsvenska Läder Och Remfabriken 24 Cowhide • FIFA conducted blind tests on soccer balls used in the World Cup and selected one out of 102• Each panel was waterproofed and waxed, and two types of panels of different sizes were combined• Visibility was secured by selectively using yellow, brown, and white balls according to weather conditions
7 1962 Chile Crack Chile Senor Custodio Zamora 18 Cowhide • There is no difference compared to the existing soccer ball
8 1966 England Slazenger England Slazenger 25 Cowhide • It was selected as a World Cup official ball through a blind test of a soccer ball by the Football Association (FA)
9 1970 Mexico Telestar Germany Adidas 32 Cowhide • Adidas’ first World Cup official ball• In order to secure viewers' visibility in a black-and-white television broadcast environment, the soccer ball consists of white and black panels
10 1974 Westdeutsch-land Germany Telstar Durlast Germany Adidas 32 Cowhide • For the first time in World Cup history, a polyurethane coating was applied to a soccer ball to enhance waterproofness
11 1978 Argentina Tango (River Plate) Germany Adidas 32 Cowhide • From 1978 to 1988, it was used as the official ball in the World Cup, UEFA, and Olympics
12 1982 Spain Tango (Espana) Germany Adidas 32 Cowhide and synthetic material • Synthetic materials were used for the first time in the World Cup official ball• Waterproofing power was improved through a special polyurethane coating
13 1986 Mexico Azteca Germany Adidas 32 synthetic material • For the first time in the World Cup, a soccer ball was made with synthetic materials
14 1990 Italy Etrusco Unico Germany Adidas 32 synthetic material • Synthetic fibers were used to enhance waterproofness and durability
15 1994 United States Quester Germany Adidas 32 synthetic material • Manufactured using 5 types of synthetic materials• Application of outer shell with both rigidity and flexibility
16 1998 France Tricolore Germany Adidas 32 synthetic material • For the first time in the World Cup official ball, colors other than black and white were applied• Fine air bubbles were injected into the plastic to improve the repulsive force by using synthetic foam, a highly dependent material
17 2002 South Korea, Japan Fevernova Germany Adidas 32 synthetic material • The soccer ball consists of six layers of different materials, including natural latex and raschel• Developed by the Adidas Laboratory (Scheinfeld) through a three-year R&D
18 2006 Germany +Teamgeist Germany Adidas 14 synthetic material • The contact point between panels was reduced by 60% compared to existing public figures to strengthen the responsiveness and control of soccer balls
19 2010 South Africa Jabulani Germany Adidas 14 synthetic material • As a result of sealing the panel using Heat Seal Technology, the accuracy of the shot increased
20 2014 Brazil Brazuca Germany Adidas 6 synthetic material • The formation of turbulence through the surface protrusion of the soccer ball contributed to reducing the pressure difference between the front and back of the ball and minimizing air resistance
21 2018 Russia Telestar 18 Germany Adidas 32 synthetic material • Compared to the existing official ball, more improved enthusiastic technology has been applied, allowing players to control soccer balls more freely• A function of collecting and analyzing exercise information with a smartphone by inserting an NFC chip into a soccer ball has been added
22 2022 Qatar Al Rihla Germany Adidas 20 synthetic material • Speedshell technology that increases the rotation speed of the ball was applied to increase the aerodynamic effect of the soccer ball and the accuracy of the shot• A motion sensor for analyzing soccer match data was inserted
Source: fifa.com, adidas.com, soccerballworld.com