The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico gets started on June 11. The match ball is one of the most scrutinised pieces of sports equipment, simply because of the sheer scale of factors riding on just one item.
The ball has changed dramatically since the first finals way back in 1930. Below we take a look at how far the World Cup match ball has come.
1930 World Cup (Uruguay)
The 'T Model' was made of high-quality leather with 12 panels, including a 'T' shaped one which gave the ball its name. Uruguay and Argentina were allowed to play their matches with their own ball. In the final, a compromise could not be found.
At the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, two different balls were used. Argentina supplied the first-half ball – known as the 'Tiento' – and led 2-1 at the break. Thereafter, hosts Uruguay played the second half with their own 'T-Model', which was larger and heavier, and won 4-2.
1950 World Cup (Brazil)
The first steps taken towards the modern match ball. The 'Superball Duplo T' was the first World Cup ball that did not have laces. It had a valve inserted directly into one of the 12 hand-stitched strips. The ball had a largely uniform and round surface.
1954 World Cup (Switzerland)
The 'Swiss World Champion' match ball was the first to have 18 panels with edges that were interlocked. The ball was hand-sewn and did not have laces. Instead of the traditional dark brown shade, this match ball had a distinctive yellow hue which made it visible in rain and mud.
1966 World Cup (England)
The 'Challenge', by Slazenger, was chosen by the English Football Association after testing over 100 submissions. The ball was made of high-quality leather and had 25 rectangular panels. It was an ideal spherical shape and the designs and style were used for many years. The World Cup match ball came in three colours – yellow, white, and orange. The tournament is remembered for the orange ball that was used in the final.
1970 World Cup (Mexico)
Adidas became the official supplier of footballs for Fifa World Cups in 1970, and have been doing so since The first black-and-white ball was introduced as the contrast helped visibility on TV. The 'Telstar' had a special plastic coating that made it more durable and waterproof.
1986 World Cup (Mexico)
A major shift in football technology. The 'Azteca' was the first ball made of synthetic materials. It was coated with polyurethane, which made it water-resistant and helped maintain its performance in various conditions. The ball was also the first to include designs inspired by the host nation.
1998 World Cup (France)
Adidas unveiled the 'Tricolore', which was a significant step forward for match balls. It was the first multicoloured match ball for the tournament from the manufacturers and also the first to have special 'syntactic' foam that improved ball speed and energy distribution. The foam technology is used in match balls to this day.
2002 World Cup (South Korea and Japan)
The move from the old to the new had started at the turn of the century. The 'Fevernova' was made up of thicker inner layers to increase accuracy of the ball in flight. It was the last World Cup ball put together by hand.
2006 World Cup (Germany)
A new design that no longer consisted of 32 panels. 'Teamgeist' had a smoother surface with a reduced number of joints made possible with the use of just 14 panels. The panels were thermally bonded and not stitched together. The design improved accuracy.
2010 World Cup (South Africa)
The 'Jabulani' was one of the more controversial balls used in the tournament's history. It had eight thermally bonded 3D panels that were 'spherically fused' for the first time. It was said to be more round and accurate than its predecessors. However, players did not like it at all as the ball shifted trajectory in the air during long-range shots, making it unpredictable.
2018 World Cup (Russia)
Technology was at the centre of the design for 'Telstar 18'. The ball had a chip embedded in it, which could be connected to a smartphone and provide key information regarding play. For the knockout stages, the Telstar Mechta was used.
2022 World Cup (Qatar)
The first World Cup in the Gulf region used the 'Al Rihla' ball – the first World Cup ball made with water-based inks and glues. The ball had “textured polyurethane skin with a thermally bonded seamless construction”. 'Al Rihla' means “the journey” in Arabic.
2026 World Cup (USA, Canada & Mexico)
Three nations will host this World Cup. So the World Cup ball has been named Trionda – which in Spanish roughly translates to “three waves”.
The ball’s design features a red, green and blue colour scheme, paying homage to the three host countries.
The match ball will have a lightweight sensor placed inside it, allowing for accurate decision-making on offside calls.
