With the FIFA World Cup 26 ball set to be unveiled on 2 October, we look back at every official ball in World Cup history.

• The FIFA World Cup 26™ official match ball will be unveiled on 2 October
• T-model was the first World Cup ball, but only featured for 45 minutes in the final
• Since 1970, adidas has been the official ball supplier for the global showpiece

Tango. Azteca. Telstar. The FIFA World Cup™ has produced a host of iconic footballs that have graced the tournament over the years.

Learn more here about the styles, designs, colours and variations which have featured during the global showpiece from the very first tournament in 1930, all the way through to the present day, with the FIFA World Cup 26™ ball poised to be revealed to the globe on 2 October.

Uruguay 1930: T-model

Named after its eleven T-shaped strips of hand-stitched leather, the T-model (pictured above) was used for some, but not all, of the matches at the very first World Cup.

T-model is the Official match ball for the inaugural World Cup nearly 100 years ago

Having been used at the Paris 1924 and Amsterdam 1928 Olympic Games, the T-model was regarded as a reliable option.

For the maiden World Cup final, referee John Langenus asked the captains of Uruguay and Argentina to select a match ball, with the host nation wanting the T-model, and their opponents preferring the Tiento (pictured below) which was made of 12 long panels.

When an agreement could not be reached, it was decided that a different ball would be used for each half.

The ball used in the second half of the final match.

Argentina led 2-1 at the interval having played 45 minutes with their favoured Tiento ball, but Uruguay would go on to triumph 4-2 after scoring three unanswered goals in the second period with the T-model at their feet.

Italy 1934: Federale 102

The Federale 102 was produced by an Italian manufacturing company, but at least two others were used for matches during the tournament, including the final, with team captains being given the choice of which to use.

Federale 102, the official match ball for 1934 World Cup

Consisting of 13 hand-stitched leather panels, the incision for the bladder on the Federale 102 was stitched with cotton threads, rather than leather, to make heading the ball more comfortable.

The other balls to feature were the Globe and the Zig-Zag, both of which were produced by British companies. The William Sykes-manufactured Zig-Zag – made in a similar style to the 1930 T-Model – was selected for the final, which hosts Italy won 2-1 after extra time against Czechoslovakia.

France 1938: Allen

As with all official World Cup balls to feature between 1934 and 1966, the Paris-produced Allen was made in the host country.

The France 1938 match ball

The Allen balls used in matches did not carry any branding, but a ball which featured the company name was placed in the centre circle prior to the final to help promote and advertise the manufacturer.

Carrying a similar design to the Federale 102 with 13 panels and cotton threads, the Allen was another World Cup ball with an Olympic past, having been used at the 1924 Paris Games.

Brazil 1950: Superball Duplo T

Despite carrying the words ‘Industria Brasileira’, the Superball Duplo T was originally patented by Argentina-based company Tossolini, Valbonesi, Polo & Cia, who had named it Superval Doble T.

Brazil 1950 World Cup match ball

But with the manufacturers opening a branch in Brazil after the Second World War, they became the official suppliers of the World Cup ball, which was reimagined as the Superball Duplo T after some minor changes.

It was the first World Cup ball without laces, and was inflated via a valve inserted directly into one of the 12 identical hand-stitched strips of leather, providing a more uniform, round and sealed surface. The rounded edges of the lighter panels provided more durability and stability as the stitching was offered extra protection.

Switzerland 1954: Swiss World Champion

Made from greased leather, the Swiss World Champion retained a slightly yellow colour, which made it easier for supporters to see than previous dark brown footballs.

This characteristic was particularly helpful during the rainy and muddy conditions of the 1954 final, where West Germany produced a shock 3-2 victory over favourites Hungary. With waterproof leather balls not available until the 1980s, the Swiss World Champion absorbed some water and became increasingly heavy during the final in Berne.

Constructed from 18 long pieces of leather, joined together by nylon threads and arranged in rows of three panels, the signature jagged edges of the panels continue to be used as a template by ball manufacturers.

Sweden 1958: Top Star

For the 1958 tournament in Sweden, a competition was arranged by FIFA to select the official World Cup ball from 102 unbranded footballs submitted to the organising committee and FIFA President Stanley Rous.

With the names of the manufacturers placed in sealed and numbered envelopes to be opened after the World Cup draw, the eventual winner was No 55 – the Top Star – which was available in yellow, light brown and white.

The white ball – featuring 24 leather strips and coated in wax to keep out moisture – was used for the majority of matches, including during the final where Brazil, featuring a young Pele in their ranks, defeated hosts Sweden.

The Top Star was clearly a favourite of France striker Just Fontaine, who scored an astonishing 13 goals in six matches – a record which still stands to this day.

1962 Mr Crack

Manufactured using 18 strips of leather, Mr Crack had rounder panels than its predecessors, which made it appear more spherical. It was also the first World Cup ball with a latex valve, which ensured it retained its shape for longer as air escaped more slowly.

When adidas began making footballs in 1963, one of their first balls was named the Santiago as a tribute to the tournament ball and was based on the design of Mr Crack.

There were some issues with water absorption for Mr Crack, with several European teams preferring to use alternative balls – including the 1958 Top Star – which was selected for the quarter-final between Czechoslovakia and Hungary.

England 1966: Challenge 4-Star

Prior to the 1966 tournament, over 100 unbranded balls were submitted to the Football Association in England where a group of experts tested the circumference, roundness, weight, loss of pressure and rebound distance of each.

Manufactured by British firm Slazenger – famed for their tennis and golf equipment – the Challenge 4-Star emerged as the winner, with the 25-panel ball available in white, yellow and orange.

The white version was used most frequently, but it is the orange ball which has become synonymous with the tournament after being used for the unforgettable final between England and West Germany, where Geoff Hurst’s first-ever World Cup final hat-trick secured a 4-2 victory for the host nation after extra time.

Mexico 1970: Telstar

The 1970 World Cup marked a watershed moment with adidas appointed as the official ball supplier – a partnership which continues to this day.

Founded by former West Germany kit manager Adi Dassler, adidas’ first offering was the iconic Telstar which consisted of 32 panels – 12 black pentagons and 20 white hexagons – a design regularly used from that point on to represent footballs all around the world.

The ball was named after the communications satellite that was responsible for the first live international TV transmissions, including the tournament in Mexico that was memorably won by Brazil, and which featured dark solar panels on a white background.

Also available in orange and white, the balls used for matches in North America did not feature the Telstar name or the adidas logo.

West Germany 1974 Telstar Durlast

Following the iconic design template of its predecessor, both the 1970 and 1974 Telstar balls had a Durlast plastic coating, making the ball resistant to water and mud, with the latter adding that element to its name.

Two balls were provided by adidas for the tournament in West Germany: the white Chile Durlast, which was ideal for floodlit matches, and the orange Apollo Durlast, for better visibility in snow, with only the white Chile version needed.

In a change from the previous two World Cups, the matches were played with branded balls, showing the name of the ball, manufacturer, and the words ‘Official World Cup 1974’.

Argentina 1978: Tango Durlast

Named after the world-famous dance which has it origins in 19th century Argentina, the Tango introduced the eye-catching curved triads to a global audience, a design milestone which was replicated in the five World Cups which followed.

Made in France and hand-stitched, the Tango boasted the Durlast waterproof coating which had featured on the 1970 and 1974 Telstar balls.

It was a ball which proved to be successful for the host nation, with Argentina lifting the trophy following a 3-1 victory over the Netherlands, scoring twice in extra time.

Spain 1982: Tango España

Following on from the successful design footprint of four years earlier, adidas made some slight modifications for the renamed Tango España.

Again featuring 20 black triads on hexagonal panels, with each triangle combining to form 12 circles, the Tango España moved away from the Durlast coating of the 1970s and was instead covered in polyurethane, with an extra layer for the seams.

30 years on from the tournament in Spain, the official ball for UEFA EURO 2012 in Poland and Ukraine was named the Tango 12 to honour the earlier trailblazer.

Mexico 1986: Azteca

Named in reference to the Aztecs, who lived in the region between the 14th and 16th centuries, the Azteca followed the format of the Tango Durlast and Tango España.

The design of the triads changed slightly, to reference the architecture and murals of the Aztec people and host country Mexico.

The Azteca also represented a World Cup first, as it was made entirely from synthetic material, ensuring that absorption of water was minimised and making the France-manufactured ball more durable.

Italy 1990: Etrusco Unico

Named in reference to the Etruscan people, who lived in central and northern Italy from around 800 to 100 BC, the Etrusco Unico continued the established adidas design tradition which began in 1982.

Each of the triads on the ball was adorned with the heads of three lions, each with their mouths open. This was a common design in Etruscan culture, found on many stone sculptures and adornments.

Following on from its successful use in Italy, the Etrusco Unico was at the forefront of international competition again two years later as the official ball of the 1992 UEFA EURO in Sweden, and the Barcelona Olympic Games of the same year.

USA 1994: Questra

Inspired by host nation USA’s exploration of space, the Questra’s triads were decorated with planets, stars and rockets.

The adidas-manufactured ball followed the construction which would be familiar to fans of the global game from 1970 until 2002, with 12 pentagonal and 20 hexagonal panels.

The USA’s World Cup adventure came to an end at the Round of 16 stage as they were edged out 1-0 by Brazil, who would go on to lift the trophy following a tense penalty shootout victory over Italy in the final.

France 1998: Tricolore

The Tricolore marked a number of landmarks for adidas and the look and feel of their World Cup balls, as it was the manufacturer’s first multi-coloured offering for the tournament and the first to feature syntactic foam.

Following in the main design footsteps of previous iterations, the triads on the Tricolore were in blue, white and red, with the name a reference to France’s national flag which bears the same colours. Each triad featured three cockerels, a French national symbol, with the red comb representing the adidas logo.

The syntactic foam layer that coated the Tricolore was made from gas-filled durable micro-balls, which were an addition to increase the ball’s speed and ‘energy return’, and are still used in balls to this day.

Korea/Japan 2002: Fevernova

The 2002 World Cup marked a break with recent tradition as the triads of the previous five balls were replaced with four trigonal designs, although the familiar hexagonal and pentagonal panels remained.

The hand-stitched Fevernova’s name came from a combination of the words ‘fever’ and ‘supernova’ and it boasted an improved layer of syntactic foam that provided extra cushioning for greater control and accuracy.

The four trigons which adorned the ball were a representation of wind turbines, in a celebration of alternative energy sources.

Germany 2006: Teamgeist

The Teamgeist – meaning team spirit – marked yet another significant step forward in football development, with its new construction meaning it was less than one percent short of being a perfect sphere.

Leaving behind the hexagonal and pentagonal panels of the previous eight tournaments, the Teamgeist had 14 panels designed to resemble propellers which were thermally bonded, rather than being stitched together.

The black and white of the Teamgeist represented host team Germany’s traditional colours, with the gold lines adding a visual connection to the World Cup trophy.

A special gold version, the Teamgeist Berlin, was manufactured by adidas for the final. For the first time at the World Cup, every ball carried the names of the two teams, the stadium, the city, the date and kick-off time.

South Africa 2010: Jabulani

Jabulani – which means to celebrate in Zulu – came adorned with 11 different colours: to represent the number of players on a football team, the official South African languages, and the cities originally planned for the first World Cup in Africa.

Consisting of eight thermally bonded 3D panels and moulded into a perfect sphere, the Jabulani boasted a ‘grip ‘n groove’ texture which was designed to enable perfect grip and maximum control in all conditions.

The official match ball for the final was a special gold edition called the Jo’bulani, named after the host country’s capital Johannesburg.

Brazil 2014: Brazuca

The Brazuca went through a more rigorous testing process than any other World Cup ball before it – with over 600 professional footballers, 30 teams of scientists and the obligatory laboratory tests putting it through its paces.

With six identical propeller-shaped panels, the Brazuca’s innovative surface structure and symmetry were designed to provide increased aerodynamic quality, stability, touch and grip.

Over one million people voted for the name of the ball, with Brazuca emerging as the top choice – a term used by Brazilians to express pride in their way of life. The coloured and swirling lines on the panels represent traditional Brazilian wish bracelets.

Just like the two previous tournaments, adidas created a special edition with gold curved lines for the final: the Brazuca Final Rio.

Russia 2018: Telstar 18

The Telstar 18 simultaneously looked to the future and the past, showcasing a design which paid tribute to adidas’ iconic first World Cup match ball from almost 50 years earlier, with a pixelated motif built to mimic the look of a spinning 1970 original.

The futuristic element came with the introduction of an embedded NFC (near-field communication) chip, which allowed fans to interact with the ball using their smartphones.

Constructed from six textured panels which were seamlessly glued together, rather than being stitched, the Telstar 18 provided pinpoint accuracy with a smooth, even performance and low water absorption.

Qatar 2022: Al Rihla

The 14th successive ball created by adidas for the World Cup, Al Rihla travelled faster in flight than any other in the tournament’s history. Meaning ‘the journey’ in Arabic, its bold, vibrant colours were inspired by Qatar’s culture, architecture, iconic boats and flag.

Al Rihla included unprecedented adidas ‘Connected Ball’ technology, which proved invaluable in helping match officials make faster and more accurate decisions during the tournament, particularly in relation to tight offside decisions.

With a CRT-core that provided speed and consistency for fast-paced action and precision, and a Speedshell polyurethane skin with a 20-piece panel shape to improve accuracy, flight stability and swerve, Al Rihla helped contribute to one of the most memorable World Cups to date.

For the semi-finals and final, adidas released Al Hilm – ‘the dream’ – with a textured gold base colour and subtle triangular pattern, drawing inspiration from the deserts that surround Doha, the colour of the World Cup trophy, and the pattern of the Qatar flag.

-FIFA

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