The new ball for the World Cup in Qatar, the so-called Al Rihla, makes quite a statement. The word 'Rihla' comes from Arabic literature and means journey. Let's go on a journey from the Tiento ball at the very first World Cup in Uruguay in 1930 right through to the Al Rihla ball that will be used in Qatar this year.
Especially in the first few World Cups, the balls were anything but round. At the first World Cup in Uruguay, two different balls were in fact used, the T-Model and the Tiento. Neither of the balls had a valve and so the air pressure quickly dropped. In 1930, the balls were still a long way from the perfectly spherical ones we know today, and the same was true at the following World Cups.
At the 1934 World Cup in Italy, a ball was used for the first time that was not made of leather. The Federale 102 was made of cotton and, like the 1930 models, had no valve for pumping in air. It took until the 1950 World Cup before a ball with a valve was first produced. Over the next few tournaments, there were further innovations, and the first fully synthetic ball was used in Mexico in 1986. But that was not the last innovation to come for footballs at World Cups.
1930 (Uruguay) - T-Model and Tiento
Two balls were used at the first World Cup in Uruguay. Neither model had a valve and a one-size-fits-all system was still a long way off at this World Cup. Without the valve, no air could be pumped in, so the balls always had slightly different air pressures.
1934 (Italy) - Federale 102
The Federale 102 ball was used in the 1934 World Cup in Italy. At that time, the ball was not made of leather but of cotton. The ball has a particularly historic significance for Italy, as they won the World Cup on home soil thanks to a 2-1 final victory over Czechoslovakia.
1938 (France) - Allen
At the World Cup four years later in France, the winner was again Italy. The Allen ball was used in this World Cup. The ball was handmade and had the inscription 'Coupe Du Monde', which means World Cup in French.
1950 (Brazil) - Superball Duplo T
Not only did the 1950 World Cup ball have an impressive name, it also delivered a real innovation. The ball used at the 1950 World Cup in Brazil had a valve for the first time so that all the balls used could be brought to the same air pressure. The ball was assembled from 12 hand-sewn pieces.
1954 (Switzerland) - Swiss World Champion
This ball did not quite live up to its name in 1954, as Germany ended up as world champions. The legendary quote by Sepp Herberger also comes from this year and indeed the balls had become increasingly rounder. The Swiss World Champion ball was made of tanned leather and was much lighter in colour than its predecessors.
1958 (Sweden) - Top Star
The ball for the World Cup in Sweden had no major innovations compared to its predecessor. The Top Star was made of slightly bleached cowhide. The ball suited the Brazilians particularly well, who won that title in the end.
1962 (Chile) - Mr Crack
At the 1962 World Cup in Chile, there was some drama about the match ball because the interestingly titled Mr Crack that was intended to be used was actually faulty. It was also made of octagonal panels of bleached cowhide, but lost air too often during the game, so the Top Star from 1958 was ultimately used again.
1966 (England) - Slazenger Challenge 4 Star
In the mother country of football, the Slazenger Challenge 4 Star was used at the 1966 World Cup. The ball did not have many technical innovations but it was produced in different colours for the first time, including red. Meaning that you could clearly see the ball, which was crucial when it came to the legendary goal scored in extra time in the final at Wembley between England and Germany.
1970 (Mexico) - Adidas Telstar Durlast
The Adidas Telstar was the first football produced with 12 black pentagons and 20 white hexagons. This pattern made it much easier for viewers to see the ball on black and white TV sets.
1974 (Germany) - Adidas Telstar Durlast
At the World Cup in Germany, the same ball was used, which was only slightly further developed and embroidered with German lettering. The ball was named after the satellite Telstar.
1978 (Argentina) - Adidas Tango Riverplate
This football also consisted of 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons but the hexagons had an imprint on them of black traingular shapes. This gave the impression that the ball consisted of twelve identical circles.
1982 (Spain) - Adidas Tango Espana
The World Cup ball for the 1982 World Cup in Spain was not really different from its predecessor but, for the first time, the seams were industrially welded instead of sewn.
1986 (Mexico) - Adidas Azteca Mexico
The 1986 World Cup ball used in Mexico was a real innovation. The ball was fully synthetic for the first time so it was more water-repellent and thus its performance was much better compared to its predecessors. In the end, the ball suited Maradona's Argentina best, they were able to beat Germany in the final and lift the World Cup title.
1990 (Italy) - Adidas Etrusco Unico
The Adidas Etrusco Unico was used at the second World Cup to be held in Italy. It was named after an ancient local culture, the Etruscans. The ball represented the next stage in the development of synthetic materials. It was the first match ball with an inner layer of black polyurethane foam. The ball was also used at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
1994 (USA) - Adidas Questra
Another innovation was the Adidas Questra, it was the first ball with white polyethylene, which ensured a very high energy return. Underneath this was another foam layer that provided cushioning for headers. The name 'Questra' is derived from the English phrase 'quest for the stars'. In 1994, Brazil were the ones reaching the stars, beating Italy in the final.
1998 (France) - Adidas Tricolore
The Adidas Tricolore was used at the 1998 World Cup in France. The Tricolore was produced outside Europe for the first time since the Telstar Durlast and was considered the most modern football ever made. The ball had an inserted foam filling under the leather skin.
2002 (South Korea & Japan) - Adidas Fevernova
The Adidas Fevernova was used at the 2002 World Cup. Especially in design, the Fevernova differed massively from its predecessors. The colourful design was supposed to be reminiscent of Asian cultures. The Fevernova has a syntactic foam layer, which is connected to a three-layer polymer fabric, ensuring a more precise trajectory. In the end, the Brazilians mastered the most precise game with the Fevernova at their feet, winning the final against Germany 2-0.
2006 (Germany) - Adidas +Teamgeist
By 2006, the World Cup ball design was starting to drift into the realms of science as the Adidas +Teamgeist was developed at Loughborough University, London. It had its first test run at the 2005 U-17 World Cup in Peru. The ball consisted of 14 panels, which provided an extremely round structure. The +Teamgeist is extremely water-repellent as well, retaining its flight characteristics even on rainy days.
2010 (South Africa) - Adidas Jabulani
The Adidas Jabulani was used at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The ball was composed of eight three-dimensionally shaped panels. The name 'Jabulani' comes from the South African language Zulu and means 'to be happy'.
2014 (Brazil) - Adidas Brazuca
The bright colours of the Brazuca ball are intended to remind us of the Brazilians' joie de vivre. The ball is made of a special temperature-regulating material, specially adapted for the extreme climatic conditions in Brazil in summertime.
2018 (Russia) - Adidas Telstar Mechta 18
FIFA awarded this ball with the FIFA Quality Pro award. The name of the ball was derived from its predecessors, the balls used in the 1970 and 1974 World Cups, as well as the number 18, which stands for the year it was rolled out. The design of the Mechta 18 was specially developed only for the knockout round at the tournament in Russia.
2022 (Qatar) - Al Rihla
The Al Rihla will be used at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In Arabic literature, 'Rihla' means journey or travelogue.
Which teams will go on the longest journey this time round?
You can take a guess after reading our team previews on Flashscore.com
