The Telstar 18 World Cup ball refers to the original and classic Telstar from the 70’s. Both balls are black and white and were named as the “star of television”. The latter model features a modern pattern and an NFC chip that makes it possible to interact with the ball using their smartphones. Sustainability has been a key factor for Adidas during recent years, and they’ve made both the packaging and the ball itself recyclable.

Content courtesy of Worldcupballs.info

Due to the questionable performance of the Jabulani, Adidas created the most tested ball ever for the Brazilian World Cup. The name “Brazuca,” voted on by fans, is an informal local term which describes the Brazilian way of life. The colours and ribbon design of the 6 ball panels symbolise the traditional multi-coloured wish bracelets worn in the country (fita do Senhor do Bonfim da Bahia), in addition to reflecting the vibrancy and fun associated with football in Brazil.

Content courtesy of Worldcupballs.info

The official match ball of the 2010 FIFA World Cup was called Jabulani (meaning, “to celebrate and to have fun”). It was designed using 11 colors referring to not only the 11 players in a team but also the 11 languages and 11 colonies located in South Africa. The ball consists of only 8 panels and was unpopular with players. On long range shots it shifted in the air, making the flight of the ball unpredictable. Bizarrely, there is high demand (and high prices) for the Jabulani today, due to its popularity among foot-golfers, since the Jabulani can roll in the grass for longer distances than other recent balls.

Content courtesy of Worldcupballs.info

The new ball for the Germany World Cup was called Teamgeist. It was the first World Cup ball made by Adidas that no longer consisted of 32, but 14 panels. Due to less panels, they became significantly bigger, making it less likely that the player would kick the ball at a joint. According to Adidas, this would lead to much more accurate shots. The balls used in the World Cup final came with golden finish symbolizing the World Cup trophy. This practise is still in use.

Content courtesy of Worldcupballs.info

The Fevernova was a transition ball between the classic and the modern World Cup balls. Even though it kept its 32 panel structure, it no longer consisted of the famous Tango panels. Moreover, it was the very last hand sewn World Cup ball. It had gone through a lot of improvements related to its material, since it consisted of more layers than its predecessors, but despite this, this ball became even more thin. This ball has both the hexagon patterns as well as the air bubbles as seen in case of the Tricolore four years earlier. The name of the ball refers to the football fever in Asia.

Content courtesy of Worldcupballs.info

The Tricolore was the first coloured World Cup ball ever. It was named after the French flag and it is the French cock that you see on the famous Tango Panels, including the red Adidas logo on the top of the cock’s head. Many believe that due to its design, this ball is the most beautiful and imaginative Adidas ball ever. The surface of the ball is covered by tiny hexagons, that refer to the air bubbles in the coating. This made the ball even more flexible while being kicked.

Contents courtesy of Worldcupballs.info

The Questra, meaning the “Quest of Stars,” was inspired by its hosts: the stars on the US flag and the 25th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission when the first human walked on the moon. The ball integrated the star components into the classic Tango panels making it the last black and white World Cup ball. The Questra was manufactured by five different materials and it had a flexible but durable outer layer and was perfectly waterproof. This ball became very successful — Adidas used the Questra for both the 1996 Euro Cup and the 1996 Olympic games, but with a colorful design.

Content courtesy of Worldcupballs.info

The official match ball of the Italia 90 joined the Tango series, and it was even introduced for the Pope in the Vatican before the tournament. The Tango panels were decorated with Etrusc lions. The ball was made of multi layer synthetic material making the ball waterproof. However, the ball took some blame for the low amount of goals scored during this World Cup. Due to the high demand, the ball was produced in many countries but only the version made in France was used during the Italia 90.

Content courtesy of Worldcupballs.info