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Meet all the soccer balls since the first World Cup (PART 1)

The evolution of the game implements in the soccer World Cups has been constant, each time adapting to the demands of the game and the fanatic. That is why he knows all the soccer balls from the first World Cup in the tour that the online sportswear store will take.

Characteristics of the balls

The balls, according to the governing body of world football FIFA:

  • They have a circumference of 69 to 71 centimetres.
  • They weigh from 400 to 450 grams.
  • Pressure between 8.5 and 15.6 PSI.
  • The diameter of the ball is from 11 to 23 centimetres, and the radius is from 11 to 11.5 cm.
  • With a pentagonal and hexagonal cover.

Known history of soccer balls

The first balls were made from animal bladders, cooked by hand and inflated with the mouth. But this burst quickly, so the English looked for a way to make them more resistant by making them with cork-covered leather. This change happened between the 18th and 19th centuries.

In 1872 the Football Association of England gave some guidelines for manufacturing the ball. He established that it was spherical, with a circumference of 68 centimetres and a weight between 396 and 453 grams at the start of the match. Later they absorbed water and gained weight, and doubled in size.

At that time, it was common for footballers to suffer a concussion when hit with the head. The ball ended up deformed. Many of the players wore equipment to protect themselves, such as a kind of beret.

evolution_soccer_balls

Meet all the soccer balls since the first World Cup

Throughout the competition, the balls have changed, adapting to the needs of high-level competition. Many have been the materials implemented and the designs developed.

1. Uruguay 1930 – Ball T and Tento:

As it was the first tournament, there was no official ball, so each team used their own. Something particular happened in the final when Argentina and Uruguay faced each other. A conflict arose because each team wanted to play with their ball.

The CharrĂșas had the T-ball and the Argentines the Tiento, so they chose to play for time with each other’s ball. Inside there was an animal bladder that was inflated. The leather used was very hard and had seams on the surface. These seams mistreated those who headed.

2. Italy 1934 – Federale 102:

The first official ball was used in this tournament. It was a leather ball with rectangular segments. It was made by a private company and not by a brand specializing in sports equipment. It was the continuation of the previous ball, but with the superball system that eliminated the seams of the Tiento.

3. France 1938 – Allen:

It had rectangular leather segments. This time, the animal bladder was replaced by a valve to inflate it more easily.

4. Brazil 1950 – Super Ball Duplo T:

After a 12-year hiatus due to World War II, the ball was changed for a more spherical and lighter one. The ball with which the final was played is preserved in the American Soccer Museum in the United States. The filling valve was kept. It had a more tanned leather and firmer seams, making it spherical and lighter.

5. Switzerland 1954 – Swiss World Champion:

T-shaped leather segments were used. The seams were internal for the first time, and the colour stood out for being orange. With this, Switzerland and Austria won a 7-5 win.

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