20. Adidas Brazuca (2014)
The Brazuca was Brazil 2014’s World Cup ball. It was trialled for two years before the World Cup, even tested into a DFB-Pokal final – just to confirm that it wasn’t as mental as the Jabulani – and it went on to influence balls used in the Europa League and Bundesliga.
It was an instant hit too: the swirls looked childlike, with celestial stars where these darker patches met. The blue, orange and green is distinctly Brazilian: ironic, perhaps, that you can’t look at one now without thinking of their collective meltdown during the 7-1 discombobulation.
19. Slazenger Challenge 4-Star (1966)
One of only two match balls from a World Cup final that went home with a goalscorer.
The 1966 ball was originally selected in a blind test at the Football Association headquarters in Soho Square (make jokes as you wish about the Russian linesman doing the testing). Ironically for a ball chosen blind, this is the brightest-ever World Cup ball – and being British, we had to have one from Derbyshire before the German Adidas took over manufacturing duties. Spiffing.
18. Adidas Finale 18 (2018)
Adi were probably always going to invert the colours on the Champions League ball – when they did, they gave it a new lease of life.
A white and blue UCL effort that was used in the group stages of the competition in 2018, this caught the imagination immediately. It was so bold and colourful, yet still looked white from distance. A lesson in how to reinvent while not switching the formula too much.
17. Adidas Telstar 19 (2018)
The old was new for 2018 at the World Cup. Adidas even gave their native Germany two shirts based on classics from 1988 to 1990, in a bid to bring the Coupe De Monde back to Deutschland, like they had done in Italia 90.
It failed spectacularly – but at least the ball looked great. A glitching, space-age update on the 1970 Telstar, this ball was Harry Kane's best mate all summer with the design becoming the basis of Adi's balls over the next couple of years. Football nearly came home with this thing…
16. Adidas Al Rihla (2022)
For the weirdest World Cup ever, Adidas's match ball is suitably… out-there. They've never delivered anything like this before. You can't even look back at a classic this is influenced by.
With big triangular panels and bright primary colours, the Al Rihla is absolutely gorgeous. It uses the new textless Adidas logo and is textured for better flight – though it's a staple of the tournament to complain about the ball by now. Now, to make memories with it…
15. Nike Chrome Scorpion Geo Merlin (2002)
You know the one. Dropped into the melee by a shaven-headed Eric Cantona, kicked about on a boat by superstars.
To our knowledge, this ball was never actually used in any proper game ever. But it's still, to this day, an icon of a era: a space-age pinball for the new millennium. Perhaps it was the inspiration for the colouring of the Euro 2004 Roteiro, too?
14. Adidas Finale Istanbul (2020)
Poor Istanbul. They got to host it in the end (2023's City success) but goodness, the road to the final was littered with bumps and bruises.
Adidas's first attempt at a Turkish delight for the Champions League final (see the second above) was marred by lockdown, as Bayern Munich stormed to the title in a silent, single-tie stage in Lisbon. The ball, however, was anything but quiet, combining purples, pinks and blues for the most regal sphere that the competition had ever seen.
It's now forever associated with Alphonso Davies, Robert Lewandowski and co. destroying Barcelona with.
13. Nike NK 850 Geo (1996)
A pure white ball with nothing but the competition logo and Nike's Swoosh. Beat that.
It's almost impossible to. This was the LaLiga ball that Ronaldo bamboozled defenders with, that Pep put on plates for his mates, that Raul broke through in the 90s with. Sometimes it's hard to beat the original – even if the original is fairly unimaginative.
Nike could reintroduce it right now and it wouldn't look a touch out of place. You can't say that for every ball on this list…
12. Mitre FA Cup 150 Year (2022)
It was only used in one match. But for the 150th year of the FA Cup, Mitre really did outdo themselves.
Features a graphic celebrating every team to win the competition since 1872, integrating with a heat map design of England and Wales and with those trademark chevrons, this is an absolute beauty. Typically for its colour scheme, the team in red won with it. We can't wait to see what Mitre do for the 200th…
11. Allen (1938)
The chances are that you know what it looks like without knowing what it’s called. The Allen ball – not to be confused with 1966 World Cup winner, Alan Ball – is a classic of the genre: the ultimate orange-brown match ball, complete with cotton laces.
The Allen was made of leather, consisted of 13 panels and debuted at the 1938 World Cup in France – fittingly, it had the words “Coupe De Monde” in bold black lettering. This has become the standard stock photo of any brown leather football, from the panelling down the warm, chocolatey colour. It would give you concussion if you tried to deliver a bullet header, but oh, was it a pretty thing.
