There are certain events that mark the beginning of the World Cup countdown such as the draw, the mascot unveiling and the snapping of a dozen English metatarsals – but none are quite as evocative as the revelation of the World Cup ball.
Adidas released images of the new World Cup ball before the finals draw in April. The Al Rihla, which will be used later this year for the Qatar tournament, means ‘the journey’ in Arabic and has already been purchased by thousands of parents in a vain attempt to keep their children quiet.
But where does ‘Al Rihla’ rank in the pantheon of World Cup balls? We’ve ranked every offering from 1966 from worst to best in an attempt to provide a definitive answer.
15. 2010 – Jabulani
There’s a growing consensus among ‘Gen X’ supporters that the 2010 World Cup was a great tournament containing Shakira, Tiki-Taka and Luis Suarez acting like a pillock on a global stage.
They’re wrong; South Africa 2010 was dreadful primarily because nobody could kick the Jabulani without it floating towards Venus. Only Diego Forlan could tame the beast.
Resist the march of revisionism; the Jabulani was pish.
The Jabulani. A ball with a mind of its own 💨 pic.twitter.com/K0FeX1aPIU
— GOAL (@goal) March 23, 2022
14. 1982 – Tango Espana
A replica of the 1978 design with an altered name, almost like the Spanish organisers had more important matters to attend to.
Like some tapas and a cool Cerveza. Well, they’re only human.
The Tango España was the last genuine leather ball at the World Cup when used as the official match ball at #WC1982. It was supposed to have improved water-resistant qualities through its rubberised seams, but these were not very resistant and the ball was changed several times. pic.twitter.com/E9piPM3wGu
— OldFootballPhotos (@OldFootball11) March 9, 2020
13. 1994 – Questra
Probably the dullest template used during Adidas’ World Cup imperial phase.
Adidas Questra 1994 World Cup Official Match Ball #adidasquestra #90sfootball #vintagefootball #questra #1994worldcup #omb pic.twitter.com/f576wIoXsV
— Rob Filby (@Bobso1902) November 3, 2019
12. 2018 – Telstar 18
We admire the fresh twist on an old design, while those blurry blocks couldn’t be more Russian if they were stuffed with borscht and sent their dog into space.
But the Telstar 18 was, ultimately, forgettable. Which is a shame as Russia 2018 was one of the better World Cups of the modern era.
Introducing Telstar 18 – the…
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