Crafted by Adidas, the Telstar 18 is the official ball of the FIFA World Cup. Drawing inspiration from the company's first World Cup match ball, which debuted at the 1970 tournament in Mexico, the new ball reimagines the 12 black panels on an otherwise white design. Fun fact: the iconic original black and white ball was made that way to be more visible for black-and-white TV viewers, and it was dubbed the "star of television."
Every four years there’s a new ball for the World Cup—and every four years players are unhappy with it. Maybe it’s too light and has too much lift, like the 2002 Fevernova. Or maybe it wobbles unexpectedly in the air, making it harder for goalies to predict its motion, like the 2006 Teamgist. Or maybe the ball suddenly changes speed, dropping out of the air and causing accidental handballs, like the 2010 Jabulani.
Now you know that there are total 5 variations in ball size. Buy the appropriate size as per your requirement. Some buyers who don’t know these differences, make a mistake while buying. For example, if someone is looking for an official match ball, but they purchase a size 3 ball by mistake or because of lack of knowledge. If you also do this, surely you are not going to be satisfied with the purchase.
Of everything that we have analyzed about these soccer balls, one of the biggest things that you can look at for is the external material of the ball. TPU seems like it is the standard in durability for soccer balls in this price range. Machine stitching is another thing that you want to make sure that you have, as it appears that some balls that are stitched otherwise can split open and leak. In any case, make sure that you have your own soccer pump so that you can always be sure that your soccer ball is properly inflated.
For those taking their game to the next level, it’s important to train with a ball similar to what is used for your matches. Your passing, shooting and general foot skills will be different for lighter soccer balls made with a premium bladder like latex. Try out an NFHS approved ball which is used for some club, high school, and college teams. To be NFHS approved, the soccer ball needs to: