The Soccerball

Introduction

More than 3.5 million people across the world love soccer, including me. In fact, with this many fans around the world, soccer has managed to become the most popular sport worldwide. When I first think of the word soccer, thee first image that comes to my mind is a black and white soccer ball. But over time, soccer balls all over the world have changed. In this marvelous and interesting article, you will find many new and fascinating facts that will blow your mind!

 

 

 

 

The First Soccer Ball Ever

The earliest soccer balls weren't as perfectly round and spherical as the modern day soccer ball. No, soccer balls back then were very irregularly shaped, which made them unpredictable when kicked. Soccer balls at that time were actually just regular animal skulls and animal bladders. Village people would gather up in

large groups to see the soccer game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Problems With The Soccer Ball

Over time, the soccerball had changes to it that made it better. The newer soccer balls were made of tanned leather, and were better shaped than the original version of the soccer ball. But with these improvements came problems. According to Wonderopolis" Along with the new styles of balls came new problems. Balls relying on tightly tied laces to seal air inside leaked badly. Players would have to stop to re-inflate the ball multiple times during a game. Leather balls were good for kicking, but due to their tendency to absorb water, could become very heavy. This posed a serious threat of injury if a player hit the ball with his head."

Where Did The Black And White Design Come From?

Well, according to Wonderopolis "The ball that changed the look of soccer forever? The “Telstar.” The 1970 World Cup in Mexico was the first televised World Cup ever. The Telstar took its name from a combination of the words “television” and “star.” But there was one little problem. A white ball viewed on a black-and-white TV wasn’t easy to see. Game officials needed to come up with a way to make the ball easily viewable to those watching at home. Their simple solution? Paint black pentagons on the white ball.

 

 

Top Ten Current Soccer Players

Lionel Messi (Argentina & Barcelona)

 

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal & Real Madrid)

 Xavi Hernandez (Spain & Barcelona)

Andres Iniesta (Spain & Barcelona)

 Robin van Persie (Netherlands & Manchester United)

Gareth Bale (Wales & Real Madrid)

Wayne Rooney (England & Manchester United)

 Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast & Manchester City)

Radamel Falcao (Colombia & Monaco)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden & Paris Saint-Germain)

Thought, Question and Fun Fact

• Thought: I thought that it was really interesting that the soccer ball had to go through so many changes before reaching the modern day soccer ball. It really wants to make me research more about this topic.
• Question: I wonder who actually created the game of soccer? Why? I will definitely research this.
• Fun Fact: Did you know that till this day, the Telstar remains the most common design for a soccer ball?