The Evolution of the World Cup Ball

German photographer Jens Heilmann took pictures of World Cup soccer balls from every single one of the 19 tournaments. These all balls have been kicked around by some of the greatest soccer players of the 20th and 21st century.



Uruguay (2nd half), 1930


Italy, 1934


France, 1938


Brazil, 1950


Switzerland, 1954


Sweden, 1958


Chile, 1962


England, 1966


Mexico, 1970


West Germany, 1974


Argentina, 1978


Spain, 1982


Mexico, 1986


Italy, 1990


United States, 1994


France, 1998


South Korea, Japan, 2002


Germany, 2006


South Africa, 2010

Source: nytimes