Before Adidas became the official designer of the FIFA World Cup soccer balls, a traditional brown leather ball, sewn with a cord and with a bladder inside made its debut in Uruguay 1930.
The tradition of an official ball had not emerged in those years, and each team brought one to each match, and then the captains chose which one they wanted to play with.
This agreement did not apply to the final, as the Uruguayans and Argentines obviously wanted to take their ball onto the court. The first candidate was the Model T that the Uruguayan team had used in almost all their matches. The second was the Tiento, favorite of the Argentine squad.
To appease both teams, who felt that playing with the opponent’s ball would put them at a disadvantage, FIFA determined that the first half would be played with the Tiento, a ball with a similar composition to the Model T (leather). Unlike the 11 T-shaped panels that gave the Uruguayan model its name, the Argentine model had 12 rectangular panels, was slightly smaller and lighter, and had no cord. and had been in use since the 1880s. Both were made and inflated by hand, gaining weight when it rained.
Although Argentina dominated the first 45 minutes (2-1), the result favored Uruguay, who scored 3 more goals with the Model T. This would prove that the role of the balls is crucial in matches, says the Hungarian Peter Pesti, who has dedicated himself to photographing and collecting the history of the World Cup balls from its first edition to the last. And he has created a replica of the Model T (and designs from other years), which sells for $199 plus tax.
Now, The Model T and the Tiento, figures from the 1930 World Cup, are on display at the National Football Museum, in the city of Manchester.
Adidas, the current designer, has gone undefeated in 14 World Cups, since Mexico 1970, and it will be like that until 2030. The Telstar, their first Federation-approved ball, was also the first to be produced by a commercial brand. For Qatar 2022, they have created the Al Rihla model. (AND)
Source: Eluniverso
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