What's the Best World Cup Ball?

We look at the designs of four World Cup balls: the Telstar, the Teamgeist, the Jabulani, and the Brazuca. Find out what makes each one mathematically special.
/ tpointmath

[@legozooyork]

brazuca is my favorite. beautiful design. it feels like brazil. very colorful

[@jameshorrigan4180]

The teamgeist and brazuca are my favourite

[@raymondzhou4685]

The brazuca is the best

[@junahn1371]

Agree

[@johnnyroberts3761]

No

[@piaopiaokeke]

The brazuca is the best! I must say, a sewn ball that is topologically equivalent to a cube is rather impressive!

[@OriginalPuro]

Implying that all of Pakistan had something to do with the creation of the brazuca. They did not. Merely a handful of people were involved.

[@oladiedoo50]

Actually its thermally bonded so ya, but its made in Pakistan

[@andreavivaldi8619]

No

[@Kabitu1]

Between 78 and 98 they really just stopped giving a fuck, didn´t they?

[@DavidVercettiMovies]

I guess it was fine for everybody at that time to use a classic ball ...

[@atsukosan_artwork]

DavidVercettiMovies For me the real balls started in 2006 with the Teamgeist, from 78 to 98 all the balls looks practically the same to me lol, just different colors and maybe less water absortion.

[@ranjanbiswas3233]

Brazuca is the best

[@finn-lucamerten6624]

jes

[@alirajput5269]

Ranjan Biswas it was from Pakistan

[@alirajput5269]

Trappa Uh Da Yay yup

[@Ingridhubby]

Ranjan Biswas MEXICO 86

[@johnnyroberts3761]

No

[@ri8c]

entered to see what was the best. dissapointed

[@NEMESISxBlazeYT]

I love the "BRAZUCA".

[@Wafflical]

The Teamgeist isn't a truncated cube, it's a truncated octahedron! With a truncated octahedron, you can simply distort the edges without changing the number of verticies or faces. With a truncated cube, you have to turn the triangles into hexagons and the octagons into sqares, tranforming it into a truncated octahedron. I understand that people are more familiar with cubes, but really, that's definitely a truncated octohedron.

[@nc7432]

agreed

[@anitaagarwal7486]

The brazuca is the best . It's the most beautiful too

[@RocketRoark75]

It is amazing how different styles of balls can fly differently.

[@beandaddygi]

Personally, I think the 1970 Telstar. It to me, is simple but iconic

[@johnyapple8447]

The Jabulani is the best and easiest to control in my opinion. I don’t like the weight of the Brazuca because it makes it more difficult to curve. The Teamgeist is fun to kick, but it’s harder to aim. The hexagonal/octagonal balls came in multiple different textures over the years, but all of them were very easy to bend-difficult to kick straight though. The Telstar (2018) is very nice to kick, but it’s so difficult to control compared to the Jabulani. As much as others may hate the Jabulani, I love it.

[@HDMF2]

The brazuca looks sick!

[@kungfukenny4871]

i remember buying the teimgeist in 2006.. brings back memories

[@chriskindler10]

I've played with all of them since Fevernova. It's true the Teamgeist and Jabulani have both crazy flights. This is espacially not good for goalkeepers because powerful shots are hard to predict. This years Brazuca is in my opinion the best ball that has ever been created. Adidas did a great job. Not only the ball looks sick it plays VERY well!

[@kaziiqbal7257]

Agreed, fellow Bayern Fan

[@kaziiqbal7257]

Maxwell Canipe I chose two teams, don't complain

[@vangledosh]

Kazi Iqbal plastic glory hunting fan

[@kaziiqbal7257]

Tom CTID fuck off. I had no idea they were that big. I chose to support Blaugrana because it was the first club I've heard of and I chose to support Der FCB because the first jersey anyone gave me was a Ribery jersey. a They were blind choices.

[@chriskindler10]

Kazi Iqbal Don't listen to him. There's nothing wrong with supporting any club you like. It seems you're a Germany and Bayern fan there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Neither do I like these 'fans' who support clubs only because of their current success. I hope you're not one of them! Cheers Kazi! mia san mia

[@EpticityOG]

So this means that the next World Cup ball will only have 3 panels

[@jakelyle3507]

lol

[@coleburdick6765]

Jabulani and Brazuca

[@guibredacalixto9086]

Absolute classic. Remember this back in the day.

[@triplediff]

the Teamgeist looks the coolest for sure

[@ilf6090]

We think that Jabulani was the best because of the concept. The ball had really tight air condition on inside. It really wasn't disappointed at all.

[@biratherkhan3166]

The brazuca is made in pakistan

[@EBGamez1]

I have the brazuca soccer ball authentic. I got it in 2014 when it just came out as my early birthday present

[@kara88bg]

I remember the Tricolore from when I was a small kiddo, and its still my favorite ball ever.

[@danacraighead2937]

This is so cool! I love how simple each design is yet how much went into this. I am fascinated how the Teamgeist can be created by a simple cube! My question is: How could anyone come up with such great ideas that tie so well into math?

[@eugenepilat8685]

The best ball yet is Adidas Tango 12, that was used on Euro 2012 (Ukraine-Poland).This ball has perfect grip and ideal flight capability. And yes, I tested Teamgeist, Tango 12 and Brazuca myself. For me is without a doubt - Tango 12 is a clear winner. The best knuckle ball you can do with Tango 12.

[@zharifabdullah9319]

Can't wait for the tetrahedron ball in 2018

[@Ikarus2985]

Cool video. But the music in the background is a bit too loud. Maybe take out 20% volume next time. Nevertheless : your channel is one of my favorites. Great work! Keep on broadcasting!

[@ivaniaguerrero2117]

i think that this video was very unique and creative. i learned may things by watching this video. one them is the different types of balls that were used in the world cup each year and i also learned that structure and mathematical way that each of them are made.

[@itsbrianamarie]

I didn't know that it was so many different types of pattern for a soccer ball, but my favorite is the teamgeist.

[@LeonardNguyenSchyen]

The last three was like kids drawing books. Step 1: Draw a circle. Step 2: Draw another lesser circle up to the left of the old one. Step 3: Add details. It's a horse!!!!!

[@BeautifulNiya15]

Wow! Never knew that mathematics had so much of an influence when it comes to soccer balls. The Jabulani is my favorite.

[@conorbabcockoneill2548]

This is really intriguing to me, because I had never realized how much went into the designing of a soccer ball. The teamgeist in particular caught my eye because it was made from a cube. A ball, from a cube!!!! I wonder why the Teamgeist flew so crazily.

[@JohnnyLProduction05]

In my old school, we played with the 2006 World Cup final ball ( I think it was a replica). It’s nice.

[@djaxe2753]

i think adidas brazuca is the best fifa world cup football.

[@seanl6227]

Wow I had no idea that the world cup balls had anything to do with cubes and 3d edged figures. I always thought that it was some pattern that was just molded and shaped to the ball. I wonder how one of the oldest World cup balls would preform against the new Brazuca from the latest world cup.

[@allenthenoo8allen525]

The Brazuca 2014

[@srijanagrawal4591]

you are amazing man.

[@RedKommunist]

You should really do a video on the birthday paradox, seems like your forte.

[@TippingPointMath]

I'll consider it. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@TippingPointMath]

I just found a nice article on the birthday problem connected to the World Cup: see bbc.in/1lNot2G I may have to come up with a different cool application.

[@RedKommunist]

Tipping Point Math Good find, I'm sure whatever you choose to do it'll be great!

[@mreuro2004]

Teamgeast its the best!

[@vangledosh]

Teamgeist looks amazing but I love the unpredictable flight pattern of the jabulani.

[@usamatariq3169]

brazuca is the best football ever

[@mybluebelly]

The Tricolore was very nice with its soft aircells. Finale 2003 was a great but heavy ball. Do not like the modern glued seamed balls except for the Roteiro. Honestly the balls i miss the most are the Umbro Elite range like the premier one. Extremely hard to find anymore :(

[@theworldeatswithyou]

The Jabulani, Goalkeepers hate it. :D

[@michaelcho2095]

Karlo Schallibaum true

[@Elias-ek2xq]

Yap 😂

[@KingLA_]

BrazuCaaaaaa

[@TrainYourBrain464]

Please update this for 2018 World Cup

[@vitox2241]

Who knew that 5 page essay On tectonic plates for extra credit in 6th grade math class would come in handy. I actually knew what the fuck he was talking about. Wow

[@mikeh.2713]

i change my answer brazuca for all around good performance the jabulani for best knuckleballs and teamgeist is the best for freestyling

[@teslaliveus605]

My favorite one is the brazuca but the teamgeist is very beautiful tazewell

[@hannahlee6798]

I never knew that the soccer balls were related to the platonic solids. The video mentioned that the Teamgeist and the Jabulani flew differently, and that the depth of the seams might have had to do with the flight. My question is that may the fact that those two out of the four World Cup balls were the ones that had both a propeller and another shape have to do with the flight?

[@TippingPointMath]

Flight has to do with depth of seams and the smoothness of the surface.

[@jerrysoh619]

I have the Fevernova, Azteca, Telstar Durlast 74, Jabulani, and Brazuca. I have to say the ball that gets the best rave reviews at our games is the 74 Telstar, its a predictable ball from what Ive heard and experienced, if u hit its sweet spot consistently, it pretty much does what you try to do, i recently found out its made of leather, i wonder if that plays a role in its predictability?

[@jdini_]

When the video answers the title question "What's the Best World Cup Ball?"?

[@silviavoss6411]

Brazuca w/winning team on it?

[@gabejuhasz3743]

i would want one that is a perfect sphere with no seams.

[@paulol7224]

+gabe juhasz Seems cool, but how would you make it?

[@gabejuhasz3743]

a mold

[@paulol7224]

cool

[@paulol7224]

***** ikr

[@EmptyHand49]

And then color them to look like bowling balls. That would be pretty cool.

[@diamondalston240]

Very interesting. Who the the extent to which math influenced soccer ball structures.

[@visa1436]

Jabulani is my favorite

[@MrSnorkify]

jabulani for me, its fun as hell to knuckle that ball

[@orcaprotector]

I like how the Jabulani looks, but as a Goalkeeper, I hate the bastard. My favorite to use is the Brazuca (by far)

[@Camcoltducttape]

I never knew how much affect different designs had on the flight of a soccer ball. If the number of seams is a low number does the ball fly higher? Is there a particular platonic shape that makes the ball fly faster through the air?

[@katzen3314]

It's a load of rubbish really, probably just footballers and their fans looking for excuses.

[@nightangel7239]

Air flow over the surface of a ball will have a massive effect on how much it can curve according to spin. Especially when kicked at high speeds, as seen in world cup games.

[@katzen3314]

Night Angel Yeah, but they are actually all spheres, just stitched together in different ways, as all of the faces are curved additionally.

[@nightangel7239]

Katzen4u Except the seams are different. Deeper seams, more seams. More seams are, I imagine, more traction on the air. So slower but curves much more. I imagine deeper seams also give it more air traction.

[@Qwepzy]

Best looking is the Teamgeist by far

[@nipenbajracharya9344]

TEAMGEIST

[@yi-mingma8899]

I'm currently doing an assignment about the ball structures, isn't the Teamgeist based off a truncated octahedron?

[@TippingPointMath]

Keep in mind that the truncated octahedron has 16 faces.

[@weldjibla6425]

The Tricolor was great :)

[@amirulasyraaf6822]

Love adidas teamgeist and brazuca

[@redriot4945]

The Brazuca

[@danielaruiz8544]

Agree

[@pillarmonic1661]

My Best World Cup Ball Top 5Top 5 Teamgeist (2006 Germany)Top 4 Fevernova (2002 Korea & Japan)Top 3 Telstar 18 (2018 Russia)Top 2 Brazuca (2014 Brazil)Top 1 Jabulani (2010 South Africa)

[@georgewalsh43]

Brazuca

[@caindawson1773]

I love the jabulani a played with it a lot but I prefer the performance of the Brazuca

[@R8FXX]

The tricolore maybe be the best ball to play with, the Teamgeist is the best looking ball and the worst ball to play with is Jabulani

[@jihoyoon1161]

Tricolore, Fevernova, Teamgeist, Jabulani, Brazuca are good World Cup Balls. Because they broke the typical Soccer ball design.

[@martinstubs6203]

All very interesting. Just one detail: The company name, Adidas, is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable, not the second.

[@johnielus8682]

America should learn to go to hell.

[@LucasDanielSantoro]

No, no. Disculpame. Se dice Adidas, como se lee.

[@leahcimsaerdna6550]

2006 the best design ball

[@flaviutuderici813]

Brazuca is The Best ball that have ever existed.

[@evanepstein9081]

Adidas has really reinvented the art of the soccer ball with its new flashy designs and reduced # of panels. However, I wonder which ball the players like the best, from the 70's to the Brazuca. Also, I'd like to know more about how the seam depth affects the flight of the ball.

[@epicjuju1846]

So, over time the World Cup balls have had fewer and fewer panels. If this year the ball had 6 panels, will Adidas find a way to make a ball with less in 2018? Also, is it because the Teamgeist's panels were thermally bonded that it flew differently?

[@vangledosh]

Pretty much, yes. It was much rounder due to fewer panels which where thermally bonded, so air resistance could dictate the flight more erratically. If you were to kick the ball with no spin, also known as 'knuckle balling' you could make the ball do all sorts of crazy shit. The jabulani was best for its erratic flight pattern.

[@liamjaymusic2917]

the brazuca ball is the best ball ever (it was made in Pakistan and went thru 80 extreme test and was also tested in NASA and it is the roundest ball ever made)

[@rtlira]

The teamgeist

[@herps588]

Tamgeist, Jabulani, Brazuca

[@pipobsv]

Forlan's Jabulani ;)

[@driven123playmen7]

so what is the best soccer ball

[@queentimira8007]

brazuca is the best for a best player

[@memeo2928]

Brazuca has the very coolest styles of any of the footballs in the world it’s my favourite football

[@eyeballseesaws]

2006 is my favourite

[@edwinsewkaransing2844]

I love the jabulani ball

[@aquawoelfly]

how about the one based on an icosohedron and based on pentagons

[@theexoticboyshow6208]

brazuca

[@daforce128]

good video but the music is kind of distracting

[@varg1814]

TEAMGEIST !

[@mariebcfhs9491]

lol the dumbell shaped panels look like something rather not to say

[@southernstalliongaming7544]

my favorite is the telstar 18

[@user-oj5fc9rc1j]

whats the song

[@sudiptz1072]

+Teamgeist the best👍💯 ball ⚽

[@livedandletdie]

The Rubik's Brazuca..

[@jeffconner917]

Screw the Brazuca, the Jabulani, etc. Fevernova is best no questions about it.

[@Luciano_Leyva]

Jabulani is the best,and the 1986 Azteca tango

[@sneakybeaky2112]

bazuca is a beast

[@iqrakiki5823]

I say brazuca or jabulani right now

[@Dylan-kw8mm]

Do the Telstar 18

[@jekluv3357]

ill go for jabulani