Jabulani is the official ball of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and is already one of the most sought after soccer balls in the history of the game. Maybe it’s because the 2010 World Cup match has generated more interest than any other FIFA World Cup in history, but I think it’s because the Jabulani looks so exotic, so African and also, it’s a new type of soccer ball for fans and players alike. The Adidas company designed this ball for the 2010 World Cup, as they do for every World Cup, and they have really raised the bar for technology and style in soccer with this new soccer ball.

The official Adidas World Cup 2010 match ball is sold worldwide, mainly online, although some football stores sell one or two. You can purchase an official or replica Jabulani ball from online World Cup souvenir shops, where you can receive your ball wherever you are. The best deal on an official size 5 Jabulani can be found at World Cup soccer stores online right now for as little as $59.00 US! This is a much lower price than the official Adidas site which sells the ball for $150.00! Shipping costs will depend on where you want the ball to be shipped. If you want to spend less money, consider buying a Jabulani replica, available in sizes 5, 4 and 3 for the practice, team and kids collections. The Jabulani replica retails for as little as $18.99 and looks virtually identical to the official ball.

Jabulani means “feast or celebration” in the Zulu language, representing one of the many tribal cultures of South Africa. The design contains 11 different colors in an African-style woven elliptical pattern that spirals around the ball on a bright white background. The 11 colors used in the woven graphic symbolize the 11 players on each team, the 11 official and tribal languages ​​spoken in South Africa, and the fact that the Jabulani is the 11th Adidas World Cup match ball. For a sports ball, this is a treat to behold, and sometimes I enjoy watching the ball as much as the players! So beautiful, so cool; only to be kicked around the world by hundreds of the strongest soccer players and possibly millions of would-be fans and future soccer stars. You’d think it wouldn’t even matter what the soccer ball looked like; It’s who wins the match that counts, right? Well, maybe not quite! The Jabulani soccer ball, designed for the 2010 FIFA World Cup soccer event, is so beautiful to look at that everyone wants one, even non-soccer fans. Adidas designs a different official ball for each World Cup and many fans around the world collect them, keeping them in special display cases or original packaging to preserve the perfect condition of the ball. This behavior of the fans can finally be understood now that such an attractive ball has been released.

The new technology that makes the Jabulani ball different are; Air and traction grooves that are molded into the surface are designed to provide added grip and control, but can also be responsible for additional volatility and trajectory spin. Apparently, the jabulani has a more perfect spherical overall shape that was supposed to provide better shot accuracy, but we still don’t see that developing in the field. I wonder if all the players had enough time to practice with the new ball. The other new technology used to create the Jabulani is that it is assembled from just 8 panels that are perfectly molded and thermally bonded. NO stitches that interfere with the spinning motion of the balls. The Jabulani really spins like a dervish, you can see the difference when you see him fly around the stadium on those long passes.

Although there have been a lot of usual complaints and complaints about the Jabulani from some players, it truly is the coolest soccer ball ever. It goes faster and has trajectory differences that are creating a little wiggle room in the game, meaning players need to hone some gnarly new turning skills. Scoring has been low so far in the World Cup tournament and perhaps Jabulani is making it more difficult for scorers to control the ball from longer distances. Obviously, the ball presents challenges for goalkeepers and it’s harder to get an accurate read on where the hell Jabulani is headed next on a long shot. He just waits until there’s wind! Some players have noted that it is too light and moves like a beach ball! Oh!

After the first few days of matches, it seems that the players are getting used to the new type of ball; There has already been an improvement as the games go on and the ball is in play more. The official ball cannot be changed once the World Cup has started, so the players will just have to adapt. All players will have to make the same adjustments, so the playing field is level even if it introduces some new twists to the way the ball is played. These are the best soccer players in the world and they are quite capable of understanding and acting on any small change on the ball. However, the weather always has a pretty profound effect on the ball and players have had to adjust to these differences in ball movement due to temperature and altitude since the game began.

The Jabulani is now the ball best known by name in the history of World Cup match balls; most soccer fans can’t even name any other ball. This one is very special and will be long remembered for its beauty, its street style and its controversy, just like the African continent. Congratulations to the Adidas company for a great design and interesting interpretation of African culture.