Adidas Jabulani 2010 World Cup Reaches Incredible Prices - Should Adidas Re-release It?
Jan 28, 2024, by Phan Tich Giay
- Price Surge: The Adidas Jabulani 2010 World Cup ball has seen its price rise to €499 due to its unique characteristics and demand.
- Player Criticism: The Jabulani ball was widely criticized by players for its unstable movement and trajectory, leading to unpredictable swerves and swoops.
- Collectibility: Despite the negative feedback from players, the ball has become a sought-after item, especially within the free-kick community, leading to high prices on secondary markets.
One of the most controversial balls in history, the Adidas Jabulani World Cup 2010 has seen its price rise to a staggering €499.
Adidas Jabulani 2010 World Cup Reaches Incredible Prices
At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Adidas introduced the all-new Jabulani ball. However, after a short period of experience, most players felt that this ball was not good and was of a lower quality than previous balls.
“The football is horrible,” said Julio Cesar. “It is like one of those you buy in the supermarket.”
Why is this ball so opposed? It's because the ball's movement and trajectory are unstable, the way it dips and changes direction seems to defy the laws of physics. Julio Cesar added: "At the last moment its path might change, as if taken away by a gust of wind.", via The Independent.
During that year's World Cup, we still remember Robert Greene's missed catch of Clint Dempsey's not-so-dangerous shot.
That's why the Adidas Jabulani 2010 ball looks like a nightmare for any goalkeeper at the 2010 World Cup. However, the only player who really seems to enjoy the wild, uncontrollable nature of the Jabulani is Diego Forlan. So far, Forlan's magical long-range shots are still fresh in our minds: the rocket against South Africa, the knuckle-ball free-kick against Ghana and the curve against the Netherlands.
The Jabulani 2010 ball has 8 connecting panels with grooves and aerodynamic lines, giving the Jabulani ball a critical speed of around 55mph, which is higher than the previous Teamgeist 2006 ball. This is the main reason for many complaints from players.
Put simply, the new design led to an increase in speed, which in turn resulted in a knuckle-ball effect: volatile swerves and swoops caused by the asymmetry and aforementioned “roughness” of the ball.
The change has also meant that long passes and crosses are constantly deviating from normal directions. Statistics from Opta confirm that there were more missed passes in the quarter-finals than at any previous World Cup.
However, it is this unpredictable movement and trajectory of the Jabulani 2010 ball that makes it so sought after. It has been 14 years since the Jabulani ball was first released, but its appeal is still strong. Especially for football youtubers who really want to experience this 'magical' ball. The Jabulani 2010 ball seems to have become a symbol in the free-kick community.
To this day, Jabulani balls are sold on Ebay and many other e-commerce sites at very high prices. Even used-hand balls are selling at much higher prices than they did back then.
Do you like the Jabulani 2010 ball? Are you surprised by the incredible price of the Jabulani ball? Comment below.
Venezia and Rapid Wien Release Special Collaborative Kit
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The Jordan PSG 26-27 third goalkeeper shirt draws inspiration from the distinctive Nike template worn by Lama during the 1997-98 season. It features a vibrant red base with sharp black vertical stripes tapering upward from the lower hem. The long sleeves are adorned with dynamic graphic streaks in shades of purple, blue, and black, perfectly channeling the flamboyant goalkeeper aesthetics of the late 1990s.
Gold detailing rounds off the design, highlighted by a centrally aligned Jordan Jumpman sitting above a monochrome Paris Saint-Germain crest and the Qatar Airways chest sponsor.
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The Capelli Neuchâtel Xamax 26-27 Fête des Vendanges shirt arrives in a sharp black and silver colorway, covered in intricate architectural illustrations of the famous landmark. The front of the jersey features repeating linework depicting the church's Gothic arches, towers, and rose windows, flowing into detailed clock faces and decorative borders around the lower hem. Finished with matching ornate patterns along the collar and cuffs, all sponsor and club logos are rendered in monochrome silver
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The new Montenegro 2026 home kit is predominantly red, accented with two prominent yellow vertical stripes running down the front of the jersey. In line with the central design focus, the white Legea wordmark and the national federation crest sit centrally on the chest above yellow squad numbering. The strip is rounded off with red shorts featuring yellow detailing and matching red socks.
The 2026 away kit adopts an inverted approach on a clean white base. It features a bold central vertical band in red, neatly outlined by thin yellow borders that run from the collar down to the hem. The Legea logo, national team crest, and front numbers are all aligned inside the central red stripe, completed by white shorts and white socks with subtle red and yellow trims.
