FIFA already working on ‘even better’ ball for 2014 World Cup
Following the unrivaled success of the Jabulani ball at this year’s World Cup, FIFA’s engineers are
already at work on a new design for the next competition.
Rumours coming out of FIFA’s development laboratory suggest the world football organization is so happy
with the low scoring during the 2010 Cup that they plan to have players use an even less familiar design
in four years time.
“We’ve managed to get scoring down to less than a goal a game this year, which is quite a success story”
said a FIFA technician who asked to remain anonymous. “The complaints about the Jubulani are just silly.
Why would we bring all the best players in world together and let them use a ball they are used to? That
would be madness.”
The Associated Press was allowed to see a top-secret sketch smuggled out of the FIFA laboratory showing a
2014 ball that breaks with the long-standing football tradition of using a sphere and instead uses a
square design.
The square ball’s code name during development: the Cubalani. It’s not clear how players will adapt to
kicking a cube.
The source said players in 2014 will get about 10 minutes to familiarize themselves with the Cubalani
before the matches begin. “We don’t want anyone to figure out how to kick it properly or they might be
able to score,” he said.
The source added that FIFA is renowned for its responsive to suggestions and will take into account one
of the complaints about the Jabulani – that shooters are unable to keep it under the crossbar.
“We think this high-flying issue will be put to rest at the next World Cup,” the source said. “In 2014,
the Cubalani should remain lower because we will make this breakthrough cubic ball out of solid lead.”
It is unclear how the players will respond to the new material.
