The new #WorldCup ball was designed to fly differently.

This year’s soccer ball hits its “drag crisis” at lower speeds than past models, meaning some long balls could fall a few meters short – while grooves and texture may help avoid the chaotic swerves of past models.

The fun science (and pictures) testing the ball:
theconversation.com/we-tested-…

We tested the new World Cup ball – this is what you need to know about how it will fly, dip and swerve

For two decades, researchers have studied soccer ball aerodynamics. Latest tests suggest the 2026 ball is more stable, but with a slightly shorter range.

^{The Conversation}