Upvoted: the best footballs for a summer kickabout
Can you kick it?
Whether it’s keepy-uppies in the garden, a kickabout down the park, or a big grudge match against Rivals United, upgrade your usual pig’s bladder to something a little smoother.
But how do you decide?
Although those pricier FIFA-approved balls might make you feel like Messi, cheaper training balls tend to be more durable. Lose the ego and get one that matches your talent (and weekly wage).
Footballs come in three sizes: 3, 4, and 5. Nobody knows what happened to 1 and 2. You’ll want a size 5, unless you plan to join a team full of kids. And don’t forget a pump as chances are your new ball will arrive deflated – a distressing sight for any football fan.
Nike Flight (£120)
If Zinedine Zidane wants Gareth Bale to spend less time on the golf course he might want to start using Nike’s new Flight balls at Real Madrid training sessions. Its AerowSculpt tech encourages air to flow around the ball promising 30% truer flight than its predecessor, meaning Gareth’s more likely to score more of those stonking scissor-kicks like the one against Liverpool. Perhaps more importantly, though, it also looks a bit like a golf ball. Fore!
Adidas Finale Istanbul Pro (£120)
With COVID-19 causing this season’s Champions League final to be moved to Estádio da Luz (in Benfica, not Sunderland) this ball bearing the name of the original host city could one day be worth a few bob. No matter which city you kick it in, though, it’ll still look the same when it hits the back of the net.
Copa Retro Football (€50)
Sure, Kevin De Bruyne can drop a pass onto an earthworm’s head from 60 yards away, but can he do it with a ball that’s got actual leather laces and hand-stitched panels like back in the ‘50s? Probably, yes. But you can’t, so its less-than-perfect shape might help hone your close control.
Adidas Tango Rosario (£21.95)
In Scotland most people associate the 1978 World Cup with Archie Gemmill’s wonder goal against a Cruyff-less Netherlands, but the tournament’s biggest contribution to football history was actually the introduction of the iconic Adidas Tango. This replica will show your opponents you have taste, especially if they’re from north of the border.
Mitre Ultimatch Indoor (£20)
If you spend more time playing five-a-side at your local leisure centre than Champions League finals in front of 75,000 people, you’ll probably want a ball that’s more suited to hard surfaces than baize-like turf. Mitre’s felt-covered Ultimatch reduces bounce, even if it does look like a giant tennis ball.
DribbleUp (£84)
InsideCoach Smart Ball ($199)
Most footballs just have air inside, but sensors within this one detect the number of touches you take, how you strike it, its trajectory and how far it goes, feeding everything back to its accompanying app. That makes it the only ball on this page that you’ll have to remember to charge between uses.
Smart Ball (£20)
OK, so it’s not quite as connected as the other two, but if you keep losing count of your keepy-uppies this budget ball has a sensor that keeps a tally for you and gives verbal encouragement as you go. It maxes out at 100, though, so try not to get too good.
Tom Wiggins
Contributor 
