The NY Times has an interactive look at the balls used in the World Cup from 1930 onward. Here’s the ball from 1930:
Look at those laces! Just like the ol’ American handegg.
kottke.org posts about 2014 World Cup
World Cup balls, 1930-2014
The non-World Cup all-stars
The teams for the 2014 World Cup are almost all set (one qualifying game remains) and there are a lot of world-class players who won’t be playing in the tournament. ESPN FC has compiled a team of the best players who will miss out:
Bale, Lewandowski, and Ibrahimovic. That’s an amazing front line. If not for his hat trick yesterday, Cristiano Ronaldo, perhaps the best player in the world right now, would have made the roster in Ibrahimovic’s stead.
