When you think about soccer, most think about adidas. The three stripes has become synonymous with the soccer field and most importantly, the soccer ball. adidas' legacy in the game has allowed the brand to supply the market with its most essential ingredient for the past 90 years.
After glimpsing a leak at the 2014 FIFA World Cup official ball (dubbed the Brazuca) earlier this week, Sneaker Report takes a look back at adidas' official designs since the original ball in 1970.
Some say the first soccer ball in the world was a skull, some say it was a pig's bladder. Whatever body part it was, it's come a long way from the early attempts. This is The Complete History of adidas' Official FIFA World Cup Soccer Ball.
RELATED: A Sneak Peek at the adidas Brazuca 2014 World Cup Ball
RELATED: Meet Brazuca, the Official Match Ball of the 2014 Brazil World Cup
adidas Telstar
Year: 1970
FIFA World Cup: Mexico
Did you know that the iconic black and white soccer ball from the early days was the adidas Telstar? Originally constructed of 32 hand-stitched hexagon-shaped panels, adidas supplied Mexico with a ball that can be easily visible on a color or black and white television to accommodate worldwide audience.
Check out the Telstar in action (and how Brazil schooled Italy hard):
adidas Telstar / Chile
Year: 1974
FIFA World Cup: Germany
You've got to love the simple, successful marriage of text and construction on this ball. One of two match balls released this year, the 1974 Telstar was updated with a black branded version and an all-white version of the Telstar, dubbed the "adidas Chile."
adidas Tango
Year: 1978
FIFA World Cup: Argentina
The Tango was comprised of 20 panels (the original was made up of 32 individual panels) and an optical design comprised of 12 circles that would go onto influence the following five generations of World Cup balls.
adidas Tango Espana
Year: 1982
FIFA World Cup: Spain
Similar to the '78 ball but with waterproof sealed seams. Remember when you were a kid and all the PE teacher sent you out with was a waterlogged, crumpled sack of leather? The Tango Espana was the first step away from that. It was also the last traditional leather World Cup ball, so the game was about to get a lot faster.
adidas Azteca
Year: 1986
FIFA World Cup: Mexico
Sixteen years after the first World Cup in Mexico, the tournament returned to Central America and was played with a revolutionary new ball. The Azteca was the first fully synthetic (polyurethane-coated) match ball, increasing durability and further minimizing water absorption for a faster, lighter style of play. Aesthetically the Azteca paved the way as well, as the first ball to include a design inspired by the host nation. Inspired by Mexico's Aztec architecture and murals, adidas continued this national tribute for the next decade.
adidas Etrusco Unico
Year: 1990
FIFA World Cup: Italy
Technically sophisticated by a completely water resistant internal layer, the Etruscan design is as timeless as the 20 panel design. Containing an internal layer of black polyurethane foam, the Etrusco was faster and more water-resistant than previous versions.
adidas Questra
Year: 1994
FIFA World Cup: USA
It's 1994 and FIFA is in the States. So naturally the theme here is space travel. High velocity rockets and America's "quest for the stars" takes center stage aesthetically, while a polystyrene foam envelopes the top layer of the ball for a softer touch and faster feel.
adidas Tricolore
Year: 1998
FIFA World Cup: France
This is the first time a match ball featured a three part design, appropriately named the "tricolore" to represent France's national colors.
This was the year for France:
adidas Fevernova
Year: 2002
FIFA World Cup: Korea and Japan
Featuring a syntactic foam layer for improved precision, the Asian-inspired graphic on this ball is legendary as it broke away from the traditional Tango design.
adidas Teamgeist
Year: 2006
FIFA World Cup: Germany
This game changing ball featured a completely new design to further improve accuracy and control thanks to less seams overall. The propeller design dramatically affected future innovations to come for adidas Soccer. Flaunting Germany's traditional colors, this innovative product was form driven by function.
adidas Jabulani
Year: 2010
FIFA World Cup: South Africa
Featuring adidas' latest "grip n groove" technology provides players with perfect grip in all conditions. It's odd to think that the Jabulani's predecessors were less round, but the eight thermally bonded 3-D Panels that were spherically molded together for the first time made this ball the closest to a perfect sphere a soccer ball has ever been.
adidas Brazuca
Year: 2014
FIFA World Cup: Brazil
Stay tuned for an official look at the 2014 adidas Brazuca, set to launch December 3. In the meantime, peek the leaked images and let us know what you think.
RELATED: A Sneak Peek at the adidas Brazuca 2014 World Cup Ball
RELATED: Meet Brazuca, the Official Match Ball of the 2014 Brazil World Cup