World Cup 2014: secrets of the Adidas Brazuca ball revealed

In 2010 the awful Jabulani stole the show for all the wrong reasons. Will the Brazuca do the same?

The new Brazuca ball and the FIFA World Cup Trophy
(Image credit: Alexandre Loureiro/Getty Images for adidas)

After the furore surrounding the Jabulani ball at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Adidas will be hoping its latest effort – the Brazuca – performs rather better than its predecessor when the action begins in Brazil.

The 12th official World Cup ball Adidas has produced since Mexico 1970 uses two fewer panels than the Jabulani and has longer, deeper seams that have been specifically designed to make it less volatile in the air. Adidas has also added 50,000 tiny bumps to give the ball better grip and avoid the "knuckling" effect that caused so much controversy in South Africa.

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