The Evolution of the World Cup Ball

German photographer Jens Heilmann took pictures of World Cup soccer balls from every single one of the 19 tournaments. These all balls have been kicked around by some of the greatest soccer players of the 20th and 21st century.

Uruguay (2nd half), 1930

Italy, 1934

France, 1938

Brazil, 1950

Switzerland, 1954

Sweden, 1958

Chile, 1962

England, 1966

Mexico, 1970

West Germany, 1974

Argentina, 1978

Spain, 1982

Mexico, 1986

Italy, 1990

United States, 1994

France, 1998

South Korea, Japan, 2002

Germany, 2006

South Africa, 2010

Source: nytimes