Adidas
Telstar (1968), Eigil NielsenIntroduced in 1968 by Adidas for the European Football Championship, the iconic Telstar was the first football to be decorated with black pentagons – today the archetype of all generic footballs. Named after the Telstar communications satellite, which looked similar in appearance because of its spherical shape and solar panels, the ball was based on the 32-panel ball design developed by Eigil Nielsen. The Telstar was the roundest sphere of its time and used as the official match ball of the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico.
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