Recent international tournaments have seen various changes in the design of official footballs. Especially since the 2006 Germany World Cup, the balls used in World Cups and Euro Championships have continuously evolved in terms of surface roughness and other characteristics. This study compares the flight characteristics of the footballs used in Euro 2024 and the 2022 Qatar World Cup footballs.

A wind tunnel experiment was conducted comparing the drag force characteristics of the footballs used in the 2022 Qatar World Cup (Al Rihla) and Euro 2024 (Fussballliebe). Drag force was measured using a sting-type balance detector, which is capable of detecting drag force accurately.

Comparing the subcritical drag coefficients (Recrit) of each football, the 2022 World Cup ball exhibited approximately 0.17 (at Re=2.2×10^5), while the Euro 2024 ball showed about 0.19 (at Re=1.9×10^5). Based on these findings, simulations were conducted to calculate the respective distances when kicked at an initial velocity of 30 m/s and an angle of 25 degrees. The results showed that the 2022 World Cup ball traveled approximately 46.5 meters, whereas the Euro 2024 ball traveled a shorter distance of 45.1 meters. Additionally, when each ball was kicked from 25 meters away with an initial velocity of 30 m/s and an angle of 12 degrees, the landing point in front of a goalpost was lower for the Euro 2024 ball (0.82 meters) compared to the 2022 Qatar World Cup ball (0.91 meters).

Consequently, in football tournaments where balls vary between competitions, it has become crucial for players to quickly adapt to the specific characteristics of each ball. This adaptability directly impacts performance, highlighting the significant importance of understanding and adjusting to the unique properties of tournament-specific footballs.