Nike has been making match balls for the Premier League for over 20 years now. This relationship made a lot of sense when it was announced as it meant the coming together of the biggest sports manufacturer and the biggest football league in the world.
Football is a sport which revolves around just one ball. Think about it, the sport basically comprises 22 men on a football field running behind one single ball. It’s surely supposed to be the most important commodity of the sport. Even the name football has the word ‘ball’ in it. So to pay homage to the most important thing on the football field, we’ve decided to rank the best Premier League match balls over the years.
1. NIKE ORDEM 2 (2014-15)
In 2014-15, Nike started reinventing the Premier League match balls in the aerodynamic sense. The ball was much lighter than before and the flight on the ball was superb when struck on the sweet spot. The design on the ball was much appreciated and it looked futuristic from the outside. This particular one was the winter version of the match ball and it looked absolutely magnificent in the snow.
One debut to look forward to in the #BPL this weekend is the @NikeUK Ordem Hi-Vis ball. More: http://t.co/0d9tMBhBN0 pic.twitter.com/rliwIjgimZ
— Premier League (@premierleague) October 24, 2014
2. NIKE MERLIN (2019-20)
This ball will be forever known as the one which ended Liverpool’s 30-year wait of winning the Premier League. The ball consisted of four fuse-welded panels to provide a bigger sweet spot for striking the ball. The pink Nike swoosh makes the match ball stand out and describes the dynamic nature of the league perfectly.
The #PL will have its own exclusive @nikefootball Merlin ball in 2019/20
Learn more about its new features ➡️ https://t.co/OVXjSbUwtt pic.twitter.com/4pDXJaTx3s
— Premier League (@premierleague) June 18, 2019
3. NIKE T90 AEROW 1 (2004-05 & 2005-06)
The utter simplicity of this match ball makes it harder to neglect when you’re talking about the best match balls of all-time. This match ball actually marked the first season when English top-flight used a separate colour ball for the winters. It was so iconic that it stayed with the Premier League for two consecutive years.
Which #PL goal do you think of when you see the Nike Total 90 Aerow?#TBT #ThrowbackThursday @nikefootball pic.twitter.com/cV0Pqvu5Qu
— Premier League (@premierleague) October 24, 2019
4. INCYTE (2013-14)
The stylish blades on the ball gave it more of a rugged look for the season. The ball had different colours of the blades and the Nike swoosh. The other variations were in purple and the winter version of the match ball was in blue. This ball was still on the harder side but the vulcanised rubber on it gave it a softer touch and it didn’t feel rock hard.
Only the best for the world’s best. The Incyte ball for the 2013/14 @PremierLeague season http://t.co/hHzpTba5ps pic.twitter.com/ymI9OSZQRo
— nikelondon (@nikelondon) July 1, 2013
5. NIKE ORDEM 3 (2015-16)
This particular design got a lot of unnecessary hate in our opinion. The design was futuristic and was visually appealing. This particular match ball will forever stay in Leicester City fans’ memories as this season saw at the start of the season. The demarcation with black lines made the ball crisper looking and the new Nike swoosh was sharp too.
The new ball for the 2015/16 #BPL season, the @Nike Ordem 3 will debut at #BAT2015. More: http://t.co/ILxwYm2Ali pic.twitter.com/nJ91Dh3noE
— Premier League (@premierleague) June 30, 2015
6. NIKE T90 TRACER (2010-11)
This was the final ball in the Total 90 series and was the most aesthetically-pleasing looking in that series. The ball had a vintage look about it and had a new technology involved in the production of it. Wayne Rooney’s overhead kick against ‘noisy neighbours’ Manchester City was the most iconic moment with this match ball albeit it was in the winter edition.
Nike re-launches 2010/11 Total 90 Tracer ball
➡️ https://t.co/3WgUxHRyMJ pic.twitter.com/Q28hmjrfV8
— Premier League (@premierleague) February 15, 2020
7. NIKE ORDEM 4 (2016-17)
How’s this for a weird stat? The Nike Ordem 4 Hi-Vis saw the highest average number of goals per game. The design of the ball was a complete gamechanger and the vibrant colours were soothing on the eyes. It was also revolutionary for its proprioceptive grip feature.
? BYE-BYE HI-VIS Tonight’s #PL action sees a return to the white @Nike PL Ordem 4 for the remainder of the 2016/17 season pic.twitter.com/vLRrzUM0pV
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 8, 2017
Read: How Leeds United Ended Their 16-Year Premier League Wait
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