10 Talking Points From The First Round Of World Cup 2018 Group Games
7. Good Ball
Every World Cup involves its own special ball, but they haven't always been warmly-received by the players. Often, the balls seem to be designed with a priority on aesthetics over functionality, leading to some good-looking creations that perform pretty terribly out on the pitch.
2010's Jabulani ball, in particular, was widely-criticised for its unpredictability. However, the ball used in this World Cup, the Telstar 18, has been pretty decent so far. At past tournaments, players struggled to pull off long-range shots, direct free kicks, or cross-field passes due to the irregular flight of the balls, but Russia 2018 has already seen some fantastic set piece deliveries and long-range goals.
The number of brilliant free kicks we've seen in just the first round of matches shows that the players have taken well to the ball and are able to effectively place their shots and passes. A couple of goalkeepers have complained, and we have actually seen two cases of the balls having to be replaced, so the Telstar 18 isn't perfect, but it appears to be one of the better World Cup footballs of recent times.