FIFA Soccer Ball

This is a traditional FIFA soccer ball. It was in 1962 that this 32-panel ball design was developed by Eigil Nielsen.

Until more recent times, this 32 panel design dominated almost all soccer balls in every type of competition.

It is a classic design that I wanted to bring to the LEGO world.

During the last FIFA World Cup (Qatar 2022), I was at my dad’s house and he had an old soccer ball on display that he received from a team he had coached many years ago. It was then I got the idea that perhaps I could make this traditional style soccer ball out of LEGO. 

I recently got a bunch of hook and stick pieces that could form a hinge. I thought if I got the other hinge pieces that I could make the necessary shapes (pentagons and hexagons) to complete the 32-panel design. 

After being able to make the framework, the last challenge was filling up the shapes so that it would look like an actual soccer ball. I believe it turned out better than I imagined. It takes less than 3,000 pieces to build it and 1:1 scale of a size 5 soccer ball.

This is a great set that people of all ages will enjoy. Based on one of the most popular sports, it covers a huge fan base. If this set were released weeks leading up to the 2026 World Cup (hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico) this could easily be a favorite set worldwide.

I’ve always been a fan of soccer and LEGO and ever since I fell in love with both, it’s always been my specialty of combining the two. It’s a lifelong dream to bring a soccer LEGO set to life!

Updates to come as I highly higher milestones on how to “dress” the ball.