Two of Europe’s top leagues are getting ready to kick off their 2023-24 season by releasing new match balls.
In England, the Premier League introduced their new match ball on Thursday, June 15, the same day as the fixtures for the 2023-24 season were announced. It’s the latest version of the Nike Flight ball, a model the Premier League has used since 2020-21.
Touted as a combination of art and science, the 2023-24 Nike Flight model uses a white base with a thick black stripe zigzagging all over the ball. Written in purple inside the black stripe are the coordinates of different nations around the world, a nod to the diversity of the players in the Premier League.
An orange brush stroke pattern swirls over and under the black stripe; thin geometric lines are visible within the brush strokes. The Premier League logo appears on one side of the ball, while a large black Nike swoosh appears on the other side.
The Premier League season starts on Friday, August 11, when newly promoted Burnley face defending champions Manchester City.
Meanwhile, Italy’s Serie A and manufacturer Puma are hoping their latest match ball will once again be out of this world.
On Wednesday, June 14, the league introduced a new version of Puma’s Orbita ball as their match ball for the 2023-24 season. “Orbita is not just a soccer ball or an accessory, it is the key to improving the level of play,” the league’s announcement read. “In Italy, Orbita’s mission is to turn into reality the dreams of all those who want to be professional players like their idols, sharing the joy of playing, which is the pure essence of soccer.”
The design of the 2023-24 match ball is inspired Italy rich motorsports heritage, “which, just like soccer, unites people of different social status and backgrounds, united by their passion for their team. For 90 minutes, the love of the game bridges every gap, connects unknown people and differences fade away.”
The ball’s 12 star-shaped panels are covered in navy blue geometric shapes with lighter blue streaks and smaller shapes running through them. The colors of the Italian flag are found at one end of the navy shapes. Other geometric shapes contain concentric circles radiating out from points where certain panels meet.
Smaller geometric shapes are magenta with black streaks running through them. The Puma logo is magenta with a white outline.
The Puma Orbita Serie A 2023-24 match ball retails for €140 on Puma.com.
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