There are as many soccer balls as there are fish in the sea. Sometimes there are so many of them that you don’t know how to choose one. However, most of them are cheap and made from low quality materials. I don’t know about you, but I need to play with a good soccer ball in order to feel comfortable on the field.

I can get around playing with bad soccer cleats, but I can’t stand playing with a bad soccer ball. I guess that if you are reading you are looking for a great choice, otherwise, you would just go to your nearest sporting goods store and buy the first cheap ball you see.

Most of the best soccer balls out there aren’t even available on Amazon, and neither on most physical stores. You will want to make a wise decision as most great quality soccer balls aren’t cheap. All the soccer balls I will mention in this article are worth every penny, and I guarantee you will feel that your money was well spent.

My #1 pick

What are the 3 most important things I look for in a soccer ball? Reliability, consistency, and stability. The Nike Flight Soccer Ball fulfills these 3 things as no other soccer ball has done it before.

A ball like this is not available at normal online stores like Amazon or eBay. However, I recently found it in I soccer online store a trust a lot. You can take a look at it here at soccer.com.

Nike claims they’ve made the most advanced investigations ever on the physics of a soccer ball to achieve all the 3 aspects I mentioned above. Most soccer players agree that soccer balls need to be predictable in the air. They want a ball where you get what you put in and not a ball that moves randomly in the air.

One of the most criticized balls ever was the Jabulani of the 2010 world cup because it was very unpredictable. I would say the Nike Flight is the opposite of the Jabulani. Nike has done an amazing job to make the air around the ball when in flight to flow correctly, which prevents the ball from making unexpected changes of direction.

Overall, this is a ball I can trust, both as a soccer player and as a buyer. I think it is one of the few soccer balls above 100 dollars that is actually worth the money. Besides, there is a good reason why it is the official soccer ball of the English Premier League.

Another great option

Before my #1 pick existed, the Select Derbystar was the most reliable soccer ball on the market. Select is my favorite soccer ball brand. They have a long time making some of the best soccer balls out there.

However, they were not very popular until a couple of years back it became the official Bundesliga ball. They are still hard to find today but right now they are conveniently available at soccer.com.

The only reason why this is not my #1 pick is because it is more expensive than the previous ball. On the other hand, I believe they are more durable so you are willing to spend some extra money to have a more durable soccer ball this would be a great choice.

The select brand in general makes great soccer balls. If you are not willing to pay that much money for a ball you can also check this model at soccer.com which is also a FIFA approved ball for a considerably lower price.

Should you buy high-end soccer balls?

High end soccer balls are extremely good soccer balls, even at their 165-180 price points. I recommend the telstar because its accesible for most people and is becoming cheaper with time, while still being a great soccer ball.

I woud recommend buying high-end soccer balls only if you are playing at a soccer field with decent conditions. This balls are not meant to be used in street soccer or rough surfaces, as it can prejudice the durability of the ball. If this is your case, I would recommend you to buy some of my budget options below.

There is a huge difference between playing with the cheap soccer balls we grew up with, and playing with a high end-professional ball. I still remember the first time a got to play with one. WOW, it was a completely different experience and it feels so good and satisfying the feel that they give (I mean, for 165 dollars it has to be good).

At this price range it is hard to go wrong with any soccer ball from the big brands: Nike, Adidas, Puma or even Selecto (yes, that is a great soccer balls brand).

How to choose the perfect soccer ball for you

I made these steps to help you decide what is the best soccer ball for you:

Where are you going to use it?

Depends for what and where you want to use the ball. For example, if you only want to play in the streets or an indoor court with your friends, then just buy a cheap ball. In the other hand, if you want a ball to practice freekicks, passing technique and others, in an artificial or natural grass field, it’s a good idea to invest a little bit more in the quality of the ball.

How much are you willing to spend?

It is not necessary to spend 170 dollars in a professional soccer ball as I said before. You can find cheaper balls for a good price with FIFA quality pro standards. Also, in online stores there can possibly be great discounts in high end soccer balls you can take avantage of.

However, if you have the money and you are willing to spend it, buy one of the professional balls. They are amazing and give a totally different playing experience.

What type of player are you?

Do you like to play with lightweight soccer balls that, when you kick, the ball travels super fast and unpredictably to the goalkeeper? Then the Telstar and the Adidas brand in general is a good choice.

Or do you like to play the classic style with rock-solid soccer balls that give you the confidence you have control over them? Then the nike Ordem would be awesome for you.

Why you should buy it at Soccer.com?

It’s totally okay to buy soccer gear at Amazon. The problem with buying on Amazon for us, the soccer gear buyers, is that we run out of options quickly. The variety Amazon has related to soccer gear is decent, but very limited in comparison to online soccer stores. Most of the time, when I want to buy specific soccer gear that I’ve seen on the web, it won’t be available on Amazon.

If I was going to buy soccer gear at this moment, the last place I would do it is at Amazon. Online soccer stores are notably superior to amazon’s offer. In fact, I’m not even trusting Amazon anymore when buying soccer cleats because there are retailers that sell fake soccer cleats and because Amazon is only targeting to sell cheap takedown models.

Usually, what we’ll find on Amazon is not necessarily the best gear, but commercial gear that the average person is willing to buy, which is understandable considering Amazon is not an online soccer store.

That’s why most of the time I prefer to buy gear at online stores specific for soccer. The one I trust the most are soccer.com. Online soccer stores simply offer all the soccer gear that is available for us, the soccer player. They sell the soccer gear that we will usually not find physically at any store or at Amazon. Here are some advantages of buying in online soccer stores:

  • You have greater variety: They will usually have all the soccer gear that is available in the market at the recommended price brands wants them to sell. You’ll have more options in colors and sizes, an area in which Amazon is insufficient.
  • You can filter your searches: It is easy to look for the gear that you need because the stores will usually have everything well-organized in the site. For example, you can look for soccer cleats depending on their playing surface (FG, SG, AG), to their brand (Nike, Adidas, Puma, etc), collections, age, and many others.
  • Discounts: Online soccer stores will usually have great discounts on high-end soccer gear all year long on old models or colorways. Especially on buying seasons like Christmas or thanksgiving, their discounts are gold for soccer players.
  • Personalization: At online soccer stores, you are able to personalize your gear if you wish to with your name, numbers, or flags. I bought a pair of soccer cleats with my name and my date of birth on it last year. It’s a nice detail anyone would like on their gear.
  • Better service overall: It’s totally different to deal with amazon when you have complains or doubts about a product, from talking to someone at an online soccer store that is an expert in soccer gear, that knows about the game as much as you do, and that truly understands the player’s needs.

What I like the most about buying at online soccer stores is that you can filter the searches of your cleats. For example, if you want cleats for artificial grass, you can search at the store for cleats only for this surface (you can do the same with FG, SG, indoor, and turf). Or you can also search for a specific brand or collection you like. The user experience is simply a lot better.

The only place where you’ll be able to have all the options of soccer cleats that are currently on the market are these online stores specific for soccer. Amazon’s offer is very bad, and I couldn’t find any good retailer that sold the boots I liked the most. Besides, you’ll probably be able to buy them discounted boots for cheaper at these stores.