The oldest known football in the world traveled from Stirling, Scotland, to Florida, in the United States, to take part in activities surrounding Scotland’s decisive match against Brazil in the World Cup.
The ball, believed to have been produced between 1540 and 1570, was discovered in the 1970s, trapped between beams at Stirling Castle.
It will be on display at the Coral Gables Museum until Saturday (27) and will also be displayed during the match between Brazil and Scotland this Wednesday (24), starting at 7pm.
The piece was loaned to the museum by the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, where it is the main attraction in a collection of more than 40,000 items.
The ball, recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest in the world, is approximately the size of a small melon.
It is made of thick leather segments that surround a pig’s bladder.
The piece has been dated to the period of James 5th of Scotland and the young Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland in the 16th century, who lived in the castle’s chambers during her childhood.
“Someone in the 1540s must have kicked the ball so high that it stuck to the ceiling. The chronology matches the period when Mary, Queen of Scots, lived in the castle and, of course, the ball was found in the queen’s chambers,” explains Aiofe McKenna, curator at Stirling Smith.
“We can’t say for sure, but we like to imagine that Mary played with this ball,” adds McKenna.
Historical records show that an ancient version of football has been popular in Scotland since the 15th century.
“People loved playing football as much as they do today, but the sport was very different and much more violent,” says McKenna.
And he adds: “Still, this did not prevent its popularity. On the contrary, it was extremely popular. Many Scottish kings tried to ban it because of all the confusion it caused.”
The ball is part of the exhibition Diplomacy and the Beautiful Game: From Scotland to Brazil to Haiti, at the Florida museum.
McKenna said: “It’s really exciting that she’s there for the Scotland v Brazil game. […] Many people come specifically to see the ball, so football fans know it’s here. […] But we believe it will bring his story to a huge audience who may not know that (Stirling) Smith houses this ball.”
The Tartan Army, as Scotland fans are known, arrived in Miami for the Scottish team’s final match in the group stage, after a 1-0 victory against Haiti and a 1-0 defeat to Morocco.
