The Ultimate Football Buying Guide

The Complete Football Buying Guide

Selecting the right football is a simple process when using our football buying guide. Although, there are so many quality footballs to choose from, it can seem quite daunting, at first. When shopping online, it would appear that every retailer is selling the best football. They all sight reasons why you should buy their models. It can be incredibly overwhelming, with the number of retailers, brands, sizes and types of footballs. Not to mention the staggering range in prices. We aim to help you through the buying process with our ultimate football buying guide.

How To Choose The Right Football 1st Time – Football Buying Guide

We have to consider, that there are 2 types of buyers, when looking at a football buying guide. Firstly, there is the buyer that is making a single, one off purchase, probably as a gift for a relative. Second is the buyer for football clubs and schools, who may be looking for bulk buy deals across a variety of models. We hope to cover both aspects of buying a football with our guide. However, the reason why buyers choose any particular football are personal and may be influenced by brands they have used before. There are a number of factors to consider when narrowing down your search for your football purchase, such as;

• Budget – How much money do you have to spend on any given football, is probably the number 1 consideration (or should it be number 2).
• Type of football – Is the ball for training purposes, match use or a keepsake. You can use a keepsake or gifted football to collect signatures from professional players. People usually keep these footballs untouched, reserving them for display only. (should this be the 1st consideration?)
• Size of football – There are 5 sizes to consider, when buying a football. The sizes are specific for a particular age, so it is especially important to select the correct size.
• Brand of football – The brand you ultimately choose, may be influenced by brands you have used or purchased in the past. If you are not brand conscious, you can often get more for your money, in other words – great quality footballs for less money.
• Which retailer? online or in store – which retailer to use is often based on the quantity of balls and your vicinity to a physical retail outlet.

What Type Of Footballs Are There To Buy? – Football Buying Guide

The football you buy depends on its intended use. Training footballs are primarily for practice, but some high-quality options can also serve as match footballs. Since training footballs experience more frequent use, they need to be durable and reliable. Match footballs should be reserved exclusively for games to preserve their quality and extend their lifespan. The 3 main types of footballs you will encounter as follows;

• Training footballs – These tend to be cheaper but are often more durable than match footballs
• Match footballs – There is a wide range of qualities within the match football sector. This in turn means the price range, from the cheapest match football to the most expensive is vast
• Pro quality footballs – If you have the budget for a pro quality football, then you need to consider 1 further factor. Are you wasting your money? Can you buy a similar quality football without the FIFA Quality Pro badge and save at times, at least 50%. If the FIFA Quality Pro or league branding is important, then you will pay a premium for these models.

What Size Football Do I Need To Buy? – Football Buying Guide

We have covered the sizes used per age group already in our Definitive Football Size Guide. However, the sizes available are as follows – Size 1, Size 2, Size 3, Size 4 and Size 5

• Mini Footballs (Size 1) – These are ideal for players aged up to and including age 4. They the perfect starter football, for young players to develop early football skills.
• Midi Footballs (Size 2) – The size 2 footballs are slightly bigger than size 1 and are for young players aged from 3 to 6 years.
• Size 3 Footballs – Players playing footballs from aged 6 through to under 10 would use a size 3 football
• Size 4 Footballs – People sometimes refer to a size 4 football as a transition ball. It suits players between the under-11 and under-14 age groups
• Finally, Size 5 Footballs – All players aged 15 and above would use a size 5 football.

When buying a training or match football, choose the right size to support the player’s development. Buying a ball that’s too big, hoping the player will grow into it, is ineffective. Using an oversized football can hurt a player’s confidence.

Are All Football Brands The Same?

With so many football brands available, how do you decide which one to buy? Brands that spend heavily on marketing often seem like the obvious choice, but does that guarantee the best quality? Established brands are more likely to keep stock year-round and offer a wide range, including FIFA Quality Pro footballs. If you specifically need a FIFA Quality Pro football, a major brand is probably your best option.

However, if you’re looking for training footballs, your options expand significantly. Many lesser-known brands offer a wide selection of match-quality footballs at different price points. Some online football specialists even produce their own footballs, with several offering reliable options worth considering for training use.

Which Football Brands Should You Consider When Buying A Football?

• Mitre – Sponsors of the Official 2024/25 FA Cup ball and one of the oldest football brands. Founded in 1817, Mitre Sports International has manufactured footballs for clubs across the world. The Mitre range evolves each year, with the use of the latest materials and technology. Mitre was the first official football sponsor of the Premier League until Nike took over on 2000/01.
• Nike – Sponsors of the Premier League since 2000/01 and a major sponsor of almost every European football league. As such, Nike have huge tv exposure and it’s no surprise kids request this brand of football more often, for birthday and Christmas presents.
• Adidas – Official ball sponsors of the Champions League, UEFA Conference League and Europa League. Again, Adidas gain huge tv exposure and therefore are one of the most visible football brands
• Precision Sports – The Precision brand doesn’t have the exposure of the brands previously mentioned, mainly due to their lack of marketing spend. However, the quality of their footballs is up there with the best. An example of quality over hype. Their Fusion training football is arguably, the best training football on the market today.
• I-Pro Football – I met Tony from I-Pro Football and he spend some time telling why his footballs were as good as the leading brands. When the 1st shipment arrived, we were very impressed. However, it was a challenge to convince the football buyers to try the balls, as they didn’t know the brand. Quality wins through though, with most of the clubs buying I-Pro footballs, as they tend to make repeat purchases. Another example of quality over hype.

Other Football Brands To Consider

• Molten – Molten are a leading ball brand in basketball and volleyball. Molten footballs are also very popular across Europe. However, the Molten brand has struggled to convince the UK buyers that their football, are up there with the best. A short foray into the European football as the official ball supplier, didn’t really change opinions. I can personally vouch for the brands quality but maybe their training balls are on the pricey side compared to other football brands.
• Puma – Puma returned to topflight football in 2021/22 to become the Official football of the EFL (English Football League). I will be honest, I haven’t physically tried any of the Puma footballs but would be happy to do so, if they send me samples.
• Joma, Uhlsport and a number of Own Label brands are also worth considering. Retailers with a large online presence often bring training footballs under their own trading name. This can be quite lucrative given the volumes of training footballs sold in the UK each year.

There are a number of links from the images to Amazon. These are affiliate links and we may earn a commission should you make a purchase. This helps us maintain our high standards and continue posting guides like this.

Which Is Our Favourite Training Footballs?

Which Is Our Favourite Match Footballs?

Our Current Favourite Pro Quality Match Footballs

We are currently unable to find direct affiliate links to the above Pro Quality footballs but they can be found on Mitre.com at full rrp.