Meet the Euro 2008 Final Matchball

That silvery sphere to the left it the official ball for the Euro 2008 final, as unveiled by UEFA today. If you’re feeling cynical, you could just argue that the Adidas Europass Gloria is exactly the same as the regular Adidas Eurpoass ball that will be used throughout the tournament, except it’s silver. And you’d be right.

But I still like the idea of having a “special” matchball for the final, it all adds to the sense of occasion. As well as being silver, the ball also features “images evoking the past European champions that the two teams will be hoping to emulate at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion,” which is a nice little touch.

Plus, if we’re honest, the regular Adidas Europass Euro 2008 match ball (left) is a bit dull isn’t it? Certainly it’s not quite as colourful as the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations ball. But I’m sure it works just fine, which is the important right?

Here’s a quick look at how one of the regular (non-final) Europass balls is manufactured: