World’s oldest football heads to US for World Cup

The world’s oldest football – and one of Scotland’s most remarkable historical objects – is heading to the United States for the World Cup match between Brazil and Scotland on June 24.

It is the first time in its nearly 500-year history that the ball will attend a FIFA World Cup game.

The football was discovered in the 1970s, lodged in the rafters behind oak panelling in the Queen’s Chamber at Stirling Castle, during renovation works.

Scientific testing dated it to between roughly 1540 and 1570 — the era of James V and the young Mary, Queen of Scots, who lived in those very rooms as a child.

Roughly the size of a small melon, the ball is made from thick leather panels stitched together and turned inside out for a smoother, more aerodynamic surface, with a pig’s bladder forming the inner core.

Recognised by Guinness World Records as the oldest football in the world, it is celebrated as one of the “History of Scotland in 25 Objects” and remains the prize exhibit of the Smith’s collection of more than 40,000 artworks and objects.

Caroline Mathers, director of the Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum, said: “This is one of the most exciting moments in the recent history of the Smith.

“The world’s oldest football belongs to Stirling, and to see it travel to the United States to take its place alongside the world’s greatest football tournament is a source of enormous pride.

“It is a reminder that a small, free-to-enter museum in central Scotland holds objects of genuine international importance — treasures that tell the story of our nation to the world. We are delighted to share it on the global stage, and we look forward to welcoming it home again.”

Neil Benny, chairman of the board of trustees at the Smith, said the football, which has been part of Stirling’s story for nearly five centuries, is now “an ambassador for the city on the world stage”.

Lucy Casot, chief executive of Museums Galleries Scotland, added: “The world’s oldest football is an extraordinary object that connects Scotland’s rich sporting heritage with a game followed and loved across the globe.

“This international loan is a fantastic opportunity to showcase one of the most significant items in the Stirling Smith’s collection and to share an important part of Scotland’s story with new audiences.

“As the ball takes its place alongside the world’s best players and most passionate fans in the United States, it is a powerful reminder of the global reach of Scotland’s collections.”

Upon arrival in the United States, the ball will go on display at the Coral Gables Museum in Miami, where it will be on view to the public from June 20 to 26.

The Smith hosted a special farewell ceremony on Friday so visitors could view the ball on home soil one last time before it crosses the Atlantic.