NASA tests FIFA World Cup 2026 ball on the ISS: what the microgravity experiments reveal about soccer ball design

Image of the International Space Station floating above Earth with visible solar panels.

NASA took a FIFA World Cup 2026 match ball onto the International Space Station to study how mass distribution and spin affect flight. The microgravity tests tie into earlier wind-tunnel and ISS experiments that help engineers account for embedded sensors and improve flight predictability.