Ben Clarke, the world’s leading footgolfer, inflates his collection of Adidas Jabulani footballs about once a month. These balls, once widely criticized by footballers, are now considered valuable in the niche sport of footgolf, where players kick a ball into 18 oversized holes in as few strokes as possible. Clarke, who has topped the footgolf world rankings five times, owns three boxed Jabulanis, alongside other Adidas balls from the same era. The Jabulani, used in the 2010 World Cup, was criticized by figures such as former England manager Fabio Capello, who called it “the worst ball that I have seen in my life,” and Brazilian player Robinho, who said “the guy who designed this ball never played football.” However, its unique construction—eight thermally bonded panels, reducing seams to a minimum—has made it ideal for footgolfers, who use the inside of their foot to generate consistent spin, allowing the ball to travel further than any other. With none of these models in production for nearly 15 years, the demand for Jabulanis has driven up their value, with boxed models now fetching upwards of £500. Clarke noted that the last Jabulani he purchased was around £250 three years ago. The scarcity of the balls has led to an arms race among entrepreneurs attempting to create a ball that can rival the Jabulani. Several brands, including FGB (Malaysia), Squb (the Netherlands), Triero (Britain), and Birdie (Brazil), have released footgolf-specific balls that retail for about £100. FGB founder Jeffrey Cottam stated that while their ball is superior in quality and durability, it is still behind the Jabulani in terms of distance and bounce. He aims to release a ball next year that can compete with the Jabulani in all aspects. Sean Rontree, a director of footgolf’s governing body in England, who owns three Jabulanis and three Speedcells, believes there will come a time when no more Jabulanis will be available on the market. Conversations with Adidas have indicated that producing a new batch would require around 10,000 balls to be profitable, a number currently unattainable for the sport. Clarke remains pragmatic, acknowledging that the sport cannot rely indefinitely on a finite supply of Jabulanis. Until a suitable replacement emerges, he will continue his monthly ritual of maintaining his collection. Recently, one of his Jabulanis began losing air, highlighting the challenges of preserving these valuable balls.