London , England ( CNN ) -- There are many off-field aspects to the modern-day World Cup which makes the experience complete for soccer-crazy fans ; from the unveiling of a tournament mascot to themed merchandise such as computer games and event specific kits for the teams taking part . Another crucial element to this list of tournament treats is the release of the all-important official World Cup football . The 2010 edition of the event , which will kick off in South Africa on June 11 , is no different , with football 's world governing body FIFA commissioning German sport manufacturer Adidas to create the hallowed orb . The ball has been named `` Jabulani '' -- a Zulu phrase which means `` to celebrate '' -- and uses eleven different colors to represent the eleven players on a team , as well as the eleven official languages and tribes of South Africa . Not since 1986 has the World Cup used a leather ball -- and the `` Jabulani '' is far removed from its more simple parent with eight thermally-bonded panels used in its construction . It is thought that demand will be high for the spheres come June , and in anticipation 1,760 a day are being produced using complex processes such as high-frequency forming , vacuuming and thermal bonding , which Adidas says give the product `` ground-breaking '' performance . Chelsea and Germany captain Michael Ballack for one seems to be a fan , after he told reporters `` the ball does exactly what I want it to do '' on its release . Whether the ball will help Ballack 's side go two better than their third-place finish in 2006 , to pick up their fourth world title , remains to be seen .
The new 2010 World Cup ball is named `` Jabulani '' , which means `` to celebrate '' in Zulu . Adidas rrigorously tested the ball in their specially made wind tunnel in Scheinfeld , Germany . World Cup footballs have not been made out of leather since the 1986 edition of the tournament in Mexico .