It wasn't until 1855, when Charles Goodyear patented vulcanized rubber, that soccer balls started taking shape. Literally.

Mitre Impel Max Training Soccer Ball ($19 for size three at the time of publication). Ok, sure: This isn’t the flashy 2022-2023 Premier League ball everyone’s been (rightly) drooling over.

Pelé was a hero to the world and the best soccer player of all time. He was also something else: an inspiration to Black soccer players in America.