Euro 2024 has kicked off in spectacular fashion, showcasing jaw-dropping goals from every direction. Could a $170 high-tech football ball be the secret behind this electrifying start? "When you strike it, it stays hit," England captain Harry Kane said. The Adidas Fussballliebe, meaning "love of football" in German, is the official match ball of the European Championship.
And players appear to have quickly mastered it with a slew of stunning, long-range goals. "It’s quick," Kane said. "For me, personally, it is better for the strikers or the goal-scorers than it is for the goalkeepers, so I’m not going to complain about that.
" Nor are the fans after so many spectacular strikes. There was Arda Güler’s curling effort into the top corner from around 20 meters in Türkiye’s 3-1 win against Georgia. That was rivaled by his teammate Mert Müldür’s volley from the edge of the box in the same game.
Romania’s Nicolae Stanciu struck another from a distance against Ukraine and nearly scored directly from a corner kick that hit the crossbar. Xherdan Shaqiri scored a stunner for Switzerland against Scotland, and there were rockets from Italy’s Nicolo Barella and Czech Republic’s Lukas Provod. "Any footballs for these tournaments aren’t exactly made with goalkeepers in mind," Denmark keeper Kasper Schmeichel said.
"It’s a pleasure to strike. You can get good distance. They are certainly not made for the grip for the goalkeeper.
" Official tournament balls have been .
