06/30/2026
A 500-year-old soccer ball has made the journey from Scotland to Florida, and it is about to have its biggest moment yet.
The ball, recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest football, was discovered during renovation work in the 1970s at Stirling Castle. Workers found it lodged in the rafters behind oak paneling in the Queen's Chamber, a room once used by Mary, Queen of Scots. Scientific testing dates it to somewhere between 1540 and 1570.
It is a remarkable object up close. Made from thick leather panels stitched together and turned inside out for a smoother surface, with a pig's bladder forming its inner core, the ball is roughly the size of a melon. It has been carefully kept at the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum in Scotland, which describes it as "a true piece of football history."
Now, for the first time ever, it is on American soil. The ball is on display at the Coral Gables Museum in Miami as part of an exhibition called "Diplomacy and the Beautiful Game: From Scotland to Brazil to Haiti." And on Wednesday, it will be spotlighted at the World Cup match between Brazil and Scotland, making it the first time the ball has ever been present at a FIFA World Cup game. The ball is five times older than the tournament itself.
Mary, Queen of Scots, is known to have been a keen sportswoman who enjoyed football among other sports. Caroline Mathers, director of the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, put it best: "I like to imagine that Mary had a kickabout with this ball at some point."
As for whether it will bring any luck to Scotland, Mathers is hopeful. "We brought the ball over to Miami," she joked, "and I think it's going to bring us good luck." Scotland's fans, known as the Tartan Army, have already made a big impression in the US after flooding Boston for earlier fixtures, and they have now arrived in Miami ready for Wednesday's game.