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Why Does a Football Swerve?
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A spinning soccer ball is shown with curved blue airflow lines around it, illustrating the Magnus effect. Text reads: spinning ball equals spinning air.
A man wearing glasses and a blue turtleneck holds a globe patterned like a soccer ball, with stadium and physics equations in the background and text above stating Science of Soccer.
Photo and labeled diagram of the Trionda soccer ball used in FIFA 2026, featuring red, blue, and green panels for host countries, four aerodynamic panels, a motion sensor chip, and counterweights for balance. Diagram of a football penalty kick showing a ball on the penalty spot, a yellow aiming line toward the center of the goal, and a simplified goalkeeper standing in front of the net. English footballer David Beckham Football star Lionel Messi, December 2022 Magnus effect
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Why Does a Football Swerve?: Media

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Videos

How Physics Makes “Impossible” Soccer Kicks Possible
You can't bend it like Beckham without a little help from physics.
Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Images

Inside the Trionda: The 2026 FIFA World Cup Ball
An annotated image of the Trionda, the official match ball of the 2026 FIFA World...
© Noushad Thekkayil—NurPhoto/Getty Images; Photo illustration Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
English footballer David Beckham
Considered one of football's elite players, David Beckham became known for his iconic...
© Paolo Bona/Shutterstock.com
Football star Lionel Messi, December 2022
The way in which a player strikes a football affects its spin. Argentine-born football player...
© Manan Vatsyayana—AFP/Getty Images
Magnus effect
Differences in the velocity of airflow around a spinning cylinder result in pressure...
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Interactives

Magnus Effect Explained: How Spinning Air Curves a Soccer Ball
A spinning ball drags air with it, creating faster airflow on one side and slower...
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Physics kick: Curve your shot
Step onto the football pitch and discover the science behind scoring amazing free...
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.