Where Soccer Balls Are Made: Sialkot, China, India and Beyond
Sialkot makes most of the world's footballs. Here is how the global supply chain fits together.
| Hub | Role |
|---|---|
| Sialkot, Pakistan | The "football capital": commonly cited at around 70% of world output (estimates range from 40–70% by category and year). Pakistan exports roughly 40 million balls a year, most still hand-stitched. Forward Sports made the 2026 World Cup ball, its fourth World Cup in a row. |
| China (Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang/Yiwu) | Huge volumes of machine-stitched and bonded balls, promotional and private-label stock. |
| India (Jalandhar, Meerut) | Hand-stitched and machine balls, strong in budget and mid-range training balls. |
| Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia | Secondary hubs for bonded and moulded balls for major brands. |
Brands generally design the balls and contract production to these factories.
Ethical sourcing
Labour standards in Sialkot improved after the child-labour scandals of the 1990s through the Atlanta Agreement and monitoring programmes. We ask every supplier for audit certificates (such as Fair Trade, amfori BSCI or WRAP) before we list their balls.
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