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# This small leather ball was found during the restoration of Stirling Castle in Scotland in the late 1970s and is considered the oldest surviving football in the world
- URL: https://theparnassian.com/en/etot-nebolshoi-kozhanyi-miach-byl-naiden-pri-restavratsii-shotlandskogo-zamka-sterling-v-kontse-1970-kh-godov-i-schitaetsia-stareishim-iz-sokhranivshikhsia-futbolnykh-miachei-v-mire/
- Published: 2026-07-07T06:24:45.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-01T05:25:41.000Z
- Author: Alexandr Radayev
- Tags: Archaeology, Monarchies, Museums, Heritage

This small leather ball was found during the restoration of Stirling Castle in Scotland in the late 1970s and is considered the oldest surviving football in the world. It is almost 500 years old. The find is dated to the period between the 1540s and 1570s.

The ball is stitched from thick leather panels, and inside is an inflated pig's bladder, which served as the inner tube. Traces of repair confirm that it was indeed played with for a long time.

Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, lived in these apartments as a child. The future queen was fond of sporting games, football included, but no direct evidence has been found that Mary played with this particular ball.