Time to bond with the 'beautiful game'

Modern adhesives enable football boots to be significantly lighter than they were in Pelé’s era. High-end models weigh less than 100 grams. This helps make the players faster, helps conserve energy and improves stamina.

Today’s ultra-light boots are also remarkably sturdy: Advanced materials can be held together by high-performance adhesives. Tongues, eyelets, toecaps, heel reinforcements and various foam inlay materials can be adhesive-bonded into place. The sole, too, can consist of several parts that each have to be joined to the uppers. Again, high-performance adhesives can be used. One of the latest developments from Henkel is a polyurethane adhesive that firmly bonds the upper with the sole in one operation with a single smear. For manufacturers, that means lower adhesive consumption and improved production sustainability.

Balls, too, can be made from advanced plastics, with panels that are simply bonded together. Henkel says the seamless surface produced gives the ball maximum wear resistance, improves its flight characteristics and reduces water absorption on wet match days.

All we fans can do now is cross our fingers and hope luck and our team find some way of bonding together...