World’s oldest football travels from Stirling to Miami

Thought to be about 500 years old, the ball was found in Stirling Castle, in a bedroom once used by Mary, Queen of Scots.

LONDON — The world’s oldest soccer ball, found in a bedroom once used by Mary, Queen of Scots, will go on display for the first time in the United States — having made the long journey across the Atlantic from Scotland to Florida.

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The ball, believed to be about 500 years old, is one of Scotland’s most cherished historical objects. It’s made from thick leather panels stitched together and turned inside out, for a smoother, more aerodynamic surface, and has a pig’s bladder forming its inner core.

The artifact is being loaned from the Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum in Scotland, which called the ball “a true piece of football history.”