"If this can be termed the century of the common man, then soccer, of all sports, is surely his game.... In a world haunted by the hydrogen and napalm bomb, the football field is a place where sanity and hope are still left unmolested."  - Stanley Rous, 1952

The soccer ball is without a doubt, the most important thing in soccer.

The players, the fans, the uniforms and the teams they would be useless without the soccer ball. Sure, the player may hit to score, but without the soccer ball what would become of the player?

But while the ball being almighty and powerful, it is vulnerable. A soccer ball can destroyed by barbwire punctures, wear and tear, or simply the quality behind it's design. A quality ball is expensive enough that you're not likely going to play with it in a rough terrain.

Is there a cost effective, ultra-durable soccer ball?

Yes. It's called the One World Futbol.

Invented by Tim Jahnigen and financed by music icon Sting, this inexpensive and ultra-durable soccer ball has already been distributed worldwide to refugee camps, UN hot spots, conflict zones and poor villages throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Since July 8, 2010, a total of 15,000 One World Futbols has been donated to 90 organizations in 77 countries. In addition, musical artists such as Sharika and U2 purchased dozens of One World Futbols for distribution while they were touring in Latin American and South America.

The One World Futbol has been named one of the "10 Best Active Toys" and the "100 Best Toys" by Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D, aka "Dr. Toy." 

How tough is the One World Fubol? Triton the zoo lion from Johannesburg was unable to puncture the ultra-durable soccer ball.

Not only is the One World Futbol durable, it can be played on all terrain conditions and it never deflates.

Using the "Buy One, Give One" model, soccer fans have the opportunity to donate the One World Futbol to a non-governmental organization working with people who live in harsh environments around the world; i.e., countries where there's refugee camps, UN hotspots, conflict zones, inner-cities and poor communities worldwide.

The Portland Timbers are the first MLS team to become involved. Timbers midfielder James Marcelin recently visited the Portland French School to help kick off the school's soccer ball drive for needy children in Haiti. To read more, please click on the link.

Other teams are likely to follow suit. The Seattle Sounders and D.C. United have been in talks with the staff of One World Futbol.

In addition to reaching out to various MLS teams, One World Futbol has a partnership going with A GANAR, a program developed by Partners of the Americas and funded, in part, by the Inter-American Development Bank.

Whether you want to make a difference or have your MLS Club involved, then I recommend you take the step and lead the way. For more information on you can make a difference with One World Futbol, please go to their website.

You can also follow One World Futbol on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

In the end, there's soccer and there's soccer, the game of life.

Cesar Diaz covers Soccer for Latino Sports. You may follow him on Facebook at Covering Soccer and at Twitter at @CoveringSoccer and @LatinoSports143. Please email your questions and comments to Cesar at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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