The world’s oldest football is leaving its home in Scotland for the very first time, embarking on a historic journey across the Atlantic to be showcased during the FIFA World Cup 2026. Before its departure the Lord Lieutenant attended a farewell ceremony in Largs hosted by the Brazilian Consul Faroque Hussain, a resident of Largs and the Stirling Smith Museum , celebrating the artefact’s role in Scotland’s heritage.

Discovered in the 1970s behind oak panelling in the Queen’s Chamber at Stirling Castle, the ball has been dated to between 1540 and 1570—during the reign of James V and the youth of Mary, Queen of Scots. Recognised by Guinness World Records as the oldest football in existence, it is approximately the size of a small melon, crafted from thick leather panels stitched inside out, with a pig’s bladder forming its core.

The football, normally housed at the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, will be displayed at the Coral Gables Museum in Miami from June 20 to 26 as part of the headline exhibition Diplomacy and the Beautiful Game: From Scotland to Brazil to Haiti. The exhibit explores how football has shaped identities across cultures.

In a symbolic moment, the ball will also attend the World Cup match between Brazil and Scotland on June 24—marking the first  time in its nearly 500-year history that it will be present at a FIFA World Cup game.