Crochet Soccer Ball: Free Amigurumi Pattern with Panels

The pattern

The sphere (white)

Worked in a continuous spiral on a small hook so it stays firm.

1. Rnd 1: 6 sc in a magic ring. (6)
2. Rnd 2: Inc in each st around. (12)
3. Rnd 3: (Sc 1, inc) 6 times. (18)
4. Rnd 4: (Sc 2, inc) 6 times. (24)
5. Rnd 5: (Sc 3, inc) 6 times. (30)
6. Rnd 6: (Sc 4, inc) 6 times. (36)
7. Rnd 7: (Sc 5, inc) 6 times. (42)
8. Rnd 8: (Sc 6, inc) 6 times. (48)
9. Rnds 9–18: Sc in each st around. (48)
10. Rnd 19: (Sc 6, dec) 6 times. (42)
11. Rnd 20: (Sc 5, dec) 6 times. (36)
12. Rnd 21: (Sc 4, dec) 6 times. (30)
13. Rnd 22: (Sc 3, dec) 6 times. (24)

Stuff very firmly — a football should be hard, not squashy. Keep pressing more fiberfill in around the sides.

14. Rnd 23: (Sc 2, dec) 6 times. (18)
15. Rnd 24: (Sc 1, dec) 6 times. (12)
16. Rnd 25: Top up the stuffing, then dec 6 times. (6)

Fasten off and close the last 6 stitches through their front loops.

Pentagons (make 12, black)

Each pentagon is a small flat shape with five corners. Worked in joined rounds.

1. Rnd 1: 10 sc in a magic ring, sl st to join. (10)
2. Rnd 2: Ch 1. *2 sc in the next st (corner), sc in the next st.* Repeat from * 4 more times. Sl st to join. (15)
3. Rnd 3: Ch 1. *2 sc in the first st of the corner, sc in the next 2 sts.* Repeat from * 4 more times. Sl st to join. (20)

Fasten off each one leaving a tail about 12 in long for sewing. Press them flat.

Placing and sewing the panels

1. Step 1: Pin one pentagon over the magic ring at the top and one over the closure at the bottom.
2. Step 2: Pin five around the upper third, evenly spaced, leaving a clear white gap between each.
3. Step 3: Pin five around the lower third, each one centred below the gap between two upper pentagons.
4. Step 4: Turn the ball over in your hands and adjust until the white gaps all look about the same size. This is worth five minutes.
5. Step 5: Sew each pentagon down with small whip stitches all around its edge, catching only the surface of the sphere.

Make it your own

• Team colours: swap black for your club's colour, or make the sphere itself in team colours.
• Basketball: an orange sphere with four black surface-stitch lines — far quicker than pentagons.
• Smaller ball: stop the sphere at Rnd 6 (36 sts) and use 6 pentagons worked only to Rnd 2.
• Game-day set: add our team scarf and bottle holder.

Common questions

How many pentagons does a soccer ball have?

Twelve, on a standard truncated-icosahedron football — plus 20 hexagons. This pattern crochets the 12 pentagons and lets the white sphere read as the hexagons.

Can I crochet all 32 panels separately?

You can, and it gives a stunning result, but it takes a full weekend and a lot of sewing. The appliqué method here looks nearly identical from arm's length.

Why does my ball look oval?

Uneven stuffing, usually too little around the middle. Stuff the equator harder than feels necessary and roll the ball between your palms to even it out.

Is it safe to actually kick?

It's a toy, not a football. Indoor rolling and gentle throwing are fine; kicking it outdoors will wear the stitches through quickly.

Which team's colours are you making? ⚽