Charles Goodyear's Soccer Ball

In 1836 Charles Goodyear patented vulcanized rubber. Prior to this, balls were dependant on the size and shape of the pig's bladder. The more irregular the bladder, the more unpredictable the behavior of the ball was when kicked. However; it would not be until the twentieth century until most balls were made with rubber bladders.

In 1855, Charles Goodyear designed and built the first vulcanized rubber soccer balls (footballs). The following picture shows the Charles Goodyear ball that is on display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame which is located in Oneonta, NY, USA.
When FIFA's Denominations Programme on football quality kicked-off in January 1996, Joseph S.Blatter, now FIFA President, was unequivocal in his assessment of its effect: "In raising the actual standard of footballs, the FIFA Denominations Programme will also help improve the level of the game," he said.

It was a strong statement - but one which has been borne out in reality. There's no doubt the modern, FIFA-licensed football is more responsive, allowing players to hone and demonstrate their skills to a higher level - confident that a ball with the FIFA mark will react to even the deftest of touches.
Oldest Soccer Ball (Football) Facts:
Designed and Built in 1855 by Charles Goodyear
Made of vulcanized rubber panels glued at the seams
Panels are shaped similar to today's basketball
The ball was used for a game between the Oneida Football Club, the first organized team in the US, and a team of players from Boston Latin and Boston English Schools. The Oneida club was formed by Gerritt Smith-Miller and came from the students at Dixwell Latin School, where he was a student. Dixwell Latin merged with other schools over time and is a forbear to Noble & Greenough, an independent school located in Dedham, MA. The game was played on Boston Common, where there is a monument to commemorate the game, on November 7, 1863. The ball became the trophy from that game as shown in the picture above.
The ball was donated by the family of Gerritt Smith-Miller to The Society For the Preservation of New England Antiquities in 1925. The National Soccer Hall of Fame displays it on loan from them.
It is interesting to note that when James Naismith developed the game of basketball, the first game was played with - a soccer ball!