Chris Waddle's decisive penalty miss for Booby Robson's England against West Germany in the quarter-final penalty shoot-out in World Cup 1990 might actually have gone in after all...

That's according to expert football developer (the ball, not the game) Dr Andy Harland, who claims that the infamous strike would have gone in had it been struck with the official World Cup 2010 football.

Last week Adidas unveiled the 'Jabulani' - which means 'to celebrate' in Zulu - the eleventh edition of the brand's official range of World Cup match balls, calling it the most perfectly round ball in history.

Amongst all sorts of cultural and footballing associations, the eleventh edition boasts increased 'grip 'n' groove' and minimal seam to allow for maximum accuracy and an exceptionally stable flight.

And the ball's developer Dr Andy Harland has even gone so far as to venture that the course of footballing history might have been different had the revolutionary ball been used all along.

Referring to Waddle's famous ballooning strike, he told talkSPORT: "He aimed for the top corner. If he had this ball I think he would have got it."

It was also revealed that Germany will hold a crucial advantage going into the World Cup as the 'Jubulani' has already been adopted as the official ball in the Bundesliga. Little Swines!

Catch Waddle's penalty, which might have been so different had he struck it using the ultra-accurate new ball, skip to 3:08 to see his sky-high strike: