Bola Gema Pakistan is in Sialkot,

a city that produces most of the world's footballs,

nearly 70%.

And even as team sports have come to a standstill

during the pandemic,

these manufacturers kept business going.

For 13 years, Waseem Shahbaz Lodhi has been running this factory.

It all starts at this machine,

which creates sheets out of hot rubber.

They are cut into a round shape

and form the bladder, or inner lining, of a football.

Next, the bladders are inflated

and placed into metal steam machines,

where they bake for a few minutes, hardening the rubber.

In another part of the factory,

workers cut patches for the ball's external shell.

Leather was once used to make the outer surface,

but it can soak up water.

So factories now use a synthetic substitute.

Each ball is made of 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons,

and there are several ways of putting them together.

But that process is slow and costly,

which is why Bola Gema has changed with the times.

Saeeda Bibi works on the thermal-bonded balls.

It's like putting a puzzle together.

She refers to a diagram

and then joins the different pieces by hand

using a special glue.

Next, the ball is placed in here,

and the inner lining is bonded on.

That's the perfect weight for a FIFA-approved ball,

which can sell for over $100 in the US,

more than the monthly wages of some workers

who make these balls.

Ahead of the last World Cup in 2018,

Pakistan exported over 37 million footballs

across the globe.

Until today, the industry remains a major source of income,

with at least 1,000 football factories in Sialkot alone

employing nearly 60,000 people.

But during the pandemic, many closed down.

But Waseem has been looking out for his workers.

These days, Bola Gema has its eyes on the prize:

the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

It has already started manufacturing balls

ahead of the event.

But before they are exported,

the footballs go through one last stress test.

Machines then deflate the balls

so that they can be easily packed and shipped off.

And even as the pandemic drags on,

Waseem hopes that the football industry will bounce back.