Adidas Designs The Fastest World Cup Match Ball In History
With 29 of the 32 competitors in the upcoming 2022 Qatar World Cup confirmed, FIFA has unveiled the newly-designed Official Match Ball that’s touted to travel faster in the air “than any ball in the tournament’s history.”
Named the Al Rihla, which means “the journey” in Arabic, the ball marks a new era in the world’s most popular sport as the first FIFA World Cup ball to be made only using sustainable water-based inks and glues.
The Match Ball’s distinct, bold colors represent the vibrancy of the host country, and the ever-increasing heights of the competition.
“The game is getting faster and, as it speeds up, accuracy and flight stability become critically important. The new design allows the ball to maintain a significantly higher speed as it journeys through the air,” explained Franziska Löffelmann, Design Director of Football Graphics and Hardwear at Adidas.
The Al Rihla is made to make journeys.​
— adidas Football (@adidasfootball) March 30, 2022
Designed from the inside out to follow your feet and write new stories with every touch, this is innovation from core to skin.​
This is the journey, starting now.
Exclusively available at adidas online and retail stores until April 12th. pic.twitter.com/WcWN02uREE
“For the biggest global stage in all of sport, we set out to make the impossible possible with radical innovation by creating the fastest and most accurate FIFA World Cup ball to date,” she added.
To ensure it meets the quality expected at the premier sporting event, Adidas has equipped the ball with a special CRT-core, which will provide speed, accuracy, and consistency with maximum shape and air retention during play.
Additionally, the ball’s textured PU skin, known as Speedshell, takes on a brand-new 20-piece panel shape, which is said to improve flight stability and swerve due to the macro- and microtextures on its surface.
“This is a stunning, sustainable, and high-quality Official Match Ball from Adidas that will be enjoyed by stars performing at the top of their game on the world’s biggest stage in Qatar, as well as grassroots players everywhere,” remarked Jean-François Pathy, FIFA’s Director of Marketing.
“Al Rihla’s worldwide journey will represent the incredible reach of the FIFA World Cup and give fans a unique opportunity to engage with the event as excitement builds ahead of the big kick-off.”
