Search icon

Football

30th Mar 2022

Adidas unveil official 2022 World Cup match ball

Callum Boyle

The players will be playing with a football at the World Cup

It’s that time where the World Cup starts to creep up on us slowly and we prepare for a flurry of new announcements ahead of its launch.

From new kits to players picked for their international squads, it’s all very exciting, but not as enthralling as finding out what the ball looks like.

It sparks regular debates about which one is the best from previous tournaments. We all have our own opinions but let’s be honest, if you say the Jabulani, you’re wrong.

This time Adidas have unveiled their 14th consecutive World Cup ball ahead of the tournament in Qatar and it doesn’t disappoint.

What does the ball look like?

Adidas revealed the surprise on social media on Wednesday. The ball is called ‘Al Rihla’ – which translates as “the journey” in Arabic and it has some rather special features to it.

The ball will be more environmentally friendly than ever

As reported by Versus.co.uk, the ball is set to travel faster than any other ball in World Cup history.

Furthermore, the design of the ball will show details which have been inspired by the architecture, famous boats and of course, the flag of Qatar.

The colours of the ball will also come to life when the ball is in motion, which will capture the eyes of fans during the games in the Middle East.

Most importantly, the ball designed by Adidas is more environmentally friendly than ever, having been designed from only water-based inks and glues.

In slightly less environmentally friendly news, the ball will be jetted around the globe to feature alongside several stars including Kaka and Iker Casillas to promote it before we see it in action for real in November.

Related links: