Less than a year before the opening whistle, Adidas today (Wednesday) launched the official match ball of the 2022 World Cup, inspired by the host country - Qatar.
"The game is getting faster, and as it accelerates, accuracy and stability from the ball become extremely important," explained Francesca Luffelman, Adidas' director of graphics and apparel design.
"The new design allows the ball to maintain its speed significantly higher. It travels in the air. Towards the largest world stage in all sports, we set out to do the impossible, to the possible with radical innovation by creating the fastest and most accurate ball in the World Cup so far."
The ball itself is designed in a way that contains elements of culture, architecture, iconic boats and the Qatar flag - in brown and white.
32 teams.
1 ball to make their dreams a reality ⚽
Introducing Al Rihla, the #OfficialMatchBall of the 2022 #WorldCup
The countdown to Qatar starts now # Qatar2022 |
@adidasfootball pic.twitter.com/LauuuVSO8h
- FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) March 30, 2022
The launch today will mark the beginning of El Rihla's journey to ten cities around the world, where Adidas is creating a series of initiatives aimed at improving access and equality in sports among local communities.
Each session is designed to help improve access to people in local football communities in places like Dubai, Tokyo, Shanghai, Mexico City New York and more.
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