New Delhi: Al Rihla has been revealed by Adidas as the official match ball for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 on Wednesday.
The 14th successive ball that Adidas has created for the FIFA World Cup is designed to support peak game speeds, as it travels faster in flight than any ball in the tournament’s history.
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Al Rihla means “the journey” in Arabic and is inspired by the culture, architecture, iconic boats and flag of Qatar. The bold, vibrant colours set on a pearlescent background represent the FIFA World Cup host country and the ever-increasing speed of the game.
Designed from the inside out using data and rigorous testing at Adidas labs, in wind tunnels and on the pitch by football players themselves, Al Rihla provides the highest levels of accuracy and reliability on the field of play, partly due to its new panel shape and surface textures, as per FIFA.
“The game is getting faster and, as it speeds up, accuracy and flight stability become critically important,” said Franziska Loffelmann, the Design Director – Football Graphics and Hardwear at Adidas.
“The new design allows the ball to maintain a significantly higher speed as it journeys through the air. 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,” he added.
The ball was designed with sustainability as a priority; indeed, Al Rihla is the first FIFA World Cup ball to be made exclusively with water-based inks and glues.