Adidas rolled out the Official Match Ball for the FIFA World Cup26 last week, kicking off the countdown to football’s biggest international tournament set to be hosted by a trio of nations (United States, Mexico and Canada) for the first time, and the first multi-nation hosting since Japan and South Korea co-hosted in 2002.

“Named Trionda, meaning three (Tri) waves (Onda), the ball’s red, green and blue design pays homage to the three host countries. Featuring a new iteration of Adidas’ Connected Ball Technology for the first time, Trionda “enables faster in-game officiating decisions and more insight into gameplay than ever before,” the company said in a media release.

“Providing unprecedented insight into every element of the movement of the ball, the technology sends precise ball data to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in real time, which, when combined with player position data and by applying artificial intelligence, helps match officials make faster offside decisions,” the company continued. “Developed in close collaboration with Kinexon, Adidas Connected Ball Technology can also aid match officials in identifying each individual touch of the ball, resulting in less time spent resolving specific incidents, including possible handball.”

The ball features a new four-panel construction for “high performance,” and a design geometry “replicating the waves represented in the ball’s official name.” Each panel features the country colors of red, blue and green, which connect in the form of a triangle in the center of the panel, “symbolizing three nations coming together to host the tournament for the first time.”

Each host nation is also said to be “celebrated by the inclusion of iconography significant to the countries, including a Star for the USA, a Maple Leaf for Canada and an Eagle for Mexico.” The icons are featured as graphics on the panel designs, as well as being embossed onto the matte base of the ball, “providing an intricate all-over texture when viewed up close,” Adidas notes.

The ball’s design is finished with gold embellishments, in homage to the FIFA World Cup trophy and detailing that outlines the motifs across the face of the ball — a champion’s colour for the champion’s ball.”

“With Trionda, every detail has an impact,” offered Sam Handy, general manager at Adidas Football. “The embossed textures, layered graphics and bold colours make the ball stand out instantly, creating a design that feels alive in your hands. It’s the most visually playful FIFA World Cup ball we’ve ever created – a piece of craftsmanship built for the biggest stage, that makes you want to hold it, admire it, and above all, play with it.”

Solene Stoermann, category director at Adidas, added, “Football creates joy – and no other tournament encapsulates that joy like a FIFA World Cup™. For the first time, we’ll see it travel across three countries, and with that comes an Official Match Ball worthy of the occasion. As soon as the tournament hosts were announced, we knew we had to make something special – a ball that can be played everywhere, from the backyard to the world’s biggest stage. Next summer, Trionda is set to be a main character in the biggest show on earth, and we cannot wait for fans and players to enjoy the moment.”

Image courtesy Adidas