The 2022 Qatar World Cup is set to get underway by the end of November. As we’re looking ahead to the soccer nations fighting it out for the most prestigious title, knowing about the ball a little more is surely a worthy thing to do. Don’t underestimate the World Cup ball by considering it “just a ball.”
The World Cup ball is always special, as it features all the latest technologies to ensure the best possible playing features.
Unveiling FIFA World Cup 2022 Ball
Qatar 2022 has already become a special edition in many ways; the soccer ball is just a feather to be added. Adidas unveiled the official World Cup soccer ball before the group stage draw. It went on the Adidas.com website on 30th March 2022 for sale.
Argentine skipper and legend of football Lionel Messi, together with South Korean Captain & Spurs superstar Son Heung-min participated in the match ball’s promotion.
Adidas has been the football supplier to the FIFA World Cup since 1976. This is the 14th consecutive time Adidas designed the tournament ball, and as per their claims, Al Riha is one of the best FIFA World Cup balls.
What is the ball for the 2022 World Cup?
The official match ball for the Qatar 2022 World Cup has a new name, “Al Rihla.” The name originated from Arabic, and the meaning refers to “the journey” or “the travelogue,” which keeps documents of it. The name is inspired by Qatari culture, heritage, architecture, the national flag, and iconic boats. Regarding the match ball, Adidas stated on their official website that the ball is only the beginning, and the rest of the football journey is yet to be written.
What is the design of the Qatar match ball?
The ball has a white background as the main color, combined with a modern, multi-colored design. The purpose of using eye-catching and vivid colors is to represent the increasingly fast pace of the game and the host nation, Qatar. Besides the color variations, sustainability was the prime concern while designing the ball.
Al Rihla’s splintered pattern was inspired by the Qatari flag and their traditional Arab clothing. The pearlescent finish of the ball will add a little extra sparkle and shimmer while in the air.
While designing the ball, Adidas kept the environment at heart as well. All the components used while manufacturing the balls were carefully considered. Thus, Al Rihla is going to be the first match official ball in World Cup history that’s exclusively made with glues and water-based inks. All these materials don’t pose any threats to the environment.
What’s so special about the World Cup 2022 ball?
Al Rihla underwent rigorous testing through different phases, including on-pitch, Adidas labs, wind tunnels, etc., and was designed from the data-driven results. The ball provides maximum accuracy and on-field reliability thanks to its innovative surface textures and newest panel shape.
The main features that made Al Riha unique:
- CRT-CORE: This feature which is an innovative core, is described as the ‘heart of the ball’ as it provides the ultimate speed, precision, and consistent performance to let the footballers and the audience enjoy fast-paced games. It also ensures maximum air retention along with rebound accuracy.
- SPEEDSHELL: It is a textured polyurethane (PU) skin that features modern thermally-bonded 20-piece panel shapes combined with micro and macro textures featuring diamond debossing and amazing texturing. The shape of the panels refers to the triangular-sized sails of the native dhow boats of Qatar. Overall, it improves flight stability and the ball’s swerve while guaranteeing better accuracy. The surface debossing is a plus for the ball.
FIFA claims that the ball’s CRT-CORE and SPEEDSHELL features make Al Rihla the fastest ball in World Cup history. According to their sources, the ball is designed to support peak game pace as it can travel faster during flights than any previous ball. Thus, it can produce high-speed and high-quality games in tournaments.
Where is the Al Rihla ball made?
Al Riha is made in Pakistan. Although Pakistan got banned by FIFA due to the hostile takeover in 2021, they continued their World Cup match ball manufacturing traditions. Among all the 14 Adidas World Cup balls, only 2010 and 2014 were the two occasions where Pakistan missed the opportunity of being the ball manufacturing country.
When and where to get Al Rihla?
After being inaugurated on 30th March, the ball first got exclusively through Adidas stores until 12th April 2022. The ball was fully released to the independent retailers and started taking place on the 13th of April. Fans who want to purchase the ball will get it exclusively on Adidas.com.
FIFA World Cup Ball 2022 Price
If you live in the U.S., you will get the retail price of the Al Rihla at $165, the same as the Adidas Telstar 18 in the previous World Cup. In the UK, the price is £130; in other EU countries, the price will be €155.
Al Rihla- Promoting Adidas Common Goal Movement
Al Rihla is unique and a historic World Cup ball in another aspect. 1% of total revenues generated by selling the match balls worldwide will be donated to participate in Adidas’s “Common Goal” movement.
This program was launched in early 2020 by the Adidas football collective and is committed to making change through soccer, bringing together the present, past, and future initiatives to empower football communities and teams all over the globe.
Thus, Al Rihla will be the first match ball ever in 92-years long World Cup history that will directly contribute to a fundraising program that can positively impact millions of lives worldwide. It can also support football as a vehicle for driving social change, especially for young global people.
What’s next for Al Rihla?
As per Adidas’s plan, Al Rihla is expected to travel to 10 different cities worldwide, including Dubai, Shanghai, Tokyo, New York, Mexico City, and others. It is also aiming to expand access by the local footballing communities and use soccer to build awareness among people as part of a series of purposeful activations by Adidas.
This is a great project as it will give fans across the boards a lifetime opportunity to engage themselves with the World Cup event and build excitement ahead of the official kick-off of the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Final Words
Finally, a sustainable, stunning, and high-quality FIFA World Cup official match ball like Al Rihla can present the best World Cup matches and moments to the fans.
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