FIFA World Cup Ball History

• The official match ball for the Qatar World Cup, according to FIFA, travels more quickly than any other in the competition's history.

Regarding Al Rihla:

• Al Rihla means "the voyage" in Arabic, and so does its name.
• The name is thought to be a nod to a travelogue authored by Ibn Battuta, an explorer from the 14th century who explored Asia, Europe, and Africa.
• Because sustainability was a top concern for the designers, Al Rihla is the first World Cup ball to be created completely with water-based inks and glues.
• Its vivid colour was inspired by the culture, architecture, famous boats, and flag of Qatar.

• The ball's CRT core and speed shell are its primary design elements.
• Due to the placement of an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor in the middle of the ball, Al Rihla offers an essential component for the detection of tight offside events.
• The kick point can be detected with extreme precision thanks to this sensor, which transmits ball data to the video operation room 500 times per second.

World Cup soccer balls' formative years

• The 1930 World Cup's inaugural match lacked an official ball. Before the final, hosts Uruguay and Argentina argued over who should choose the match ball.
• They eventually came to an agreement that the first half would be played with Argentina's option, the Tiento, while the second half would be played with Uruguay's preferred T-model.
• Curiously, Uruguay overturned a 1-2 deficit to win 4-2 with their preferred ball and became champions.
• In 1950, the World Cup returned after a 12-year break, owing to World War II, with Duplo T, which did not have laces. It had valves through which the ball could be inflated with a pump and a needle.
• Adidas entered the scene in 1970: In Mexico in 1970, Adidas came into the picture for the first time, introducing a 32-panel black-and-white design for its iconic Telstar. The visibility of the ball on television improved considerably as a result.
• At West Germany 1974, Adidas became an official partner of Fifa as the company’s name featured on the ball for the first time.
• As the World Cup returned to Mexico in 1986, Adidas introduced Azteca, the first fully synthetic ball to be used in the history of the World Cup.
• The ball retained its shape after being kicked and fared much better than leather balls in water resistance and durability.
• France 1998 saw multicolored balls in use for the first time. Tricolore had the colors of the French flag — red, white, and blue — adorning the triads.
• At South Africa in 2010, Adidas produced the most controversial World Cup ball of all time — Jabulani.
• The manufacturer reduced the number of panels to eight to make the ball more round .
• After the troubles with Jabulani, when Brazil 2014 came around, Adidas sent out samples of the Brazuca to teams and players well in advance for the feedback.
• The ball, made of six polyurethane panels, fared much better than Jabulani.
• In the last World Cup in Russia, Adidas reinvented the classic Telstar model of 1970 with a brand-new panel design.

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