The 2022 Cup ball was officially unveiled to the general public on Wednesday. Al Rihla, from its name meaning “the journey” in Arabic, is the 14th leather designed by the brand with the three stripes for a Cup.
The 2022 Cup ball was officially unveiled to the general public on Wednesday. Al Rihla, from its name meaning “the journey” in Arabic, is the 14th leather designed by the brand with the three stripes for a Cup.
After Telstar 18, make way for Al Rihla! While the identity of the vast majority of participants in the 2022 Cup is now known, adidas revealed this Wednesday the official ball which will be used on the lawns of Qatar, from November 21 to December 18. This is, by the way, the 14th ball created by the brand with the three stripes for a Cup, since 1970.
Al Rihla, meaning “the journey” in Arabic, is presented in simple but festive colors, with a majority white mixed with blue, red or even yellow, drawing inspiration from Qatari culture, its architecture but also the flag of Qatar. “More aerodynamic than any other Cup ball, it has been designed to promote rhythmic play”specifies the press release published by adidas for the occasion.
For this new leather that Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr or Cristiano Ronaldo will boot during this next Cup, the emphasis has been placed on precision and reliability. Two technologies make up Al Rihla in this sense, as detailed by adidas.
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CRT-CORE : it is the soul of the ball, which gives it speed, precision and homogeneity for precise and fast play, excellent shape retention, air retention and optimized rebound precision.
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SPEEDSHELL : This textured PU coating with a new 20-facet shape improves the precision, stability of the ball in flight and the effects applied to it thanks to textures worked at the macro and micro level and a debossed surface.
Important novelty to report in the design of this ball: “The glues and inks making up this sphere are water-based”, assures the American brand. Another special gesture around this ball: “1% of Al Rihla’s net sales will be donated to the Common Goal movement, committed to fighting inequality and supporting amateur football communities around the world”.
At last, “The launch of Al Rihla marks the start of a journey that offers many opportunities for players around the world: the ball will be presented in 10 cities where adidas have planned to launch new equality-focused initiatives. » All in a tense context, where the awarding of the Cup to Qatar remains very controversial, as are the conditions of workers responsible for the construction of stadiums in this country where human rights are known to be flouted.
