Adidas releases "most visually playful ball ever" for World Cup 2026
Adidas has released the official match ball for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which features a motif with a maple leaf, a star and an eagle to symbolise the tournament's three host countries, Canada, the USA and Mexico, and "an innovative new side-mounted chip system".
Called Trionda the ball features a four-panel construction that's covered in swirls of red for Canada, blue for the US, and green for Mexico that come together to "symbolise three nations coming together to host the tournament for the first time".
"For the first time we'll see the [FIFA World Cup] travel across three countries and with that, comes an official match ball worthy of the occasion," said Adidas category director Solene Stoermann.
"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."
Trionda is made of four panels with "intentionally deep seams" and "strategically placed" debossed lines. Additionally, smaller versions of the Canadian maple leaf, a US star and an eagle for Mexico are embossed on its surface.
According to Adidas, the textured surface "produces optimal in-flight stability" with evenly distributed drag and also provides an "elevated grip" when playing in wet or humid conditions.
"With Trionda, every detail has an impact," said Adidas Football General manager Sam Handy. "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."
The company also said the ball contains an evolution in its motion sensor Connected Ball Technology – a 500Hz inertial measurement unit (IMU) motion sensor chip that's affixed within an interior pocket offset by counterweights.
"The IMU motion sensor chip now sits inside a specially created layer in one of the four panels, rather than as a centre-mounted system held in place by a suspension system," said Adidas.
"The addition of counter-balances across the three other panels ensures continued flight stability and balance."
The sensor will relay "precise ball data" to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in real time. From there, player position data and artificial intelligence are then combined to help match officials make faster offside calls, according to Adidas.
Finally, the ball is finished with gold detailing to symbolise the FIFA World Cup trophy.
"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," said Stoermann.
The ball will be used in FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, which are set to kick off 11 June 2026. For the first time in the tournament's history, it will take place across three countries with 48 teams and 16 stadiums.
Before its official launch, Trionda faced some criticism for being difficult to play with, drawing comparisons to the match ball from the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa, the Jabulani.
It's not the first time the World Cup has drawn controversy, as the previous FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar faced human rights violations. Saudi Arabia has also already announced stadiums for the World Cup 2034, with one venue located in the mega project Neom.
Still, the event draws much fanfare. Previously, Dezeen rounded up eight of the best illustrations that captured the fever of the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia.
The photography is courtesy of Adidas.
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