Al Rihla, the Most Official Particular Ball in World Cup History

The soccer ball is one of the prominent symbols of any World Cup, representing the tournament and containing stories and many meaningful purposes. In the following content, let’s explore with Agamara exciting things about the official Adidas ‘Al Rihla’ match ball for the 2022 World Cup season!

The official football meaning of ‘Al Rihla’ for the 2022 World Cup season

In Arabic, Al Rihla means ‘journey.’

The design of the Al Rihla ball inspires by the culture, architecture, boats, and the iconic flag of Qatar. The vibrant colors placed on the white background of the ball represent the typical colors of the host country of the FIFA World Cup 2022.

The unique characteristics of the soccer ball “Al Rihla.”

The Al Rihla is the 14th ball Adidas has produced for the World Cup. The soccer ball possesses the highest accuracy and reliability on the court due to new technological applications and surface textures.

The leading technologies that the Al Rihla ball possesses include:

• CTR-Core: the innovative core placed inside the ball is tuned to improve flight accuracy and consistency, supporting faster speeds and more accuracy.
• SpeedShell: Polyurethane (PU) skin features micro- and macro-connections that create a new 20-piece panel shape that enhances aerodynamics for improved accuracy, flight stability, and flexible navigation.

So this is the best speed-optimized design, moving with a trajectory faster than any previous World Cup ball.

NEW: Semi-automated offside technology to be used at FIFA World Cup 2022. Full details on @FIFAcom. Here’s how it works 👇 pic.twitter.com/qrDzjsXxph

— Bryan Swanson (@fifa_bryan) July 1, 2022

As the official match ball of the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup, the Al Rihla is one of the most significant technological innovations. The sensor provides unprecedented insight into every element of the ball’s movement and power by a rechargeable battery. This technology is not noticeable to the player and does not affect the ball’s performance.

Johannes Holzmüller, Director of Football Technology & Innovation at FIFA, said: “This technology is the culmination of three years of dedicated research and testing by FIFA and our partner Adidas to provide the best possible experience for the referees, teams, players, and fans who will be heading to Qatar later this year. We look forward to seeing semi-automated offside technology, including the connected ball technology, in action at the FIFA World Cup 2022.”

Franziska Löffelmann, Design Director – Football Graphics & Hardwear, Adidas, explains: “The game is getting faster and, as it speeds up, accuracy and flight stability become critically important. The new design allows the ball to maintain a significantly higher speed as it journeys through the air. For the biggest global stage in all sports, we set out to make the impossible possible with radical innovation by creating the fastest and most accurate FIFA World Cup ball to date.”

Before its official launch, the ‘Al Rihla’ Ball manufactures using a rigorous system of data from research labs, wind tunnels, and thorough field tests for ultimate accuracy.

The ball’s appearance is distinctive, with vibrant graphics on a light pearl white background, creating a vivid motion spectrum to excite the audience and the players.

This first FIFA World Cup ball is produced exclusively from water-based sustainable ink and glue. Al-Rihla deserves an eco-friendly ball when using these biodegradable materials and watercolors.

With the theme of “journey,” the Al Rihla ball will visit ten cities worldwide, including Dubai, Tokyo, New York, etc. Adidas will launch a series of initiatives in these cities to improve access and sports equality among local communities.

Al Rihla is the first World Cup ball in the tournament’s 92-year history to directly contribute to fundraising to positively impact lives worldwide, with 1% of Al Rihla’s net sales donated to the Common Goal movement.

Nick Craggs, General Manager – of Adidas Football, said: “At Adidas, we believe sport belongs to all, and we have committed and active in improving access and equity for our global community of footballers. As part of this commitment, on its journey around the world, Al Rihla will support local communities with activations designed to create lasting impact for grassroots and beyond.” 

In addition, he added: “We are also proud to continue our work with Common Goal, with 1% of Al Rihla’s net sales supporting the movement, together using football as a vehicle to drive social change and meaningful impact for the lives of young people.”

Conclusion

It is the first time that the World Cup Match Ball has applied modern technology with the expectation of creating an impressive journey for the 2022 World Cup for both players and fans.