Al Rihla for Qatar 2022: All about the World Cup's official match ball

Adidas have unveiled their official 'Al Rihla' match ball for the 2022 World Cup, which the company claims to be the fastest ball "in flight" in the history of the competition.

Image Courtesy: Adidas Twitter

"32 teams. 1 ball to make their dreams possible," said iconic sportswear brand Adidas on Wednesday as they unveiled the official match ball for the Qatar World Cup 2022. Named 'Al Rihla', the design promises to maintain a "significantly higher" pace in mid-air to "support the highest game speeds".

This year's World Cup will be played in Qatar, with 32 teams set to compete for the coveted trophy in international football from November 21. For the 14th consecutive edition of the showpiece tournament, Adidas has created the official ball, which will retail at 120 pounds from March 30, and one per cent of each sale will be donated to the Common Goal charity.

Translating to 'the journey' in Arabic, Al Rihla's design has been inspired by Qatar's unique architecture, "iconic" boats and national flag. According to the German manufacturers, the official World Cup 2022 ball will move quicker in the air than any of the previous balls used in the tournament and is said to provide "the highest level of accuracy and reliability on the field of play".

The core of the Al Rihla has been designed to "improve accuracy and consistency" and support quick passages of play while keeping shape. The 20 panels of the ball are included to help enhance aerodynamics, helping players improve the accuracy and swerve of their shots.

An Adidas statement added, "The ball was also designed with the environment at its heart - all components have been carefully considered, and Al Rihla is the first World Cup ball made using only water-based inks and glues. The bold, vibrant colour and graphics set on a pearlescent background reflect the ever-increasing speed of the game, with speed revealing the spectrum of colour to excite players and fans around the world from grassroots to elite levels."

Franziska Loeffelmann, design director in the football graphics and hardwear department at Adidas, offered a summary of the ball's key features. "The game is getting faster, and as it speeds up, accuracy and flight stability becomes critically important. The new design allows the ball to maintain its speed significantly higher as it journeys through the air," she said of the Al Rihla.

"For the biggest global stage in all of sport, we set out to make the impossible possible with radical innovation by creating the fastest and most accurate World Cup ball to date," Loeffelmann concluded.

The Al Rihla will leave Qatar for a tour of 10 cities around the world ahead of the winter World Cup, in each of which Adidas is promoting campaigns to "improves access and equity".