The World Cup 2022 ball, the Adidas Al Rihla, follows a long line of Adidas match balls for the greatest show on Earth
(Image credit: Getty)
The World Cup 2022 ball, the Adidas Al Rihla, is the 14th that the German manufacturer has provided to the biggest international tournament on Earth.
In Arabic, Al Rihla translates as “the journey”. The ball is said to have been inspired by the architecture, boats, and the flag of Qatar, with triangular shapes crisscrossing over the sphere itself.
The official logo of the Qatar World Cup features, of course – as does the new Adidas sport logo, a stripped-back version of the three stripes.
Adidas Al Rihla ball: What is the World Cup 2022 ball?
(Image credit: Adidas)
The Adidas World Cup ball is said to be the most technologically advanced ever, capable of flying further and faster than its predecessors. We're sure goalkeepers will be absolutely thrilled about that.
“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,” says Franziska Loeffelmann, design director at Adidas.
“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.”
Where can I buy the World Cup 2022 ball?
The Al Rihla is already available to buy from Adidas.com ahead of the tournament kicking off this winter.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
The Pro version of the ball retails for £130 and is the official version that the world's greatest players will be kicking about in the sweltering Qatari heat come November. The replica has subtle differences, however, and will only set you back £30.
Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
