Qatar World Cup special ball "Journey" released! Count the technological doorways in football

From Uruguay in 1930 to Qatar in 2022, from the World Cup to the entire football world, changes have taken place. In addition to the efforts of generations of football players, technology has also contributed to the development of football.

Compiled by New Media Editor Duan Dawei

On March 31, the football equipment circle welcomed a heavyweight product. Adidas officially launched the official match ball "Al Rihla" for the 2022 Qatar World Cup in an online media conference. Al Rihla means "journey" in Arabic. As the 14th consecutive match ball produced by Adidas for the FIFA World Cup, the design and technical upgrades this time have attracted special attention.

(Photo source: FIFA official website)

From Uruguay in 1930 to Qatar in 2022, from the World Cup to the entire football world, earth-shaking changes have taken place. Football has continued to develop and improve, becoming the world's number one sport today. In addition to the efforts of generations of football players, the progress of the times and technology have also contributed to the development of football.

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The Ancient Era of Match Balls

Looking back at the development history of World Cup match balls, it is inseparable from the combination of science and technology and sports.

▲The scene of the Uruguay World Cup in 1930 (Photo source: Sina Photo)

In ancient times, the ball used in the World Cup was not the focus of people's attention. The first World Cup in Uruguay did not even have an official ball. Instead, the ball used in each game was usually provided and selected by the two teams themselves, which was very "arbitrary".

▲The Swiss World Champion ball used in the 1954 Swiss World Cup (Photo credit: Penalty Sports)

In 1954, the World Cup in Switzerland, the World Cup ball standard gradually took shape, made of 18 pieces of leather sewn perpendicularly to each other. In addition to the craftsmanship, the World Cup ball also began to change in materials and technology.

▲The ball used in the 1958 Swedish World Cup, "Top Star" (Photo source: Penalty Sports)

The "Top Star" ball used in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden pioneered the use of a waterproof outer shell.

▲ "King of Football" Pele (Photo source: Phoenix.com)

The title "superstar" perfectly fits the emergence of the football king Pele.

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From practicality to "standard"

▲The ball used in the 1970 Mexico World Cup, "Telstar" (Television Star) (Photo source: Penalty Sports)

In the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, FIFA officially introduced the concept of a World Cup football. Adidas also officially became the supplier of the World Cup football. The ball used in that World Cup, "Telstar" (Television Star), was made of leather. Compared with other footballs at the time, "Telstar" was made entirely of genuine leather. What made it different was that its surface was made up of 32 hand-sewn inlays (12 black pentagons and 20 white hexagons). This new structure, combined with balanced sewing, gave the football a more rounded and perfect appearance. This revolutionary structural design wrote a new page in the history of football.

▲The "Azteca" ball used in the 1986 Mexico World Cup (Photo credit: Penalty Sports)

Since then, the development of World Cup balls has made great strides. The "Azteca" ball used in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico was the first to use synthetic materials, making it more absorbent and durable. Its design was inspired by ethnic characteristics, just as the name Azteca came from the local Aztec architecture and mural art in Mexico.

▲The special ball for the 1990 World Cup in Italy, the "Etrusco Unico" (Etruria) (Photo source: Penalty Sports)

The "Etrusco Unico" (Etruscan) ball used in the 1990 World Cup in Italy has a reinforced coating on the surface of the ball. Inspired by the ancient Etruscan culture of Italy, three Etruscan lion heads are printed on each triangular inlay.

▲The "Tricolore" ball used in the 1998 World Cup in France (Photo credit: Penalty Sports)

The "Tricolore" ball, a special ball for the 1998 World Cup in France, introduced the "transparent printing" technology and used a new type of composite foam material. The surface of the ball combines the colors of the French flag and the Gallic rooster logo, and national characteristics become standard. The "transparent printing" technology makes the overall color of the ball brighter and less likely to fade.

The application of these technologies has integrated the "science and technology" into football and also set "industry standards" for the subsequent development of football.

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The football "brand" in the hearts of a generation

In the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, the World Cup ball ushered in another huge leap. The ball used in that year, "Fevernova", became popular in the streets and alleys. The outer layer of Fevernova uses a high-tech synthetic foam layer structure, and the three-layer composite knitted inner patch provides "Fevernova" with good three-dimensional motion characteristics. After a lot of tests by the mechanical legs of the Football R&D Center, the various indicators of Fevernova exceeded all the standards of FIFA at that time.

▲Ma Mingyu, the captain of the national team at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup (Photo source: Hupu Sports)

Its design was a leap forward at the time. The pattern of four red and gold darts made the Flying Fire Meteor a pioneer in football design at the time. It is said that the designer's inspiration came from the philosophical concepts of Japan and South Korea. The Flying Fire Meteor is a work of art produced by industrialized football and is also the most innovative ball since the 21st century.

Most importantly, the Chinese team could watch and participate in the game for the first time without time difference, so the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup and the Flying Fire Meteor Ball are destined to become classics in our memories. The great success of the Flying Fire Meteor Ball made the World Cup ball a popular "icon" that is held every four years. In addition to the game itself, it also carries more communication functions that cater to the Internet era.

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Football technology with both “inside” and “outside”

The "Teamgeist" ball used in the 2006 World Cup in Germany overturned the tradition of a ball made of 32 hand-sewn pieces. It was unprecedentedly made of 14 pieces of ball skin and heat-bonded stitching technology to create a truly completely waterproof ball with an almost perfect arc.

▲The ball used in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, "Teamgeist" (Team Star) (Photo source: Sina Sports)

▲Jose+10 advertising poster (Photo source: adidas.com)

In the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Adidas' advertisement Jose+10 featuring the "team star" became a classic.

▲The match ball for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, "Jobulani" (Celebration of the World) (Photo source: Penalty Sports)

▲The 2014 Brazil World Cup match ball "Brazuca" (Samba Glory) (Photo source: Phoenix.com)

The balls used in the two subsequent World Cups, the "Jobulani" (Universal Celebration) of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the "Brazuca" (Samba Glory) of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, were further improved in craftsmanship, with the number of pieces reduced from 14 to 8 and 6 respectively.

At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, football technology focused its attention on the inside and implanted an NFC chip in the ball, incorporating digital thinking to meet the needs of future football development.

The ball for this World Cup is named "Telstar 18", which, as the name suggests, is a tribute to the 1970 classic. It returns to the black and white football, with a much simpler style, only some mosaic-like treatment on the black blocks.

▲The match ball for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, "Telstar 18" (Television Star 18) (Photo source: Sina Sports)

The design of the embedded NFC chip in the football allows consumers to interact with the football using their smartphones. Each football will generate a unique identification code to unlock exclusive content and information for the user. This personalized positioning perception experience makes each football a unique individual.

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Football takes off on a new journey

On March 30, the official match ball for the 2022 Qatar World Cup was announced, named "Al Rihla". Al Rihla means "journey" in Arabic.

▲The 2022 Qatar World Cup match ball "Al Rihla" (Journey) (Photo source: adidas.com)

According to FIFA and Adidas, the Journey is inspired by Qatar's culture, architecture, iconic ships and flag. Its eye-catching, bright colors represent the host country of this World Cup and the ever-increasing speed of the game. It is worth mentioning that the flight speed of the Journey in the air will be the fastest in all World Cups so far. It is also said to have the highest flight accuracy and stability, which is an important innovation for the World Cup ball.

With the fastest flying speed, it is unknown whether the records in football history can be refreshed again. The development of the World Cup ball has witnessed the development history of football from the side, from the earliest barren land, to satellite live broadcast, to various high-tech equipment, to the most cutting-edge VR live broadcast and AR advertising. The future development of football will be more closely integrated with technology.

This World Cup may be the farewell match for the superstars who have grown up with us, such as Messi, Ronaldo, Modric, and Lewandowski. Let us look forward to this "visual feast" together!

(Source: Sina Sports, Dongqiudi, Sports Department Director, Hupu Sports, Phoenix.com, Sohu.com, etc.)

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Produced by: Beijing Science and Technology News | Beijing Science and Technology Media

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