Al Rihla: World Cup 2022 Official Ball Inspired by Qatari culture

Adidas revealed the official ball for the World Cup 2022 that will be held in the State of Qatar, stressing that it has unique specifications and features unprecedented in the history of the World Cup.

The global company said that the name of the ball is "Al Rihla", an Arabic name inspired by the Qatari culture meaning "The Journey", which is the 14th ball in a row that it has made for the World Cup. The ball is characterized by its ability to move in the air faster than any other ball in the history of the tournament.

FIFA Marketing Director Jean-Francois Pathy said: “This is an amazing, sustainable, and high-quality Adidas official ball that will be enjoyed by football stars in Qatar, as well as by players everywhere.

He added, “The ball "Al Rihla" travels around the world will represent the atmosphere of the FIFA World Cup travel to every place and will give fans a unique opportunity to interact with the event that is becoming more and more exciting.”

The ball is designed using rigorous data and testing in Adidas labs and tested by a number of soccer players.

The ball has the highest levels of accuracy and reliability due to its new design and surface texture.

FIFA stated on its website that the ball for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has important advantages, as the ball core provides speed, accuracy, consistency of movement, and stability in the air, in addition to the accuracy of rebound.

The surface of the ball is textured synthetic leather consisting of 20 pieces with a new design, which helps to improve its accuracy and stability during flight.

Francesca Lofelmann, the Design Director at Adidas, said: "With the pace of play and the speed of movement rising, the accuracy and stability of the ball are becoming very important"

Lofelmann added: "For the biggest sporting event in the world, we set out to make the impossible possible by radically innovating the fastest and most accurate World Cup ball to date"

According to FIFA, the ball was named "Al Rihla", because it is inspired by the culture, architecture, and boats of Qatar, in addition to its national flag

The first public appearance of the ball will be accompanied by the legends of the game, such as Iker Casillas, Kaka, Farah Jafri, and Nouf Al-Anzi, in addition to a group of football talents from promising players from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, in addition to the next generation players from Aspire Academy in Doha

The official announcement of the ball marked the beginning of its journey to ten cities in different regions of the world, including Dubai, Tokyo, Mexico, and New York.