FIFA celebrates launch of Official Match Ball of FIFA World Cup 26™ – TRIONDA
New York/New Jersey — The countdown to the game-changing FIFA World Cup 26™ has reached its latest significant milestone with the launch of the adidas TRIONDA, the Official Match Ball of the competition.
The name TRIONDA can be translated from Spanish as “three waves”, and, alongside other unique and innovative design features, celebrates the fact that, for the first time, three host countries – Canada, Mexico and the United States – are uniting to host the FIFA World Cup™.
This reveal builds upon other recent landmark tournament events, including the unveiling of the Official Mascots, the news that FIFA will donate USD 1 to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund for every FIFA World Cup 26 ticket sold and the announcement that more than 4.5 million fans from 216 countries and territories entered the Visa Presale Draw – the first of several ticket sales phases for the eagerly anticipated event.
“The Official Match Ball for the FIFA World Cup 26 is here and it’s a beauty!” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “I am happy and proud to present TRIONDA. adidas have created another iconic FIFA World Cup ball, with the design embodying the unity and passion of next year’s host nations Canada, Mexico, and the United States.”
“I can’t wait to see this beautiful ball hitting the back of the net. The countdown to the greatest FIFA World Cup ever is on – and the ball is rolling!”
The ball’s vibrant design features a red, green and blue colour scheme that pays homage to the three host countries, while a brand-new four-panel construction with fluid geometry replicates the waves referenced in the ball’s name. These panels connect to form a triangle in the centre of the ball in a nod to the historic union of the three host nations.
Iconography that represents each host country adorns the ball, with the maple leaf for Canada, an eagle for Mexico and a star for the United States, while gold embellishments pay tribute to the FIFA World Cup Trophy, underlining the significance of the stage provided by FIFA’s flagship tournament.
TRIONDA boasts several key performance innovations. The four-panel construction incorporates intentionally deep seams, creating a surface that produces optimal in-flight stability by ensuring sufficient and evenly distributed drag as the ball travels through the air. Additionally, embossed icons that are only visible up-close elevate grip when striking or dribbling the ball in wet or humid conditions.
Connected ball technology again features in the Official Match Ball of the FIFA World Cup, with a state-of-the-art 500Hz motion sensor chip delivering insight into every element of the ball’s movement. This technology sends precise data to the video assistant referee system in real time, enhancing match officials’ decision-making, including in relation to offside incidents.
TRIONDA’s arrival continues the momentum leading up to the 23rd edition of the global extravaganza and comes ahead of important international match windows in October and November, during which more nations are set to seal their berths at the tournament, and the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup 26 in Washington DC on Friday, 5 December 2025.
Each host nation is also celebrated by the inclusion of iconography significant to the countries, including a Star for the USA, a Maple Leaf for Canada and an Eagle for Mexico. The icons are featured as bold graphics on the panel designs, as well as being subtly embossed onto the matte base of the ball, providing an intricate all-over texture when viewed up close.
The design is finished with gold embellishments in homage to the FIFA World Cup™ trophy and detailing that outlines the motifs across the face of the ball – a champion’s color for the champion’s ball.
From a performance point of view, the four-panel construction is designed with intentionally deep seams and strategically placed debossed lines alongside embossed country icons, creating a ball surface that produces optimal in-flight stability by ensuring there is sufficient and evenly distributed drag as it travels through the air.
The embossed icons also provide the added performance benefit of elevated grip on the ball when dribbling or striking the ball in wet or humid conditions.
Sam Handy, General Manager at adidas Soccer said: “With TRIONDA, every detail has an impact. The embossed textures, layered graphics and bold colours make the ball stand out instantly, creating a design that feels alive in your hands. It’s the most visually playful FIFA World Cup ball we’ve ever created – a piece of craftsmanship built for the biggest stage, that makes you want to hold it, admire it, and above all, play with it.”
TRIONDA also carries the latest evolution of adidas Connected Ball Technology in the form of an innovative new side mounted chip system. The 500Hz inertial measurement unit (IMU) motion sensor chip now sits inside a specially created layer in one of the four panels, rather than as a center-mounted system held in place by a suspension system. The addition of counterweights across the three other panels ensures continued flight stability and balance.
Providing unprecedented insight into every element of the movement of the ball, the technology sends precise ball data to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in real time – which when combined with player position data and by applying artificial intelligence, helps match officials make faster offside decisions. Developed in close collaboration with Kinexon, adidas Connected Ball Technology can also aid match officials in identifying each individual touch of the ball, resulting in less time spent resolving specific incidents, including possible handball.
Solene Stoermann, Category Director at adidas, said: “Football creates joy – and no other tournament encapsulates that joy like a FIFA World Cup™. For the first time, we’ll see it travel across three countries, and with that, comes an Official Match Ball worthy of the occasion. As soon as the tournament hosts were announced, we knew we had to make something special – a ball that can be played everywhere, from the backyard to the world’s biggest stage. Next summer, TRIONDA is set to be a main character in the biggest show on earth, and we cannot wait for fans and players to enjoy the moment.”
Follow @Trionda on TikTok for a first-person POV of the Official Match Ball in action from now through to the FIFA World Cup26™.
