About the 2022 FIFA World Cup Ball
Al Rihla
When the Official FIFA World Cup ball is available to the public you know it means the grand daddy of tournaments is right around the corner – and IT IS. FortheLoveofSoccer.com has been granted exclusive access to its readers to get their hands on it before they are sold out. Let’s get to know more about the 2022 FIFA World Cup ball – Al Rihla.
About the ball
Adidas has been the official supplier of the FIFA World Cup ball for a staggering 14 World Cups. If my math serves me right, that comes out to 56 years as the official match ball of the FIFA World Cup. Pretty impressive!
Al Rihla translates to “the journey” in Arabic. There are 32 teams to compete in the World Cup and only one team will complete “the journey” of seven games and be crowned world champions.
Specs of the ball
Soccer is getting faster and faster on the field so it only makes sense to create a fast ball. In fact, Al Rihla is considered the fastest soccer ball in history.
What? Well, the way the ball is produced helps maintain its ball speed while in flight. As with many official match balls, Al Rihla is made with 100% polyurethane. Polyurethane is a high tensile highly tear resistant foam that helps create a more consistent rounded shape that won’t warp over time.
Al Rihla is the first match ball made of water based inks and glues (eco-friendly).
The panels of the ball are thermally bonded rather than stitched. We’ve all experienced the stitched ball that rips and has it’s inner core poking out, right?
The core of the ball (CRT) helps improve accuracy and maintain its ideal shape while retaining proper air pressure.
Last but not least the official Al Rihla is FIFA Quality Pro rated which means it is the highest standard match ball on the market.
Alternative Al Rihla Balls to Consider
Media/Play Room JUMBO Al Rihla
