The Adidas Telstar 18 has been unveiled as the official match ball for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
FIFA presented the innovation with Argentina legend Leo Messi. “I like all of it: the new design, the colours, everything.”
It harks back to the original Telstar, which was created with black panels to help it stand out on black-and-white television sets almost 50 years ago.
The Adidas Telstar 18 has been unveiled as the official match ball for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
FIFA presented the innovation with Argentina legend Leo Messi. “I like all of it: the new design, the colours, everything.”
It harks back to the original Telstar, which was created with black panels to help it stand out on black-and-white television sets almost 50 years ago.
“A reinvention of a classic model with a brand-new panel design and the latest technology: in an exciting re-imagining, adidas today revealed the official match ball for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, which pays homage to the first-ever adidas World Cup ball,” read a statement.
“The Telstar 18 evokes unforgettable memories of the 1970 FIFA World Cup™ – and of legends like Pelé, Gerd Müller, Giacinto Facchetti, Pedro Rocha and Bobby Moore – and will feed the dreams of those who will play for football’s most coveted prize in Russia next year.”
It includes an embedded NFC chip, allowing consumers to interact with the ball using a smartphone.