Official match ball
What is the official World Cup 2026 ball?
The official match ball of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is the adidas Trionda, unveiled on 2 October 2025. Its name means "three waves" for the three host nations, and it carries a connected-ball chip that feeds ball-movement data to the video assistant referee.
Verified·Ball confirmed June 2026
Source: adidas and FIFA, via the official ball launch of 2 October 2025 (adidas press release; Wikipedia "Adidas Trionda"), confirmed June 2026.
MercatoWire
The Trionda at a glance
| Detail | Confirmed fact |
|---|---|
| Name | adidas Trionda ("three waves") |
| Maker | adidas |
| Unveiled | 2 October 2025 |
| Panels | 4 (thermally bonded, fewest yet) |
| Tech | Side-mounted IMU connected-ball chip feeding VAR |
Source: adidas and FIFA, via the official ball launch of 2 October 2025 (adidas press release; Wikipedia "Adidas Trionda"), confirmed June 2026.
How the connected ball helps VAR
The Trionda houses a side-mounted inertial measurement unit (IMU) inside one of its four panels. Unlike the 2022 Al Rihla, whose sensor was suspended inside the bladder, the Trionda mounts the chip in a panel. It streams precise ball-movement data to the video assistant referee within seconds.
Combined with player-position tracking and FIFA's semi-automated offside system, that data helps match officials reach faster, more accurate decisions. adidas developed the technology with FIFA and Kinexon.
What the name means
Trionda joins "tri" (three) and the Spanish word "onda" (wave) to read as "three waves", a tribute to hosts Canada, Mexico and the United States. The design uses red, green and blue accents on a white base for the three nations.