Dubbed FUSSBALLLIEBE, the “ball’s design is inspired by the joy of football and the energy of the tournament, and has been engineered with improved deboss grooves for greater precision in play,” adidas said in a press statement.
The ball’s core includes a zero-waste bladder containing natural rubber, and each layer of the ball has been adjusted to include materials such as corn fiber, sugar cane, wood pulp and natural rubber, without impacting performance.
It also incorporates adidas Connected Ball Technology to help match officials make accurate decisions faster. “Combining player position data with AI, the innovation contributes to UEFA’s semi-automated offside technology and will be key to supporting faster in match decisions,” adidas said. adidas Connected Ball Technology can also help officials identify every individual touch of the ball, reducing time spent resolving handball and penalty incidents.
FUSSBALLLIEBE is available from adidas for €150.