When the first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in Mexico City, billions of eyes will be fixed on the players. Yet another star of the tournament will already be on the pitch. It is called TRIONDA.
Unveiled by Adidas as the official match ball for football's biggest tournament, TRIONDA will be kicked, headed and chased across stadiums in the United States, Canada and Mexico over the course of one month. However, unlike the balls used in previous generations, this one will not simply be part of the action.
Hidden beneath its surface is a tiny motion sensor capable of tracking every touch and movement in real time, feeding data directly into the technology used by match officials. In many ways, TRIONDA represents how football's most traditional competition has become one of its most technologically advanced.
The football story
The black-and-white Telstar became an icon of the television age in 1970. The Tango design dominated football for nearly two decades. The Jabulani, used in South Africa in 2010, sparked controversy as goalkeepers complained about its unpredictable flight.
