Adidas Telstar 18
Type | Ball |
---|---|
Inception | 2017 |
Manufacturer | Adidas |
Available | Yes |
Current supplier | Forward Sports[1] |
Last production year | 2018 |
The Adidas Telstar 18 was the official match ball of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which was held in the Russian Federation. It was designed by the company Adidas, a FIFA Partner and FIFA World Cup official match ball supplier since 1970, and based on the concept of the first Adidas's World Cup match ball.[2] The manufacturer of the ball was Forward Sports, a sports equipment supplier based in Sialkot, Pakistan.[1]
The Telstar 18 was presented in Moscow on November 9, 2017 by Lionel Messi.[3] Retired Brazilian footballer Ronaldo opened the 2018 FIFA World Cup by introducing a Telstar 18 that was sent into space to the International Space Station crew in March 2018, and returned to Earth in June.[4]
Naming
The name of the ball was revealed on November 9, 2017 at the official presentation in Moscow by
Design and manufacture
The original Telstar used in the
The ball has an embedded
The Telstar 18 balls are manufactured in Pakistan and China.[13][14]
Criticism of performance
Although Adidas stated that the Telstar 18 was scientifically designed to be predictable in flight and was "the most perfect piece of equipment ever used in the game,"
Further commentary on the ball's performance arose after two balls burst in a
Telstar Mechta
At the end of the 2018 World Cup group stage, FIFA revealed a new design to be used in the knockout stage: the Telstar Mechta (Мечта). "Mechta" means dream or ambition in Russian.[22]
At the 2018 Russia–United States summit, Russian president Vladimir Putin gifted a Telstar Мechta to U.S. president Donald Trump, whose national team was not qualified for the tournament. The ball, which included the standard chip and transmission devices, incited a political controversy within the U.S. over fears of spying.[23]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Russia to use Pakistan's footballs in 2018 world cup". www.aljazeera.com. 3 February 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
- ^ "2018 FIFA World Cup official match ball unveiled: an exciting re-imagining". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
- ^ Wright, Chris (November 9, 2017). "Adidas unveil 2018 World Cup ball: The Telstar 18". ESPN. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
- ^ "World Cup 2018: Ronaldo and Robbie Williams star in opening ceremony". BBC. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
- ^ Bate, Adam (July 16, 2014). "World Cup Final: Was Lionel Messi Really a Disappointment in Brazil or Have We Just Become Numb to His Genius?". Sky Sports.
- ^ "World Cup 2014: Lionel Messi Golden Ball Surprised Sepp Blatter". BBC Sport. July 14, 2014.
- ^ Prenderville, Liam (November 9, 2017). "Messi links up with Real Madrid boss Zidane at all-star event". Mirror. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
- ^ Joseph, Andrew (November 9, 2017). "A look at Adidas' official Russia World Cup Telstar 18 ball". For The Win. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
- ^ a b "adidas reveals ball for '18 World Cup, The Telstar 18". Manila Standard. November 20, 2017. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
- ^ "Soccer-FIFA revives the 1970 World Cup ball". Reuters. November 9, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
- ^ "Adidas Telstar 2018 World Cup Ball Released". Footy Headlines. November 9, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
- ^ "Revealed: The Chip Inside The 2018 World Cup Ball is a Completely Unnecessary Gimmick". Footy Headlines. November 13, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
- ^ "Made in Pakistan manufactured by Speed Sports: 'Telstar 18' to represent Pakistan in FIFA World Cup 2018".
- ^ a b Liao, George (June 21, 2018). "Ball loses air in four incidents since World Cup kicked off". Taiwan News. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
- ^ a b "World Cup ball: Adidas Telstar 18 'a problem for goalkeepers'". 2018-06-15.
- ^ Price, Steve (28 March 2018). "Why Nike Contract Could Hurt England's Preparations For Russia 2018 World Cup". Forbes. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- ^ a b "The Telstar 18 World Cup ball; Saúl, Parejo and Asensio". en.as.com. Diario AS. 26 March 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
- ^ "VAR, free-kick crackers make it 'set-piece World Cup'". China.org.cn. June 20, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
- ^ "goalkeepers are unhappy with the ball: World Cup 2018". YouTube (in Russian). 31 March 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- ^ "Telstar 18 balls burst during France - Australia". AS South Africa. 16 June 2018. Archived from the original on 20 September 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- ^ Amako, Uche (16 June 2018). "World Cup: Why do the match balls keep bursting? Did you see what Lionel Messi did?". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- ^ "adidas Football Reveals Official Match Ball for the Knockout Stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia". 2018 FIFA World Cup. 2018-06-26. Retrieved 2018-06-26.
- ^ Silver, Vernon (July 25, 2018). "Putin's soccer ball for Trump had transmitter chip, logo indicates". Bloomberg News. Retrieved July 25, 2018 – via The Seattle Times.
External links
- Adidas
- Sabin, Dyani (June 18, 2018). "How the new World Cup ball was designed to not influence the games". Popular Science.