AI To Play Big Role In FIFA World Cup 2026's Official Match Ball, Here's Everything You Need To Know About The Path-Breaking Trionda

FIFA revealed the match ball that will be used for the upcoming 2026 edition of the World Cup. The marquee tournament will be played in USA, Canada, and Mexico next summer. The match ball that will be used for the biggest event in the world of football has been named Trionda. Tri stands for the three host nations, blue for USA, red for Canada, and green for Mexico—and Onda, the Spanish word for wave or vibe.

Here's A List Of Balls Used In Every Edition Of FIFA World Cup

• T-model: 1930, Uruguay
• Federale 102: 1934, Italy
• Allen: 1938, France
• Superball Duplo T: 1950, Brazil
• Swiss World Champion: 1954, Switzerland
• Top Star: 1958, Sweden
• Mr Crack: 1962, Chile
• Challenge 4-Star: 1966, England
• Telstar: 1970, Mexico
• Telstar Durlast: 1974, West Germany
• Tango Durlast: 1978, Argentina
• Tango España: 1982, Spain
• Azteca: 1986, Mexico
• Etrusco Unico: 1990, Italy
• Questra: 1994, USA
• Tricolore: 1998, France
• Fevernova: 2002, Korea/Japan
• Teamgeist: 2006, Germany
• Jabulani: 2010, South Africa
• Brazuca: 2014, Brazil
• Telstar 18: 2018, Russia
• Al Rihla and Al Hilm: 2022, Qatar
• Trionda: 2026, USA/Canada/Mexico

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Dissecting The Design And Features

The TRIONDA has been manufactured by Adidas, provider of the official World Cup balls since the 1970s. The ball has a four-panel construction, the lowest panel count in World Cup history. This will allow the TRIONDA to have a smoother flight and improved aerodynamics. The Al Rihla, which was used in the 2022 World Cup, had a total of 20 geometric panels.

The ball has also been designed keeping in mind the different climate that it will face across 16 host cities, from Vancouver, Canada at one end to Mexico City at the other. The TRIONDA is also being looked at as the brightest World Cup ball ever.

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The Artificial Intelligence Enhancements

"Trionda footballs carry the latest evolution of Adidas Connected Ball Technology in the form of an innovative new side-mounted chip system. The 500Hz inertial measurement unit (IMU) motion sensor chip now sits inside a specially created layer in one of the four panels, rather than as a centre-mounted system held in place by a suspension system," read a statement from FIFA.

The ball for the 2026 World Cup will feature an AI-powered chip which has been based on Adidas’ Connected Ball Technology. After Al Rihla's scrutiny during the 2022 World Cup, the 500Hz chip has been positioned on the side of the ball instead of being centrally located. The chip will contribute towards delivering various real-time insights and data for future use.