Adidas on Sunday revealed 'Al Hilm', the official match ball for the semi-finals and final match of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Al Hilm in Arabic means 'The dream.'
In a release, Adidas said, “The design is set on a textured gold base colour which features a subtle triangular pattern, drawing inspiration from the deserts of the region that surround the city, the colour of the FIFA World Cup trophy, and the pattern of the Qatar flag. Bold red accents complement the graphic, reflecting both the generative architecture of Qatar and the country’s flag.”
“Al Hilm represents a beacon of light on the power of sport and football to bring the world together. Millions will tune in from almost every country around the globe, united by their passion for the game,” said Nick Craggs, General Manager-Football, Adidas.
Al Hilm also includes Adidas's ‘Connected Ball’ technology which has been helping match officials make faster and more accurate decisions during the group matches of the World Cup. By combining the ball tracking data captured by sensors within the ball and applying artificial intelligence, the new technology provides an automated offside alert to the VAR team, the release said.
Adidas stated that the ball was designed considering environmental factors and only water-based inks and glues were used, the first-ever World Cup match ball to be designed so.
The official match ball for the group matches was called 'Al Rihla', meaning 'The Journey' in Arabic.
