With another World Cup comes another World Cup ball – an in 2026, it’s the turn of the Adidas Trionda.
Adidas has provided the official match ball at every World Cup since 1970, when the iconic Telstar – the first black-and-white ball used at the tournament – was kicked around the pitches of Mexico.
Every World Cup has had a different ball, with each of the last five editions also using a different variant for later stages of the tournament.
World Cup 2026 Ball: The Adidas Trionda
The name Trionda is a portmanteau of ‘tri-‘ – a reference to this World Cup being hosted by three countries – and ‘onda’ – the Spanish word for wave. As such, Trionda can be loosely translated as Three Waves.
Unveiled last October, the Trionda is constructed from just four polyurethane panels – the fewest of any World Cup ball yet. Announcing the Trionda, Adidas said:
“Trionda is a celebration of the nations that will host the tournament – Canada, Mexico and the USA.
“Crafted using a brand new four-panel ball construction for high performance, the fluid design geometry replications the waves represented in the ball’s official name.
“Each panel features the country colours of red, blue and green which connect in a form of a triangle in the centre of the panel, representing three nations coming together to host the tournament for the first time.”
The Trionda also boasts an inertial measurement unit (IMU) – a chip embedded in one of the panels of the ball which transmits date to VAR in real time and helps on-field officials make offside decisions quicker.
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As well as the ball, Adidas continue to account for a large proportion of World Cup kits. The iconic German brand are supplying 14 teams at this summer’s tournament, more than any other manufacturer. They include reigning world champions Argentina and co-hosts Mexico.
Next, see How Does the New World Cup Format Work?
